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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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They are awesome. I have been using them for mains wiring and all sorts of low voltage and electronics applications for three years now. They make whipping together a test device with pigtails and leads flying everywhere a snap.
I can see why an old-school sparky wouldn't like them, the same way an old-school plumber hates PEX; they are 90% easier to use when you're trying to wire nut four 12ga solid Romex conductors together, and much easier to correct a problem if you mess something up.
Caveats: Make SURE you are using genuine German Wagos, not Chinesium knockoffs from Amazon. They are NOT the same. Also, it's a best practice to put a quick wrap of tape around the levers before trying to stuff it all in a back box. When working with heavier gauge wire (>14) the force needed to stuff the box can partially flip a lever open if it drags in just the right place.
Do those two things, and electrical becomes a lot less of a pain in the arse.
They are UL rated for 600V/20A and EN rated for 450v, 32A. I am fairly sure that will answer any requirement anyone here has any business messing with. I've used a thermal camera to look at 240VAC 40A connections i've made with them (water heater) and when the wire is seated and the levers closed properly, they don't get any warmer than a regular wire nutted connection.
Wire nuts are a pain in the fourth point of contact for high voltage work.
For everything I mess with, Wagos are a real irritation saver.
I can see why an old-school sparky wouldn't like them, the same way an old-school plumber hates PEX; they are 90% easier to use when you're trying to wire nut four 12ga solid Romex conductors together, and much easier to correct a problem if you mess something up.
Caveats: Make SURE you are using genuine German Wagos, not Chinesium knockoffs from Amazon. They are NOT the same. Also, it's a best practice to put a quick wrap of tape around the levers before trying to stuff it all in a back box. When working with heavier gauge wire (>14) the force needed to stuff the box can partially flip a lever open if it drags in just the right place.
Do those two things, and electrical becomes a lot less of a pain in the arse.
They are UL rated for 600V/20A and EN rated for 450v, 32A. I am fairly sure that will answer any requirement anyone here has any business messing with. I've used a thermal camera to look at 240VAC 40A connections i've made with them (water heater) and when the wire is seated and the levers closed properly, they don't get any warmer than a regular wire nutted connection.
Wire nuts are a pain in the fourth point of contact for high voltage work.
For everything I mess with, Wagos are a real irritation saver.
I dare you to join the Boomer Plumbers FB group and say something negative about sweating copper pipes....
i did it last week just messing around, i wouldn't want to put it on a real network analyzer, but it got a picture up on a PoE ReolinkUse Wago connectors for CAT5/CAT6 termination - it actually works