I'm an electrician ....These really are the future . I'm about to embark on changing 27 downlights Yes the intial expenditure will be more than Jb's / connectors with choc boxes . However The cost will be part of the price. It will make my time quicker therefore It will reflect on the Final Price . Any labour saving device will in the long term be cheaper for the client ..The whole system is designed for such a job especially when you use the Solid to Stranded type connectors too . I can only see benefits in using these . There is a way of Wiring House/flat lights where it was called the Joint Box Method . That was taking a Switch line and Feed cable to a joint box terminating at a individual switches in rooms etc and a switchliine and neutral cable to individual lights in rooms etc ...So for example In 1 room with one light there will be 1 cable for the light and one for the switch ....To make things work You do all your relevant connections at the JOINT BOX /s . This was fiddly and time consuming connecting the right feeds and the right switchlines to enable the lights to work . However it is a work practice and means Second fixing the lights/switches in most cases meant 1 cable at each point . I HAD to wire a job like this because I could not get access to the ground floor lights I did everything via the ground floor footings and came up walls where it was chased to bury the lighting cables ....Using these wagos in a accessible box Was a dream .....I will now endeavour to use these wherever i can . They can even replace through crimps if you want to extend cables ....A great bit of kit imo
There are three different types of Wago boxes made by Connexbox. The smallest has no compartments for light fittings. The second has two compartments to house 222 connectors rated at 20A, 773-173 connectors rated at 32A, 773 connectors rated at 20A. The third has three compartments to house 221 connectors only rated at 32A. It pays to read the small print on the boxes and accompanying instructions.
Problem is you can get a junction box for 63p from Screwfix, but you have to spend a tenner on a pack of 50 Wago connectors and another tenner on ten Wago boxes, so for the typical one-off job by the average DIY'er, junction boxes still make more sense. Most will only ever be used once so you're unlikely to strip the brass threads, unless you tighten them with a power drill or something :p, and let's be honest, junction box screws will never come loose if left alone.
Copper wires become brittle with age and allow the screws to loosen over time, which can cause arcing. My electrician showed me an example of this when my house was rewired. Also, some sawdust from a replaced floorboard had rested alongside the old junction box and had become charred ready to catch fire. All this had been going on under the floorboard without any signs. New regulations ban the use of these under older type junction boxes in inaccessible areas nowadays and a good job too! Use the latest design junction boxes as approved by IEE. These have spring loaded connectors which always maintain a firm grip on the wires. Better still, use a qualified electrician if in any doubt!
Try another supplier instead of Screwfix who seem to be getting a bit expensive on some lines. Try TLCs, they sell Wago's in packs of 10 and Wago junction boxes individually.
I must have fitted 100s of junction boxes in my time and in my experience, provided they are fitted correctly, they gave good service. I think the wago connectors are a great idea, but when I was an electrician they did not exist, more's the pity
I understand why conductors need to be identified. The ground wire is bare copper in a non metallic cable assembly, the others are insulated, "one of these things is not like the others" (sesame street). Hence no need for aditional permant making.
I'm about to replace my lights that is in a flex for flush fittings. This means I will have to replace the ceiling rose for connectors. I was going to rewire the rose in the loft and under the floorboards however I stumbled on your videos on wago connectors. Would I be able to to use the leaver connectors on the lighting system or would I need to use the light connectors? Brilliant vids by the way.
Yes, you can use the Wago lever connectors as long as they are in an enclosure- such as the light fitting itself or a suitable box such as the wago box.
@@ultimatehandyman previous person didn't leave enough flex so i can only join terminals. If i put them in box it would be wires. Cant really do that - right? Or can i as it will be hidden away anyway out if reach...?
@@justintemp Not sure what you mean! The wires are insulated aren't they and not bare? If they are bare, they should be insulated so that no bare conductor is showing.
