So many subtle factors separate ‘good’ instructional videos from ‘just watchable’ ones. Your technical but unpretentious vernacular, set lighting, scripting, sound recording quality, video editing and especially your approachable demeanor and appearance are IMO, Absolutely Perfect for DIY subjects.
I just had to rewire a bedroom in my house. All outlets in my house were backstabbed and one room kept tripping the AFCI breaker, every night. I opened up all the outlets and switches and I didn’t find anything inherently wrong… so I decided to just get rid of the backstabs and wire it up properly with pigtails and wire loops under terminals. Hasn’t tripped a breaker since re wiring. Videos like this one helped put me on the correct path to diagnose and fix the problem correctly.
After 40 years of providing Air Force educational videos, it's a pleasure watching a simple, concise and well-done project with minimal equipment. Thanks for the straightforward approach.
I do electrical work professionally, and I've been casually telling "newbies" or anyone else who is seriously interested in how to wire electrical stuff properly, about all of these tips here in this video... Very well presented and accurate info!
@@carlodonnell146 Actually, a loose connection usually gets worse because of heat buildup at the connection where it's loose, expanding and contracting the joint, depending on how much current is going through it, therefore making that connection even looser over time, many times to the point of the connection falling apart, and also even sometimes causing a fire from either arcing, and/or the heat buildup in the bad connection.
Just replaced all the backstab outlets in my house with commercial grade outlets. I like the straight wire connections in the back that tighten with screws. Also the internal connections for the plugs are much more rugged and durable. Several of my old backstab outlets were scorched and melted, some of the wiring had to be replaced. I also bought an ECX screwdriver from Lowes, very useful.
Ive been a JW journeyman wireman since 87 and I must say well done sir. Two things I would add is I believe in just 3 wires on a recep unless its a half switched recep. In other words pigtail whenever there are more than just 1 hot 1 nuetral and 1 ground in the box. Wire nuts are a girls best friend as they are better at carrying the current to the other receps than the side tabs of the recep. If you look at the connecting tab between the 2 screws on each side you will notice the bridge between them and how thin and skinny it is. Its that way so you can break it off by bending it. That is so you can isolate the top recep from the bottom one for half switching the recep or in some cases supply the top and bottom receps with there own circuit. That skinny little piece is all there is to carry the load of down stream receps. The second is it seems logical to use short wires from the box to recep but in reality is much more difficult to push the recep back into the box and is against code. I like my wires to extend 6" from the front of the box and my pigtails to be 6" long. Then after attaching the pigtails to the recep and wire nutting the correct wires together simply fold the wires over and then accordian the wires that came from the box into the box then do the same with the pigtails and push pigtails and recep into the box. Using short wires makes it difficult to fold the wires into the box and if something goes wrong the longer wires leave you with enough wire to fix the problem plus code doesnt allow for short wires. Also installing with the u-ground hole up is a good safety measure thats not required by code but is specified to be that way on many jobs now. It would be tough to explain why its safer but trust me, it is.
You want to install the receptacle with the ground hole up because of something falls on it then it only makes contact with one contact instead of two. Listen for chance of a short.
@@99bn99 Just a little history on U ground up. It was first introduced by Jerome Migetric. Im pretty sure I didnt spell the last name right but he was an electrical eng in Tucson, Az and introduced this idea in the late 1980's. And for those saying it is code it maybe that your local authorities have adopted it on a local basis but it is still not required by NEC. Another electrical milestone coming from Tucson was the Ufer bond or bonding to building steel. In case you couldnt guess I am from Tucson.
@@tonythomas951 I understood from a licensed electrician that ground up became code here (Ontario, Canada) about 2000. There were a lot of code changes made about the same time. It used to be that extension cords with right angle plugs hung down installed in a ground down receptacle. For at least 10 years, the new cords hang down in ground up receptacles.
Very thankful for these tips! Doing my first DIY electrical. Almost done installing 3 GCFI outlets, 3 lights, and 2 lighted medicine cabinets. Happy to say its going very well.
