What are Electrical Wire Nuts?

Ever saw wires in your home joined by an electrical tape? Or are you still using electrical tapes when joining your low voltage electrical conductors?

Well, that’s time-consuming and as you can see, it is messy looking and not really a reliable choice for the connection. Why not use wire nuts?

Twist on Wire Connector is just one of the many names of wire nuts; it is also known as a screw-on wire, cone, and thimble connector.

In this article, you are going to find out some knowledge about electrical wire nuts.

What are Electrical wire nuts?

Wire nuts are a type of connector that is used to combine two or more low voltage or extra low voltage electrical conductors.

A wire nut connector comes in different colors and sizes. They are usually made up of insulating plastic, but other brands are made up of ceramic, which was originally from the UK and now sold in Africa under the name of “porcelain scruits.”

These ceramic connectors called “Midget Scruit” were very popular in the UK one time. Still, when the manufacturers stopped producing because of the decline in the use of ceramic in electrical fittings, some people thought it was banned.

Ideal industries re-launched electrical wire nuts or twist-on connectors in the UK with a slogan of “Let’s Twist Again,” even though there were more popular connectors like push-type connectors and crimps.

In North America, wire nut twister are popularly used in the junction boxes and distribution boxes of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

In Canada, it is often called marrette. It came from the inventor’s name William P. Marr who was originally from Scotland then migrated to Ontario, Canada.

He was an electrician contractor for Ontario Hydro; his job was to convert gas-lit homes to electrical incandescent lighting. At that time, “solder and tape” was the practice for joining conductors.

The process was when the mechanic finishes insulating wire, the electrician then cleans exposed conductors, twist them together, and put them into a pot of molten solder.

When the solder cools off, the electrician then wraps the soldered conductor with insulating tape. Well, as you have read, the process is very long and dangerous because of the part where you put the soldered conductor in a pot of molten solder.

Back then, Marr injured himself by accidentally spilling himself with molten solder. Looking for a safer and quicker way to do his job, back in his home workshop, he developed the first pressure-type wire connector.

And then, in 1914, he made a set-screw version, which is the predecessor of the present-day wire nuts. Wire nut connectors are not recommended for use with aluminum wires by the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission.

They only approved a specialized crimp connector and preliminarily approved a dedicated screw terminal. But some companies manufacture wire nut connectors claims that their design is primarily for, and rated for, use with aluminum conductors.

As you can see, twist nuts come in different sizes and colors, but the sizes and colors are not just for the design.

They are a color-coded scheme for the wire sizes and the number of conductors that can be used with the electrical wire nut. Wire nut connector have 2 types:

• winged and
• non-winged type

Sizes of wire that can be used with a wire nut twister range from 22 to 6 AWG (American wire gauge), but it differs from the color of the wire nut.

Electrical wire nuts have insulating plastic or ceramic finish, the tapered coiled metal insert is their connection, which threads the wires and holds the wire in place securely.

With a connector like this, electrical continuity is never a problem if done right because when wires are twisted in the wire nuts, the wires will be drawn to each other.

Thus, making a connection wire to wire directly plus there is the contact with the metal insert. There is a conventional standard color scheme that most manufacturers use to point out the range of sizes of wire, and the number of conductors that may be joined on with wire nuts.

But take note: not all manufacturer uses the standard color scheme especially the ceramic design finish of wire nuts. You still need to check the label on the package to see the manufacturer guide because colors vary on the manufacturer, and they have their color coding scheme.

Here is the color coding scheme that most manufacturers follow:

• Gray non-winged

Wire Range – 22 to 16 AWG

Minimum – 1 AWG 22 + 1 AWG 20

Maximum – 2 AWG 22 + 3 AWG 20

• Blue non-winged

Wire Range – 22 to 14 AWG

Minimum – 1 AWG 22 + 1 AWG 20

Maximum – 3 AWG 16

• Orange non-winged

Wire Range – 18 to 14 AWG

Minimum – 2 AWG 18

Maximum – 3 AWG 14

• Yellow non-winged

Wire Range –18 to 10 AWG

Minimum – 2 AWG 18 + 1 AWG 14

Maximum – 2 AWG 14 + 1 AWG 10

• Red non-winged

Wire Range – 18 to 10 AWG

Minimum – 2 AWG 14

Maximum – 2 AWG 12 + 2 AWG 10

• Yellow winged

Wire Range – 22 to 10 AWG

Minimum – 2 AWG 16

Maximum – 5 AWG 12 Sol.

• Red Winged

Wire Range – 18 to 8 AWG

Minimum – 2 AWG 16

Maximum – 5 AWG 12 Sol.

• Blue Winged

Wire Range – 14 to 6 AWG

Minimum – 1 AWG 10 + 1 AWG 12

Maximum – 1 AWG 6 + 2 AWG 8

Are Electrical Wire Nuts Easy to Use?

Wire nut connectors are very easy to use. Typically, we only need our hands to use it because they have ridges outside to make them easier to hold and twist.

Wire nuts with wings extension in their body greatly reduce user’s muscle fatigue when installing more or large conductors for the connection and they provide extra grip and torque. With these extensions, the connectors allows the user to use a nut driver or specialized tool to twist the wire nuts with ease.