@@ultimatehandyman apologies for confusion. Yes they are insulated. What i mean is the previous person did not leave a lot of grey flex so i cannot put it in box as i would want, and it will be colored cables in box. Guess it will be ok as box will be out of reach
@@justintemp No worries over the confusion, it can be difficult explaining/understanding comments. Really you need to outer insulation (grey) to be just inside of the box, so that it will be gripped by the gripper- to prevent it being pulled out. Failing that, you could use insulation tape (not ideal), or you could use two wago boxes and another piece of cable. I hope this helps ;-)
Is there any risk of the cables becoming loose? Given you put the live and neutral together close together in the box, is it a bit of a worry? Assume the box is fireproof etc
No, the Wago connectors are maintenance free and will never come loose. Not sure about the box being fireproof, but I'm sure it meets all applicable safety standards. Thanks for the comment
@@ultimatehandyman seen some of the new version 221. Might go for those but the box for them are different. I've seen some of those old plastic terminal connectors melt
@@justintemp Dude even metal melts. Long before those connectors or boxes melt, you can be sure that the insulators around the wires in your house are already gone. At that point it does not really matter if your box or connectors are still intact. No connectors or boxes can save your house if your circuit breakers fail you.
Yes, they *seem* better, but WAGOs have higher resistance than the cheaper choc-blocks. They are expensive and unreliable when overloaded just slightly, because of the tiny surface they connect to the wires. The WAGO 221 seres are way better, but they don't compare to soldering. Twist and solder your wires together, that's the safest way to connect the wires.
Great videos, are these suitable to terminate wires from an unused ceiling light rose? I basically want to remove the rose, make safe the wires, push them into the ceiling void and fill in the hole. thanks
Thanks ;-) These are maintenance free, so technically they are suitable for that but it's not a good idea as nobody will know that it's there apart from you.
Hi Ultimate handyman, silly question, just want to be sure, could u please tell me whether these wago boxes could be left to sit on top of a ceiling underneath floor boards. They aren't screwed to joists like JBs are they? These seem great, but can't decide whether to get this or an Ashley Hager J803. What do you reckon?
You can get a mounting button for them, where you screw the button to the joist and then slide the wago box onto it. Ideally they should be fixed in position, but as long as they are supported by the plasterboard beneath there should not be a problem.
fro0tyl0opy87 I think they are all maintenance free. It's the Wago connectors themselves that are maintenance free as they are self tightening, the Wago box is just an enclosure to put them in.
So would you use this for each Downlighter? Eg cable from Downlighter to wagobox Junction then from wago in wagobox to 2nd Downlighter wagobox with has cable to 2nd light etc? or would you just feed say 3 lights into one wago connector box?
SCREWFIX STOCK THEM NOW and toolstation do another maker's version as well moved into a house that has some very "creative" wiring - obviously a series of electricians over many years... Looking into the loft it is a MESS so I will be trying these out thanks for the video
You can use the Wago compact 222 connectors, they sell them that will take just 2 wires- ua-cam.com/video/_KhBoxgyXgI/v-deo.html Of course they will need to be in a suitable enclosure, such as the Wagobox Thanks for the comment 👍
Hi, I am designing a table lamp enclosure using laser MDF, and inside the enclosure I need to get mains power to 2 x E27 Edison bulbs. I need to split the mains cable entering the enclosure, and 2 of these Wago connectors are ideal for that. Do the connectors need to then be housed inside a Wagobox or is it sufficient to have just the Wago connectors exposed inside the lamp? Cheers, Scott
I use wago terminals when wire fixtures in Stalin-times-built apartment buildings cause cells there on altitude 4 meters, so it is not comfortable to screw terminals staying on the ladder. As for wago, it is very easy to install them in Stalin-era apartments, cause you need just to clamp terminals staying in altitude 4 meters from the floor. Using screw terminals you risk to fall and break some bone.