Very good video my father was a electrician for 30+ years and worked as AA electrician in a major Truck mfg. For the plant. He thought me so much during his life time and i am so grateful for him teaching me and not to make or take chances to have a failure. God bless him.
Hit the nail right on the head "didn't go to school or trained", 29 years as an Electrical Inspector this sums up the majority of "clients" I have to deal with even electrical contractors as there's no State wide licensing requirements here in NY State, very few even own a Code book, know where to look in it or even know what version is in force in the State.
Cool, you learn something new every day, I've been an electrician for 33 years and I've never seen an ECX driver, I'm going to check it out. You're absolutely right about stab-in terminals, don't use them. New ones won't even take a #12 wire because they know they're not good for 20 amps. With a little practice you can learn to wrap the wires nearly as fast. Since you won't have to redo them you'll actually save time. Not burning your house down is another nice perk of properly terminating wires.
Every duplex outlet I've had to replace-in 3 different homes-had these horrid back-stab wires in place. I literally had to bust apart the duplex fixture to get the wires out. good tips, there is no other way-except the right way with electrical-I've seen more than one house burned to the ground because of faulty wiring. Doesn't take much. One badly wired duplex outlet or switch can bring down an entire home.
Thank you for mentioning insulation for screwdrivers. I was a professional HVAC technician for many years and I still have my insulated screwdrivers (they are my go-to set, and work equally well for electrical or non-electrical work.) A trick you can use for specialty screwdrivers (or screwdrivers you already own and don't intend to replace) that do not come insulated is to place two layers of electrical shrink tubing over the shaft of the screwdriver (two neighboring sizes of shrink tubing one that barely fits over the shaft and one, slightly larger, that barely fits over the, single layered, covered shaft.) Doing so provides a semi-permanent non-conducting layer and while not as good or as durable as a proper set of insulated screwdrivers they work wonderful in a pinch or for light use.
I never used them as an electrician unless I was around high voltage. Biggest mistakes electricians make is getting comfy on T-Bar, otherwise you should not be grounded to get zapped unless in a high electrical field area. Most of use wear good boots and whatnot to prevent grounding. But we get cocky and lazy, then electricity reminds you not to. I seen guys that know their stuff grab live 120v in one hand and a meter in the other to check because they knew they were not grounded. I am still not that ballsy.
Excellent video, should be viewed by everyone doing electrical repairs. I've been doing wiring for many years and have experienced all of these mistakes. I had never heard of an ECX driver, but now I need to get one.
I've been doing electric for over 20 years and nothing grips those screws better than the ECX driver bit it is literally made specifically for those screws. But remember there are two different sizes so you have to get the right size. I would just buy both of the common sizes so you're sure to have the right one, they're pretty cheap.
@@actionjksn Been having issues with Kline #1 ECX tips breaking often. #2 ECX not so much but the only time I use that one is on Eaton breakers and some panel ground terminals. Have you encountered this?
@@jasonj4865 That's funny that you mention that because yes I broke mine as well. I do not attribute it to being an inferior design though, I just figured mine was not very good quality Steel. I don't see where it is inherently any weaker than a flathead. The fact that it grips so well which allows you to apply a lot more torque to it is most likely the cause. I'm eventually planning to look for a set of high-quality ones and if I get several of them I guess it won't matter if I break one I can just put a new one in. I do have a tendency to really crank down on those screws in order to get the best connection possible. Maybe I'll just buy a large pack of cheap ones and not worry about when one breaks.
I’ve done DIY wire for years and years but I accidentally stumbled onto your videos and I’ve learned so much, Thank you. I’m going to order some ECX bits. Good tip on making the shepherds hook, I’ve used the pliers on my original Leatherman. Makes a perfect hook. I have an assortment of Wago connectors but I only use them on 12 volt automotive wiring but I won’t be hesitant from now on.
You could probably make a video about me personally and I would still learn something I didn't know.. also, I appreciate you not being above using and mentioning Harbor Freight tools. Great video, yet again!
As a 30-year electrician, I appreciate the direct, concise advice here. The no nonsense approach is fantastic! I can't begin to tell you the amount of diy mistakes I encounter. Whether made last week, last year or last decade, they eventually come back to bite you....or the next person.