Wire nuts are used frequently to substitute for terminal blocks or soldering of conductors for 3 reasons:

• wire nuts are easier to use
• quicker to install
• different from soldering

We use twist nuts because it allows us to easily remove the joint conductors for future modification. Heating appliances are high temperatures application we use ceramic finish type of wire nuts in these kinds of applications because of the high resistant of ceramic to heat.

Ordinary wire nut connectors are not for use on wiring connections that can be wet like outside wirings or buried underground. A connector with a special gel filling is the type we use for these kinds of application.

So now you know how wire nut connectors work. Next question is, how are you going to use them properly? Manufacturers sometimes have instruction that comes with their kit when you buy them.

How Do You Use Wire Connectors?

But here are the standard steps on how you should use wire nut connectors.

1. First, we should turn off the power supply of the wiring connection so that we can avoid accidents like electrical shocks when working on the wires.

2. Second, we need to choose the right size of wire and connectors that is going to be used. Choosing the right sizes can prevent electrical misconnection and electrical fires.

We have to be very careful on this because if we use the wrong size of connector or wire, the wire nuts can pop off or fell then the conductors are left exposed which may lead to accidents like short circuit which may cause electrical fire.

To choose the right size of connector and the number of conductors per wire nut you should see the label on the kit or box of the connectors you bought there should be a list there.

3. Next is that we should strip the wiresthat should be joined. The best thing to do this is with a wire stripper.

You should remove the insulating cover of the wires that needs to be joined by using a wire stripper. You need to remove not more than 3/8 of the cover. Do not over strip or under strip.

4. Line up the wires that are going to be joined they should be parallel with each other. If you are using a solid core wire never twist the wire together without using the connector line them up first.

But if you are using a stranded wire, you should first twist the wires of the first conductor then twist the wires on the second conductor and so on if you are using more conductors.

Then without joining the two conductors, line them up properly. This step is UL-listed (meaning this is the step that was approved by a safety testing board) that a connector will make a solid connection with the conductor without twisting the wires.

Plus, if you twist the wires together before installing the connector may make it hard for future repairs on the splice. Because twisting the wire together may make it hard for you to separate them.

Pre-twisting wires is acceptable too but as I said it is not the approved way by a safety testing board. If you are using a combination of solid and stranded wire cores you should lead stranded wires 1/8 inches ahead of solid wires.

5. Placing the wire nut connector over the stripped wires. When the wires are paralleled on each other place the cap part of the wire nut connector over the stripped wires.

Double check and always make sure that there are no stripped wires exposed under the connectors end. If there is a wire exposed under the connector you should remove the connector then cut the stripped wire or wires accordingly then try again.

6. And lastly, twisting the connector onto the conductors. Once the wires are not exposed on the bottom of the connector, you should twist the connector clockwise until it is very tight as possible; or if the connector stops twisting clockwise so that the connector will not fall off.

Finally, now we can test the quality and the strength of the connection you made. Hold the connector and try to pull the wires free. If the cap slipped off, then the wire connector is not tight as it should be.

After step five the connector should stop twisting. If it is still twisting after step five or the cap fell off on step six you should remove the connection and start again. You may need another size of connector to have a proper connection.

IMPORTANT TIPS TO REMEMBER:

• Instead of using electrical tape in joining two or more wires use wire nut connector as it a safer and a much more reliable electrical connection for your conductors.
• Never over strip or under strip wires as it may cause a loose connection on the conductors and wires which may lead to short circuit and electrical fire.
• Always choose the right type and size of wires and connectors that you are going to use.
• In any electrical repairs or projects always make sure to turn off the power supply before starting any repairs or works on electrical wirings.
• Double check all the connections that are already done.
• When working with electrical wirings always wear protection like electrical gloves and goggles to avoid injuries.

The BEST Wire Nuts

A lot of people use electric wires with electrical tapes. They twist the wires and wrap them with electric tapes. This will not secure the connection. They are prone to being damaged too. Using the best wire nuts are safer wire connectors.

Take a look at these best wire nuts on the market now.

1. AUSPA Lever-Nut Conductor Compact Wire Connectors

These wire joiners are easy to use. By using these connectors, the ends of the wire will go all the way to the nut.

You are sure that the wires are firmly locked or tugged in when the lever is down. This wire connector has a 440 V rated voltage and a 32 A current.

Most users prefer this because the twisted cables, even if the ends are not soldered, were firmly attached. They can hold on very well.

2. Wirefy T Tap Electrical Connectors

I suggest this one to use for a wide range of wiring projects from home, automotive and many more. This ensures easier wiring jobs. The wires need not to be stripped, soldered or cut thus allowing the stress-free use of these connectors.

The plastic material of these T Taps was more flexible and durable. The wires were seamlessly sealed in a place. Based on his experience, using this product avoids the need for any rework.

3. AIRIC T-Tap Wire Splice Connectors Tap

This product makes sure that the users have reliable and safe connections. Without soldering, they make quick, tight and in place connections.

The Insulation Displacement Technology allows in-line splices and pigtails making it convenient to use the connectors.

4. WATER’s GOOD Wire Connector Crimp Kit

This fire-proof connector kit can be used without the need of stripping the wires. These lever-nuts come in plastic and copper blades that are also safe to use. Quicker and easy to use with the help of pliers, no need to use heat gun, tape or wire stripper.