I think these are only designed for the 3 slot Wago connectors. I think the Ideal lever connectors are slightly smaller, perhaps the 5 slot Ideal connector will fit- ua-cam.com/video/xMIPbs6jN3M/v-deo.html&t
From an Americans perspective your wiring methods are odd. The volume of the junction boxes are small, and why would you need to insulate the ground or "earth" conductor? Do you have a governing body that oversees the construction, and installation of electrical products and wiring devices? -good video
It's insulated a) so it's clearly marked as the earth connection, and b) it prevents the earth for inadvertently touching any other conductors, if they work loose etc. Yes, electrical installations in the UK are determined by the Wiring Regulations, overseen by a national body.
Yes, as long as they are in a suitable enclosure such as the Wago box. It is however better if you can just take a spur from another socket on the final ring circuit if possible.
Whomever came up with the idea to insulate the ground is making a mint. Voltage has nothing to do with it. We use 480/277 V in commercial installations in metal conduit/ enclosures with no need to insulate the ground. as for wire nuts they work great, but i prefer wagos for solid wires. It make for a faster instal. merry Cristmas
I am doing a bit of work in a house and looks like there is no ring on some cable runs. just a row of sockets one after another on a single cable that runs from the switch board. This is an extension to the house that has been built 30 years ago. Were there different regulations at a time? I believe I just have to leave it like that as there is no way I am going to demolish my walls, floors and ceilings to make a proper ring wiring.
You can add a spur from a ring final circuit if you wanted to add more than one spur then you have to first install a 13A FCU off the ring. You can then add as many socket outlets as you like (as long as the number of tours doesn’t exceed the number of sockets in the ring final circuit that you are spurring off. It would be silly to really add more than one even though the refs state that you can, because the spur (now radial circuit) is limited to 13A as it is supplied from the FCU.
@@PashikTT Radials are fine, I believe. You would just need to ensure the circuit breaker was rated appropriately. I.e. 2.5mm cable on a ring would be fine with a 32A breaker, but on a radial, 2.5mm cable would need a 20A breaker, max.
I live in an old council house and whilst rewiring the bathroom light I discovered one, scary things and they aren't very tight, it's only slightly safer than twisting wires together and wrapping them in electrical tape
Yes, also the rules change from time to time. You can search the government website for the latest partP document, that should tell you what is and what is not allowable, even then you might need to email your local council to check with them.
"...because it's just the right size to be pushed through a downlighter hole"
And with that one sentence, you've answered my question! Thanks!
I'm glad the video helped
Thanks for the comment 👍
Could you explain that quote? Not a native speaker here.
I'm an electrician ....These really are the future . I'm about to embark on changing 27 downlights Yes the intial expenditure will be more than Jb's / connectors with choc boxes . However The cost will be part of the price. It will make my time quicker therefore It will reflect on the Final Price . Any labour saving device will in the long term be cheaper for the client ..The whole system is designed for such a job especially when you use the Solid to Stranded type connectors too . I can only see benefits in using these . There is a way of Wiring House/flat lights where it was called the Joint Box Method . That was taking a Switch line and Feed cable to a joint box terminating at a individual switches in rooms etc and a switchliine and neutral cable to individual lights in rooms etc ...So for example In 1 room with one light there will be 1 cable for the light and one for the switch ....To make things work You do all your relevant connections at the JOINT BOX /s . This was fiddly and time consuming connecting the right feeds and the right switchlines to enable the lights to work . However it is a work practice and means Second fixing the lights/switches in most cases meant 1 cable at each point . I HAD to wire a job like this because I could not get access to the ground floor lights I did everything via the ground floor footings and came up walls where it was chased to bury the lighting cables ....Using these wagos in a accessible box Was a dream .....I will now endeavour to use these wherever i can . They can even replace through crimps if you want to extend cables ....A great bit of kit imo
Thanks for the detailed comment ;-)
There are three different types of Wago boxes made by Connexbox. The smallest has no compartments for light fittings. The second has two compartments to house 222 connectors rated at 20A, 773-173 connectors rated at 32A, 773 connectors rated at 20A. The third has three compartments to house 221 connectors only rated at 32A. It pays to read the small print on the boxes and accompanying instructions.