I had to start skipping through this, its for people without common sense which is not so common anymore, no real trade secrets here or anything and I am not an electrician or even close.
I appreciate you mentioning the Robertson. I am a Canadian who worked in the electrical/electronics field and well as the industrial mechanical field. Most professionals as well as DIY guys in Canada would never use any other standard, and for many reasons. A property fitting high quality Robertson bit is by far the easiest to use.
I add one last level of protection for your last mistake often seen (leaving the used screws loose). Starting at the top of the outlet I wrap the outlet terminals with one run of electrical tape so that all contacts (screws and wires) are covered with a small amount of insulation material. And thank you for the excellent video, as a DIY person I have made all the mistakes you have shown in the past and have learned some hard lessons from those mistakes. Thanks again, I only wish I had seen this video 15 years ago. LOL
I also do that to prevent getting shocked whle manipulating it. However I was told that it was not a good idea because the gap between the screws and the box has a purpose. If there is an overload, it is preferable for the spark to happen in the box and not in the walls. However I did save my uncle from electrocuting himself when he grabbed a plug the wrong way as we wer moving a circuit. So now I put that tape for safety when It's exposed and I remove it when I put it back in. 🤷♂
And when the tape dries out and falls off, you have nothing, but you think you do. Don't be advising people to install doo dad ideas that have no basis in fact. Just tell people to do what the NEC says to do, which may include following mfgrs directions as the priority, ie, wire nuts.
Excellent video! Key points I focus on is 6” of free lead from where the wire exits the box, tug test on all wires made up in a wire nut, and wrapping the terminals in either electrical tape or a newer product that looks like a very wide rubber band. Thank you for the video!
eh, I find tape not as reliable as a nut of those clamps. Wago also makes a push-in version as well, very reliable. I use Wago where I have a ton of wires to connect.
That's an excellent point. The side wiring options are excellent, like the ones at 8:50. I have found that Home Depot doesn't have a good price on them and neither does Amazon but Lowe's has by far the best deals on these. I'm considering a new video on exactly that topic because I shopped at four places to find that deal.
I have done these things over the years and have learned like you the proper way , as learning is great, pigtails and the wago are nice to use with greenie wire ground nuts with a hole in the top to have a ground wire to fasten around the ground on the outlet
Love it! You hit all the things I learned wiring houses. We used the back wire receptacles in the 80’s. But doing home repairs in the 2000’s I was removing them because they were not good.
Thanks for a pragmatic and realistic video. I particularly appreciate that you avoided the grandiose, eye-rolling "Six Biggest DIY Mistakes in the History of the Universe"-type titles that I see all over YT!
I am proud to say I have never made any of those mistakes. Except for the ecx driver. I use an insulated Philips. But I'm going to get an ecx. I was taught by my dad, who was a shipboard naval electrician during the Korean war. Fine video, I might add. No drawn out blather. Succinct & informative.
I enjoy watching “mistakes” videos, and for the first time in my viewing experience, I can say I knew all of these tips. I would most certainly share this with people who are just getting started in their DIY journey.
Yes, I enjoyed his presentation, I built my house years ago but I'm rusty now. Things have changed so much, this type of Quality info can help you get back to it and enjoy working with you're projects !!
This was a great video! The information was well researched, well presented and well filmed. Thanks for making it. I had never seen an ECX screwdriver! I'll definitely be getting one of those.
Thanks so much, Evan. I find that I spend WAY more time researching for my videos nowadays so by the time I get to filming and editing I feel like I'm already most of the way done. That said, I can guarantee you I'll still miss some things and mess up so I appreciate everyone's patience as we all learn :)
Great advice, well presented. Every light switch in my house was backstabbed and when I replaced them, not only did some wires pop out on removal, some of the backstab holes were dark and/or actually broken from years of arcing due to the bad connection. The sparkies building these houses in my neighborhood were only interested in doing the job fast, not doing it right. And I heartily recommend that set of Milwaukee screwdrivers.
Had the same problem in my house and 3 times down stream plugs were non operationable until located and screwed on. Real pain to search them out. They should be outlawed.
