Old master electrician told me my wire nuts were trash and I laughed at him

He said I was using the wrong color for 12-gauge solid and showed me how to pre-twist ends like he's been doing since the 70s. Anyone else have an old timer call you out on something you thought was fine?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_moore558h ago

And here's the thing, @wesley83 is probably right in a way because COLOR doesn't make the connection better or worse but that old timer definitely has a POINT about the pre-twisting. I learned that lesson too when I was wiring up a new shop and some 70 year old retired guy walked by and laughed at my wire nuts. He showed me how the pre-twist keeps the strands from pulling apart when you screw the nut on and MAN did it make a difference. Those little plastic caps with the spring inside are NOTHING compared to a good solid mechanical bond from twisting the copper together first. So yeah maybe the color thing is old school but the pre-twist trick is absolutely something I still do to this day.

wesley839h ago

Wrong color for 12-gauge?" Yeah, because the real danger is the color match, not the actual connection. Next he'll tell you your pliers have the wrong brand of grip.