When I made this video, there was only one Wago box, which I picked up from a tradeshow 👍
Brilliant! I've just drilled through a wire under a floor board! Thanks for the info, you're brilliant. Love your vids.
Thanks for the comment ;-)
Buy a wire detector dude
Wago the way to go!
Absolutely.
Thanks for the comment
I found that our 6mm cooker wire is connected using that first box you showed. Should I change it to put in a wago box?
I don't think your cooker will fit into the wago box.
Problem is you can get a junction box for 63p from Screwfix, but you have to spend a tenner on a pack of 50 Wago connectors and another tenner on ten Wago boxes, so for the typical one-off job by the average DIY'er, junction boxes still make more sense. Most will only ever be used once so you're unlikely to strip the brass threads, unless you tighten them with a power drill or something :p, and let's be honest, junction box screws will never come loose if left alone.
Copper wires become brittle with age and allow the screws to loosen over time, which can cause arcing. My electrician showed me an example of this when my house was rewired. Also, some sawdust from a replaced floorboard had rested alongside the old junction box and had become charred ready to catch fire. All this had been going on under the floorboard without any signs. New regulations ban the use of these under older type junction boxes in inaccessible areas nowadays and a good job too! Use the latest design junction boxes as approved by IEE. These have spring loaded connectors which always maintain a firm grip on the wires. Better still, use a qualified electrician if in any doubt!
Try another supplier instead of Screwfix who seem to be getting a bit expensive on some lines. Try TLCs, they sell Wago's in packs of 10 and Wago junction boxes individually.
I must have fitted 100s of junction boxes in my time and in my experience, provided they are fitted correctly, they gave good service. I think the wago connectors are a great idea, but when I was an electrician they did not exist, more's the pity
I agree, I think the main problem is when the screw junction boxes are left loose and the cable isn't clipped on entry.
Don’t forget the cables ties to the box , read in instructions for box !!
I understand why conductors need to be identified. The ground wire is bare copper in a non metallic cable assembly, the others are insulated, "one of these things is not like the others" (sesame street). Hence no need for aditional permant making.
I'm about to replace my lights that is in a flex for flush fittings. This means I will have to replace the ceiling rose for connectors. I was going to rewire the rose in the loft and under the floorboards however I stumbled on your videos on wago connectors. Would I be able to to use the leaver connectors on the lighting system or would I need to use the light connectors?
Brilliant vids by the way.
Yes, you can use the Wago lever connectors as long as they are in an enclosure- such as the light fitting itself or a suitable box such as the wago box.
Does it matter which sets you lay in the box eg earth and live in one section of box?
No, you can put them anywhere you like.
👍
@@ultimatehandyman previous person didn't leave enough flex so i can only join terminals. If i put them in box it would be wires. Cant really do that - right?
Or can i as it will be hidden away anyway out if reach...?
@@justintemp Not sure what you mean!
The wires are insulated aren't they and not bare?
If they are bare, they should be insulated so that no bare conductor is showing.
@@ultimatehandyman apologies for confusion. Yes they are insulated. What i mean is the previous person did not leave a lot of grey flex so i cannot put it in box as i would want, and it will be colored cables in box. Guess it will be ok as box will be out of reach
@@justintemp No worries over the confusion, it can be difficult explaining/understanding comments.
Really you need to outer insulation (grey) to be just inside of the box, so that it will be gripped by the gripper- to prevent it being pulled out.
Failing that, you could use insulation tape (not ideal), or you could use two wago boxes and another piece of cable.
I hope this helps ;-)
Is there any risk of the cables becoming loose? Given you put the live and neutral together close together in the box, is it a bit of a worry?