I used to read the Code book before every project. Now I do only with 240-volt work BUT You still got me on a few things. Great video. Off subject but there are probably some DIYers out there who skip putting ALL connections in an electrical box. A few years ago a light switch quit working. When I took the box's plate off I was shocked at how nasty an EXPLOSION can be inside those things. A significant portion of the whole switch was VAPORIZED. That Would Have started a fire if it hadn't been in a box.
I'm a handyman with thirty + years of experience, and my specialty is electrical work. I've heard about electrical fires, but never seen any evidence as you just described. Thank you for sharing. It's a very valuable lesson.
professional inside journeyman here. Great video, There are so many wrong videos on youtube but this is simple and to the point but most importantly accurate!
There are so many small and not small tips and advice that anyone can use that they didn't know even after so many years of being a DIYer. Thanks for a great video.
also when doing the hook on the wire, we learned to use the strippers the way was showed, but with and added reverse turn making the little hook look like a question mark. makes it a lot easier to put the wires on the receptacle.
One thing I’ve learned working in the Chicagoland area where conduit is required even in residential and therefor stranded wire is very common is twisting the exposed strands to the left (mimicking the pitch on the factory right hand twist throughout the wire) before making your hook. It keeps the strands from splaying out to a surprising degree.
Wonderful video, no wasted time, and I spent the entire video learning new things or remembering things I forgot that are important. Thanks for doing this so well.
Great video Nils! As one who has done a lot of handyman jobs on the side, I wrap the electrical outlets with electrical tape especially when they are installed in metal electrical outlet boxes. That way the screws are less apt to make contact with those boxes. Also, TY for the tip about ECX screwdrivers. That was very helpful! 😉
Thank you, Nils. Hands down, this is one of the best DIY videos ever. Thanks for the great instructions and the tool recommendations. Wish I'd known all this much, much sooner! 😂
Excellent video. And yes, those WAGO connectors are, by far, the best way to go. They may not be as cheap as wire nuts, but they aren't very pricey and they are absolutely fantastic!
Once I found the ECX drivers that’s all I use now, self centering and high torque with minimal effort, even in a power tool ( mounting screws etc). Often I run electrical tape around the outlet or light switch to cover the unused screws just as a backup. Thanks for the video.😊😊
Ok, ok. I'm a believer. No more 'backstabbing' new outlets for me! I may even go through the house and fix those! And, yes - also guilty of counter-clockwise hooks and now I know why! The wire gauge on the back is a terrific help as well although I always thought that it was just for the proper backstab length! The screwdriver and stripper hints were awesome. Dad always said "right tool, right job". Nicely and concisely presented. Thank you LRN2DIY!
@@ghost307 The holes in the devices prevent anything larger than #14 anyway. The unfortunate fact is, spec housing is built and wired and plumbed and roofed and sided by the lowest bidders. If it's legal and saves time, it is done. But no DIY should be concerned with the couple of minutes it takes to use the screw terminals.
I'm a mechanic by trade and a diy and I'm pretty impressed with the quality of harbor freight tools. I bought a set of icon snap ring pliers and compared with to my knipex and slightly preferred the icon.the tips were cast a little more precision and the rest of the tool build was good quality.
@@Mote78 the Icon line is not cheap but it is really professional grade. I've gotten pretty good at figuring out which of the other lines are decent. Stay away from the battery stuff. The big cast iron shop tools like drill presses and stationary sanders are a good deal when you have a coupon
@@KreemieNewgatt I'd never normally support anything HF, because it's primarily Chinese junk that helps support the CCP, but Taiwan is currently a free country and it deserves our support. Buy Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean or American without a second thought about it.
As a 38-year electrician and 31 years as an electrical contractor, instructor and employer, this video is spot-on for beginners and journeyman who never learned how to do it right. I do you use the backstab rather than wrapping the wire around the screws on the neutral and the hot wires. The reason I do this, is because this is AFTER I have pigtailed EVERYTHING so only three wires are going to the receptacle - the hot, the neutral and the ground. Of course pig-tailing takes longer but once you've pigtailed everything out, backstabbing receptacles in residential for various reasons is adequate. This would be the only time I would do it. If I did not pigtail out I would use the screws on the sides of the receptacle, but again if you pigtail (which is better if you do it right) go ahead and stab the wires in the back of the receptacles
@@HellcatM6 What a naive, shortsighted, inexperienced, reality impaired comment. It's about the load on the stab-in silly and I'm sorry you're having trouble.
