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- May 6, 2018
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Its click bait since it Isn’t clear. I saw it the opposite.
Anyone out there tried these Wago connectors?
- Thread starter TonyR
- Start date
Have been using them since they first came to market and have the first generation of them:
The problem I ran into before the newer style came out was space. As others noted the ones you see in my attachment take up way more space than a marrette / wire nut.
Other problems I ran into was depending upon who the inspector was they would not approve them in the final.
That’s a combination of inspectors who are old school who simply can’t learn and accept new technology! With the advent of the (Wing Nut) added to the side of the wire nut it made turning the hardware easier with 100% encapsulation.
As with anything in the world there are tons of copy cat Wago nuts. Don’t purchase any of these fakes as they don’t meet any level of cUL requirements and testing.
There’s a few videos that show real world tests of fake vs real wago’s. Pull / retention strength is apparently lacking.
As is the amount of actual metal to pass the required current. Lastly, the dielectric insulation and durability of the plastic material.
Lots of the fake ones heat up quickly which breaks down the plastic and then results in an obvious hazard because the wire is now exposed!
The problem I ran into before the newer style came out was space. As others noted the ones you see in my attachment take up way more space than a marrette / wire nut.
Other problems I ran into was depending upon who the inspector was they would not approve them in the final.
That’s a combination of inspectors who are old school who simply can’t learn and accept new technology! With the advent of the (Wing Nut) added to the side of the wire nut it made turning the hardware easier with 100% encapsulation.
As with anything in the world there are tons of copy cat Wago nuts. Don’t purchase any of these fakes as they don’t meet any level of cUL requirements and testing.
There’s a few videos that show real world tests of fake vs real wago’s. Pull / retention strength is apparently lacking.
As is the amount of actual metal to pass the required current. Lastly, the dielectric insulation and durability of the plastic material.
Lots of the fake ones heat up quickly which breaks down the plastic and then results in an obvious hazard because the wire is now exposed!
Attachments
I've used them on several houses doing lighting in ceilings. No problem at all, easy to use, been about 5 years, not had the first problem. They do make you wonder though, as the contacts just kind of "clip on". I'll keep using them, at least until I have a problem.......
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I've used them without any issues.
They also seem to be pretty standard in new lighting fixtures. In other words, it is common to get these types of connectors instead of the wire nuts if you buy a fixture that gets installed on a wall or ceiling. Wire nuts obviously work well, but they actually take some skill to use properly. As such, I think for the average home owner it is safer to use these type of connectors over wire nuts because there are a lot more ways you can "improperly" use wire nuts than these.
They also seem to be pretty standard in new lighting fixtures. In other words, it is common to get these types of connectors instead of the wire nuts if you buy a fixture that gets installed on a wall or ceiling. Wire nuts obviously work well, but they actually take some skill to use properly. As such, I think for the average home owner it is safer to use these type of connectors over wire nuts because there are a lot more ways you can "improperly" use wire nuts than these.
I totally agree regarding wire nuts being "improperly" used, as you said. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wire nuts, "SkotchLoks", etc. BUT only if done right and too many folks do not do that, especially the homeowner that has not done hundreds of them and seen how they (and their technique) have performed over time.
I especially like how
As I stated in post #17, "The biggest problem with any twist-on wire connector (3M, Ideal, G-B, etc.) is how they are mis-applied and wrongly installed. The Wago is not immune from that but IMO you'd have to try harder to screw it up mainly because you can visibly see the wires AND they can re-seated if necessary.....some people, though, could screw up a one-car funeral procession. "
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