Assume the box is fireproof etc
No, the Wago connectors are maintenance free and will never come loose.
Not sure about the box being fireproof, but I'm sure it meets all applicable safety standards.
Thanks for the comment
@@ultimatehandyman seen some of the new version 221. Might go for those but the box for them are different.
I've seen some of those old plastic terminal connectors melt
@@justintemp Dude even metal melts. Long before those connectors or boxes melt, you can be sure that the insulators around the wires in your house are already gone. At that point it does not really matter if your box or connectors are still intact. No connectors or boxes can save your house if your circuit breakers fail you.
Good vid I have used old round jb in loft before but in inaccessible place hard to wire up, these seem better
Yes, these are often easier to wire than junction boxes. I have used a few in my loft recently.
Thanks for the comment
Yes, they *seem* better, but WAGOs have higher resistance than the cheaper choc-blocks. They are expensive and unreliable when overloaded just slightly, because of the tiny surface they connect to the wires. The WAGO 221 seres are way better, but they don't compare to soldering. Twist and solder your wires together, that's the safest way to connect the wires.
Great videos, are these suitable to terminate wires from an unused ceiling light rose? I basically want to remove the rose, make safe the wires, push them into the ceiling void and fill in the hole. thanks
Thanks ;-)
These are maintenance free, so technically they are suitable for that but it's not a good idea as nobody will know that it's there apart from you.
Hi Ultimate handyman, silly question, just want to be sure, could u please tell me whether these wago boxes could be left to sit on top of a ceiling underneath floor boards. They aren't screwed to joists like JBs are they? These seem great, but can't decide whether to get this or an Ashley Hager J803. What do you reckon?
You can get a mounting button for them, where you screw the button to the joist and then slide the wago box onto it. Ideally they should be fixed in position, but as long as they are supported by the plasterboard beneath there should not be a problem.
***** Hi matey, that's great. Many thanks. BTW, I have been told that not all wago boxes are maintence free unless stated on the product.
fro0tyl0opy87
I think they are all maintenance free. It's the Wago connectors themselves that are maintenance free as they are self tightening, the Wago box is just an enclosure to put them in.
Can one box fit:
One 3-way
Two 5-way
Two 2-way
(Five cables go into one box)
❓
No, I don’t think that many Wago connectors will fit in the one box!
So would you use this for each Downlighter? Eg cable from Downlighter to wagobox Junction then from wago in wagobox to 2nd Downlighter wagobox with has cable to 2nd light etc? or would you just feed say 3 lights into one wago connector box?
For down-lights use blue click plugs for the loops & a Hager Jb for the main connecton ie 3 plate
@@JermaineJ3m are hager screw fit terminals vs wago push fit?
SCREWFIX STOCK THEM NOW
and toolstation do another maker's version as well
moved into a house that has some very "creative" wiring - obviously a series of electricians over many years...
Looking into the loft it is a MESS so I will be trying these out
thanks for the video
Some of the wiring here, is just like yours!
Although I seriously doubt that electricians have done any of the wiring here.
Thanks for the comment
Great video! what wago product can be used to join 2 cables together?
You can use the Wago compact 222 connectors, they sell them that will take just 2 wires- ua-cam.com/video/_KhBoxgyXgI/v-deo.html
Of course they will need to be in a suitable enclosure, such as the Wagobox
Thanks for the comment 👍
Hi, I am designing a table lamp enclosure using laser MDF, and inside the enclosure I need to get mains power to 2 x E27 Edison bulbs. I need to split the mains cable entering the enclosure, and 2 of these Wago connectors are ideal for that. Do the connectors need to then be housed inside a Wagobox or is it sufficient to have just the Wago connectors exposed inside the lamp? Cheers, Scott
They need to be placed in a suitable enclosure for fixed wiring, but I do not know about appliance wiring, sorry.
I use wago terminals when wire fixtures in Stalin-times-built apartment buildings cause cells there on altitude 4 meters, so it is not comfortable to screw terminals staying on the ladder.