Thank you for this video. I just bought several outlets to replace some of the older ones in my room. You just showed me how to best replace them. Thanks again.
I have been using the #1 Robertson for a few years now, but with the ECX you obviously get the most torque with less chance of stripping the head. I have that 15 to 1 and have used the ECX. I'm a master electrician with 27 years in the trade.
Excellent presentation! I just subscribed. I do have one suggestion: At ~8 minutes in, you twisted wires for splicing using a wire nut. You twisted the wires clockwise, which feels natural. HOWEVER, if you twist them COUNTER-CLOCKWISE they will form threads in the proper direction and the wire nut will be much more secure. Just sayin' 🙂
I would suggest adding a 7th common mistake to the list. If the 2 outlets are on separate circuits, be sure to snip the factory-installed jumper wire between the outlets. Obviously, I learned this lesson the hard way!
If you're a diy'er please don't put multiple circuits in the same box. Somethings are best left for professionals. That's not even a common practice the tabs more for switching half the receptacle. If you don't know what that means you should call an electrician
But he didn't call it 7 mistakes. He called it 6 mistakes. Which one would you have suggested he leave out. Or should he just call it Sixty Bazillion mistakes?
I am so glad I watched this video. I am 73 and have wired a plenty. I do so many of the things you covered, but as technology continues to advance, I certainly needed the up-tick. The proper tools are necessary to a job well done. A man is only as good as his tool. And an old tool can still get the job done. lol! Your presentations are great. It is shocking how some DIYers get things done. (pun intended) Thanks for the tips and tricks!
I am 74 years old. A Systems Integration Engineer with 55+ years of Electrical and Electronic Systems. I think your DIY Video hit it on the nose. Great Job.
I would add two more products to the list, both are cheap and give piece of mind. A simple three prong outlet tester, which you plug in and can identify a few simple issues (correct wiring, reversed polarity, ground fault, etc). And a voltage tester pen, I always use one of these even after I’ve tripped the breaker, gives piece of mind knowing the outlet is dead-dead.
As a professional electrician I never trust a voltage pen to tell me something is OFF if I might get shocked working. I only trust it to tell me it is ON. Use a meter and test the meter first before trusting IT. Live, dead, live check of the meter. I work with lethal voltages so I take the extra step
Journeyman electrician here. With most wire nuts you should not pre-twist the wires together. The instructions on the box don't say to twist the wires on the two brands I have here (which is to say not to do it), and I have seen some instructions expressly state NOT to twist the wires together before putting on the wire nut. You must follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is important to make sure all the the wire ends are equal and then twist on the wire nut as tight as your hands can tighten it while firmly holding the wires from twisting. Then as you showed, check each wire to see if it will pull out. Then you are done!
You are 100% correct...to add...important to make sure all the the wire ends are equally stripped 3/4" hold them and tap the ends with your kliens or your callused thumb which ever hurts less and cut them even. Use kliens if you want to caress the wife smoothly with your hands!😄 "then twist on the wire nut as tight as your hands can tighten it while firmly holding the wires from twisting."
Not a professional electrician but everything I have seen says not to pre-twist wires mainly because you can twist the wires together and the wire nut may not be secured to the wires. This is part of the reason I do another questionable practice, wrapping the wire nut with electrical tape.
Awesome! I'm really happy that you endorse the WAGO connectors. I work with 480 volt, 3 phase motors and have seen wire nuts fail multiple times. I use the WAGO double and triple connectors to make the connections for High/Low voltage windings and for L1, L2 and L3 source connections. Haven't had one fail yet!
@@stevel5462 I respectfully disagree. Backstabs depend on razor sharp stabs to make the connections. Wagos have curved contacts, and spread the load over a much bigger area.
