5 ms·

Why would you even use twisting as connection method for professional work (i.e. not when you just don’t have any proper tools around)? Various quick connectors

by ansgri 3y ago

Why would you even use twisting as connection method for professional work (i.e. not when you just don’t have any proper tools around)? Various quick connectors like Wago exist for temporary connections, and for permanent ones handheld hydraulic crimping presses are not that expensive.

BrandoElFollito 3y ago
Why are you saying that wagos are for temporary connections?
- ovi256 3y ago
  This seems to be some sort of meme existing in the US electricians mindspace, which prefer use of cheaper wirenuts on twisted wire. Wagos are approved for permanent connections in the whole world.
  - petee 3y ago
    From what I've heard many electricians are wary because of old poorly designed back-stabbed outlets, thus anything held by a tiny burr & pressure is forever untrustworthy.
  - ramses0 3y ago
    * except the polar wastes of Canada! Due to the complex plastic hinging interaction with bitter cold, supposedly they're not approved for use in CA.
nikisweeting 3y ago
Plenty of reasons, not all electrical work is professional, and even then it's not just for electrical work. It's useful for chicken wire, cable management ties, making long twisted pairs, etc.
OJFord 3y ago
Earths are to be connected to a single point, not multiple terminals of a Wago block or similar, in the UK at least. Twisting is not afaik a requirement, but it's common, and adds to the security of it. (At least, as long as the solid core hasn't been twisted and untwisted repeatedly and near the point of breaking.) OP appears to be doing it to make a fatter gauge cable out of smaller ones though?
- BrandoElFollito 3y ago
  You mean that the earth cable should run uninterrupted as a single wire from the connector of the device to the power cabinet?
  - OJFord 3y ago
    Take a ceiling rose light fitting for example; you have: - twin core & Earth line - twin core & Earth to next fitting (or back to cabinet to complete the ring) - live to switch & switched live return - flex live & neutral (+ Earth if not double insulated) to light fitting those 2-3 Earths obviously need to be electrically connected, and that is not supposed to be done with a multipoint terminal block. They are supposed to be under a single screw in the light fitting say, or twisted together & sleeved. I believe it's thought that it reduces the chance of failure - one connection to check vs. a terminal block of three 'connections' where it's easy with solid core to think that they're secure when actually the middle one isn't, it's just roughly prevented from slipping out by the stiffness of the others, and potentially isn't a good electrical connection.
    - Maxion 3y ago
      The UK electric code is wild. A ceiling rose light fixture in Finland has three wires: - Earth - Neutral - Live
      - OJFord 3y ago
        It can be like that, it's not a requirement, but once you know what's going on it's actually quite convenient to have the chaining. Not if you're trying to stuff it all in a small fitting that wasn't designed for it, but otherwise. I suspect Finnish spotlights are similar - they run in a chain not all individually to the switch? So only the last one has just the feed and nowhere to go? Difference is in the UK we have 'ring' circuits, where the 'end' as it were goes back to the consumer unit (power cabinet). It's mostly a post-war hangover: if the load is assumed fairly even then it means you can use half the wire diameter vs. not having the return, which was thought with typical and logical layout would mean less cable overall, since the 'end' would already be back around the other side close to the CU again. It has some safety advantage too, but AIUI it's slowly fading out of vogue for new installations and it will likely end eventually. (Some critique it that with modern patchy load distribution it actually now ironically requires more copper than the equivalent radial circuit, and probably not post-war level but copper's expensive again.)

by ansgri 3y ago

BrandoElFollito 3y ago

Why are you saying that wagos are for temporary connections?

ovi256 3y ago
This seems to be some sort of meme existing in the US electricians mindspace, which prefer use of cheaper wirenuts on twisted wire. Wagos are approved for permanent connections in the whole world.
- petee 3y ago
  From what I've heard many electricians are wary because of old poorly designed back-stabbed outlets, thus anything held by a tiny burr & pressure is forever untrustworthy.
- ramses0 3y ago
  * except the polar wastes of Canada! Due to the complex plastic hinging interaction with bitter cold, supposedly they're not approved for use in CA.

nikisweeting 3y ago

Plenty of reasons, not all electrical work is professional, and even then it's not just for electrical work. It's useful for chicken wire, cable management ties, making long twisted pairs, etc.

OJFord 3y ago

Earths are to be connected to a single point, not multiple terminals of a Wago block or similar, in the UK at least. Twisting is not afaik a requirement, but it's common, and adds to the security of it. (At least, as long as the solid core hasn't been twisted and untwisted repeatedly and near the point of breaking.) OP appears to be doing it to make a fatter gauge cable out of smaller ones though?

BrandoElFollito 3y ago
You mean that the earth cable should run uninterrupted as a single wire from the connector of the device to the power cabinet?
- OJFord 3y ago
  Take a ceiling rose light fitting for example; you have: - twin core & Earth line - twin core & Earth to next fitting (or back to cabinet to complete the ring) - live to switch & switched live return - flex live & neutral (+ Earth if not double insulated) to light fitting those 2-3 Earths obviously need to be electrically connected, and that is not supposed to be done with a multipoint terminal block. They are supposed to be under a single screw in the light fitting say, or twisted together & sleeved. I believe it's thought that it reduces the chance of failure - one connection to check vs. a terminal block of three 'connections' where it's easy with solid core to think that they're secure when actually the middle one isn't, it's just roughly prevented from slipping out by the stiffness of the others, and potentially isn't a good electrical connection.
  - Maxion 3y ago
    The UK electric code is wild. A ceiling rose light fixture in Finland has three wires: - Earth - Neutral - Live
    - OJFord 3y ago
      It can be like that, it's not a requirement, but once you know what's going on it's actually quite convenient to have the chaining. Not if you're trying to stuff it all in a small fitting that wasn't designed for it, but otherwise. I suspect Finnish spotlights are similar - they run in a chain not all individually to the switch? So only the last one has just the feed and nowhere to go? Difference is in the UK we have 'ring' circuits, where the 'end' as it were goes back to the consumer unit (power cabinet). It's mostly a post-war hangover: if the load is assumed fairly even then it means you can use half the wire diameter vs. not having the return, which was thought with typical and logical layout would mean less cable overall, since the 'end' would already be back around the other side close to the CU again. It has some safety advantage too, but AIUI it's slowly fading out of vogue for new installations and it will likely end eventually. (Some critique it that with modern patchy load distribution it actually now ironically requires more copper than the equivalent radial circuit, and probably not post-war level but copper's expensive again.)