As for wago, it is very easy to install them in Stalin-era apartments, cause you need just to clamp terminals staying in altitude 4 meters from the floor. Using screw terminals you risk to fall and break some bone.
Can they be on mains sockets
Yes, no problem 👍
What if you need to use a 5 slot wago that won’t fit in that junction box
I think these are only designed for the 3 slot Wago connectors.
I think the Ideal lever connectors are slightly smaller, perhaps the 5 slot Ideal connector will fit-
ua-cam.com/video/xMIPbs6jN3M/v-deo.html&t
From an Americans perspective your wiring methods are odd. The volume of the junction boxes are small, and why would you need to insulate the ground or "earth" conductor? Do you have a governing body that oversees the construction, and installation of electrical products and wiring devices?
-good video
It's insulated a) so it's clearly marked as the earth connection, and b) it prevents the earth for inadvertently touching any other conductors, if they work loose etc. Yes, electrical installations in the UK are determined by the Wiring Regulations, overseen by a national body.
@@ruralaccentwoodcraft604 BS7671
Do Wagoboxes/connectors comply with British and Euorpean Standards? 17th edition regs etc?
Yes...
Can they be used to extend cables when you move a consumer unit
Yes as far as I am aware.
can you use wago connecters to add sockets to a ring main circuit?
Yes, as long as they are in a suitable enclosure such as the Wago box.
It is however better if you can just take a spur from another socket on the final ring circuit if possible.
can you use these to extend the wires for moving my consumer up a foot
Not sure, as that would probably be notifiable and would require testing afterwards.
oh ok ta
Whomever came up with the idea to insulate the ground is making a mint. Voltage has nothing to do with it. We use 480/277 V in commercial installations in metal conduit/ enclosures with no need to insulate the ground.
as for wire nuts they work great, but i prefer wagos for solid wires. It make for a faster instal.
merry Cristmas
I think that soldering the wires together and placing in back box and lid produces the ultimate 'no maintenance' joint.
🤔
Wrong on so many ways
Can I create TWO spurs from only one socket to make two extra sockets with these?
No, you can only add one spur to an existing socket on a final ring circuit (as far as I am aware)
I am doing a bit of work in a house and looks like there is no ring on some cable runs. just a row of sockets one after another on a single cable that runs from the switch board. This is an extension to the house that has been built 30 years ago. Were there different regulations at a time? I believe I just have to leave it like that as there is no way I am going to demolish my walls, floors and ceilings to make a proper ring wiring.
You can add a spur from a ring final circuit if you wanted to add more than one spur then you have to first install a 13A FCU off the ring. You can then add as many socket outlets as you like (as long as the number of tours doesn’t exceed the number of sockets in the ring final circuit that you are spurring off. It would be silly to really add more than one even though the refs state that you can, because the spur (now radial circuit) is limited to 13A as it is supplied from the FCU.
@@PashikTT Radials are fine, I believe. You would just need to ensure the circuit breaker was rated appropriately. I.e. 2.5mm cable on a ring would be fine with a 32A breaker, but on a radial, 2.5mm cable would need a 20A breaker, max.
@@ultimatehandyman If it's a 20A radial you can add as many as you like...
I live in an old council house and whilst rewiring the bathroom light I discovered one, scary things and they aren't very tight, it's only slightly safer than twisting wires together and wrapping them in electrical tape
The rules on diy electrical work seem a bit ambiguous to me, and I worry if I'm allowed to add sockets and lighting alterations etc?
Yes, also the rules change from time to time.
You can search the government website for the latest partP document, that should tell you what is and what is not allowable, even then you might need to email your local council to check with them.
Not for people on an hourly rate ! We don't want time saving solutions. It means we earn less money ! :D
😂
Hager j501 is the way forward for the downlights. Look it up
Thanks for the comment
I bet you get the job done allot quicker as well...