This was most helpful. Most of us didn’t know at least a couple of these things. Now I’m going back and checking the connections on the job I did a few months ago. Excellent job.
Very nicely done! Happy to say that as a DIYer with no "formal" electrical training, I've never made any of those mistakes - most of it is common sense anyway. But informative. I never knew those "backstabbers" were so bad. Never used them because I was just always leary of them but always thought if they weren't okay they wouldn't be there in the first place.
Backstabs may be ok for light draw light circuits if you don't mind some flickering. Never for outlets. Appalling they allow them. I solder all high amp connections rather than use just wire nuts.
I'm a master electrician. This was a very good video. Especially on using the push inserts. Also not taping around an outlet before installing. Code requires this in some areas
I better look up the code concerning taping the devices. Could you please tell me what section and subsection number your referring to? Are you referring to Canadian Electrical code or another nation's, American, for instance?
@@renebatsch2555 I'm American. It's not nec required, but small codes differ from city to city. I've come across a handful now who want the taping around it which to me is redundant as it might serve a helpful purpose in metal boxes, but if the boxes are grounded as they should be it's pointless anyway. My apologies for not making clear it's a local thing I've ran into several times.
@@rustymarrs4832 Thank-you for the reply. I used to wrap electrical tape around the receptacles as well years ago - just as I was shown by many journeymen. I don't anymore as it makes it harder to trouble shoot if one has trouble stabbing into the slots with ones prob-tips and can't touch the side of the terminal tabs because of the tape. Also it prevents inspection of the terminals and wire ends when the device is pulled out of the box. Also the tape, if not allowed to relax before wrapping, will start to work loose and in time leave a tacky, encumbering mess. The only time I use tape now is temporarily on light switches hanging out the box when I'm painting a room and want to keep the room's light in use. p.s. I'm a 32 year member of the I.B.E.W. local 353.
@@renebatsch2555 nice and yes I agree on tape just being a Headache. The only thing I tape anymore are colors on strand wires from single rolls to mark hots from neutral and ground. I don't wire hot to neutral old school so I don't have to mark those, so colors and wire nuts after twisting hots are about it.
Great video on correct way to wire a duplex. Have not seen all of your videos to see if you cover when to change duplexes in your home especially in the kitchen. I have seen so many homes where the duplexes are not holding a power cord securely anymore. On high wattage appliances like toasters, convection ovens or coffee makers, if the plug sags out of the duplex too much it can cause arcing and possibly a fire. Spending a bit more for 20amp duplexes is worth the cost for the components inside are a heavier ga. so they hold a power cord more securely.
Well done, this should help many with doing their electrical in a safe manner, and you own up to past mistakes which is a confidence builder for those who may need it.
As a fellow DIY'r, these are all things I have already been doing and/or using (except I guess I've never used wagos). The j-hook hole on the wire strippers is one I'm surprised more people didn't know/haven't figured out. The Klein ECX bit screwdrivers were a game changer for me, as odd as that might sound.
FYI, I've seen comparisons of the "Wago 2273 compact push wire connectors" vs the "Wago 221 lever nut connectors", which found that when using solid wire, the 2273's had much better pull resistance, and much lower electrical resistance (i.e., they don't get as hot) when pushing 20 amps of electricity. As such, if those two criteria are particularly important to you on a particular job, you might want to consider using the 2273's instead.
My electrician will not use the Wago type connectors for the same reason he won't use the push connections on the back of outlets: too little contact and a potential fire hazard. Twist the wires and install a wire nut to eliminate potential problems. Also using outlets as a junction is against code. Code requires pigtails. As to why manufacturers put two screws on each side, I have no idea. I admit to using them in the past until I was reprimanded by my electrician buddy.
@@30cpe the dual screws are there for the occasion where you want to split the circuit in two, so that one outlet is always 'on' and the other is controlled by a switch. That's why there's usually a little jumper bar connecting them which can be snapped off. However, to be NEC code -compliant, all circuits on a single device must be controlled by a single or double-pole breaker.
@@30cpe I recently connected two outlets together using the two sides, not only because it was already wired that way (was just replacing the old outlets) but because the secondary outlet is just a low power outlet. Primary plug runs a computer, fan and soundbar and that feeds the secondary which is simply charging phones n such. I assumed in this use case it really shouldn't be an issue. I'm not an expert but my experience with computers, drones and high wattage / voltage car audio had me thinking this scenario perfectly fine as the whole point is to not overload the capacity of the wire or the bridge of the outlet and thus the low power secondary wouldn't really add much in the way of heat / resistance. That said at some point in the future I've been thinking about rewiring and adding more outlets and after seeing how that was wired I wouldn't doubt two other plugs are wired the same in this chain and they didn't have this one grounded properly so I'll be checking those today or tomorrow...
I’ve taken my electrical safety one step further, these six steps plus wrapping the outlets and switches with electrical tape, guards the hot and common posts from the bare ground wires in the boxes. Also, if you have that moment of complacency, you won’t get jolted when you grab the sides of the switch or outlet that you’re working with.
Being as I replace a lot of motors doing HVAC I in addition to switches & outlets I wrap all wire nuts with electric tape ...a simple cheap way to insulate your favorite screwdriver is shrink insulation,...
The biggest but maybe not so beginner is knowing about the jumper between the upper and lower recepticles on the hot side. Knowing to cut this when replacing a worn outlet can prevent a big problem when one of the receptacles is controlled by a wall switch and the other is always on. It's an easy item to overlook.
Great video explaining how to correctly connect wiring to a receptacle but the one important thing you failed to mention was to make sure that the " Hot " and " Neutral " wires are connected to the correct terminals on the receptacle so that the polarity is correct.
AC has no polarity. Hot and neutral reversed is what I believe you meant, and yes, it is a serious and common problem. I have seen one case where hot and ground were swapped. That's SCARY.
As an extra safety, I wrap the outlet screws with a couple of turns of electrical tape. When you have a box with multiple outlets it insures against shorts.
One more thing I always do when working on outlets or switches, whether commercial or residential, is to wrap them along the terminals with good electrical tape. This just adds an extra layer of protection in the event someone or something comes poking along behind you. It's not needed, but it is a good peace of mind.
very useful in metal boxes and recommended, in plastic boxes not necessary and you may be asked to remove tape wrapping in plastic boxes by inspector. not that its a code violation but it can block inspection view and repairs can get risky when you have stubborn tape
Keep up the great work. Very well presented for DIYers. There is one thing that I think should have been mentioned and has been a problem, scoring the wire when stripping the wire. When the wire is scored it has a weak spot for breakage. Working the wire, such as bending, it will break at the scored area. This can happen when bending the wires when fitting the receptacle into the work box or removing the receptacle from a box . Most DIYers don't use the proper tools to do the job, and many times, don't read about the proper procedures to execute the job their doing. I've seen DIYers use a pocket knife to cut the insulation from a wire and heavily cut into the copper wire causing a deep score and couldn't understand why the wire broke.. Just my two cents.
Well done. The only DYI fail you might add and it is a serious one, is that the DYI doesn't fully understand the difference between the neutral wire and the ground wire. Combining or interchanging those wires can lead to serious problems or fire. They are always to be kept isolated from each other. The ground wire never to be used to "complete" a circuit.
The ground and the neutral are certainly connected, but only at the circuit breaker box common bus.. At the terminal ends, it is agreed that the neutral and ground should never be combined.
#7 : reversing polarity. Buy an inexpensive polarity checker, the incoming wires could even be wrong. My current apartment has an incorrectly wired outlet, presumably done by a "professional" electrician. Also, Wago Lever Nuts are especially helpful (for me essential) for joining stranded and solid, which I always have a lot of trouble with. Very common application is joining the thin stranded wire that comes with light fixtures and the solid incoming wires.
When joining a solid and stranded wire in a wire nut, always make sure the stranded wire is a little longer in order to prevent it from just wrapping around and eventually coming out
That point about joining stranded & solid makes we wonder about joining copper & aluminum wires. I had to have that redone and the connectors they used looked similar. I didn't do the work, but I familiarized myself with the process. It seems like the Wago Lever nuts would be safer/surer than hitting torque specs, that I'm sure they didn't do.
I’d like to support you with an affiliate click through but I wanted to get an insulated version of the ecx. I’m purchasing one made by Wiha, a name I’m guessing you’re familiar with. Just wanted to note maybe you could add the link to that to the list for others who may tend in that direction. Thanks for the video. I was the “handyman” in my parents house as my dad just didn’t engage in that kind of thing so I learned almost all of these the hard way. Setting the hook to the left was definitely the first mistake I made. Of course after a few failed attempts at getting it to sit well my brain cottoned on to what I was doing wrong. To be fair, I was like 12 at the time. :D
Unfortunately I’ve seen most if not all of these mistakes in new construction performed by lic. electricians. I had a complaint the other day of a kitchen GFCI sparking when anything was plugged in. I removed the outlet and found the hot line wire was over striped so about and 1/8” of bare wire was exposed. When the plug was pushed into the box the ground wire bent up under the bare hot. When something was plugged in the two wires made contact and tripped the breaker. The ground was burnt in two.
@@LRN2DIY it got worse than that They have a 5 story parking garage. They wired up all the 120v outlets with 240v some how. Still don’t know how they did it. I don’t know if they had the neutrals on single pole 20s or they wired both hot and neutral on a double pole breakers. Apparently there was some confusion if the bldg was going to be 3 phase or something along those lines. They didn’t realize the outlets were 240v until several 120v devices got burnt up. Luckily no one got hurt or killed
@@rulrich45 in different areas they call different things different names west coast we call out moms mom and east coast mama in country mema. in north theres taters and in south potato's you can call a wire cap a dohicky for all i care. there are the social types and the science types...if your a social grammar and identifiers mean everything and your clueless if the nomenclature is off. the science type are just focused on mission or task and you rarely pick up on grammatic errors because your brain is imaging and calculating.
Perfect examples. The last one about tightening down the unused screws has always been a huge pet peeve of mine. My house was all wired using the back stab holes and none of the screws were tightened at all. I’ve since changed out all the plugs and switches and did them the correct way.
This is a really good video. You should also add a clip about wrapping around the receptacle with electrical tape it prevents loosening and prevents accidental contact. Most electricians do this mow.
As an electrician by trade, I've seen many outlets wired right and wrong. I real newbie in DIY electrical will also make the mistake of putting the wrong wire on the wrong terminal. Hot wire(black or red, in the case of split receptacles to the gold coloured terminal and the neutral wire(white) to the silver coloured terminal. If you're using stranded wire, absolute best practice is to use Stakon connecters. This prevents stray strands from making accidental contact. Otherwise very informative and well presented.
Caution to DIYers: some jurisdictions do not allow split receptacles. They specify one circuit per device box. In those jurisdictions, the only reason to remove a bus bar is if 1/2 of the outlet is to connected to a switch.
@@99bn99 You could still split the receptacle with a three wire circuit coming from 120/240v breaker or a pair of breakers with a tie-bar. That is usually how you would wire a split receptacle.
@@fillfreakin2245 That is the correct way to do it. Unfortunately, due to the large number of accidents caused by people who don't know enough messing with receptacles, having more than one circuit in a device box, including split outlets, is not legal here.
@@99bn99 So they don't allow split receptacles or they don't allow two circuits in one device box? Those are separate things. The devil is in the details, specially with regard to code rules.
@@fillfreakin2245 I am not an electrician. I can't quote a code reference to you. I am going by information supplied to me by a very good licensed electrician at the time the provincial code change occurred. I see both as the same thing. It is my understanding that one device box cannot have two power sources. Regardless of whether a 120/240V breaker with one handle is used, or a 120/240V breaker with 2 pinned handles, or 2 120V breakers with a pin in the handles, or two fuses in a fuse block (block has to be pulled out to access the fuses), there is no way to supply power to both sides of a split receptacle without having 2 "circuits" in the same device box. Having a receptacle that is "split" so that one half is always live and 1/2 switched is permitted, if the feed through the switch is from the same fuse/breaker as the always live half. There may be a definition issue here. I am identifying a "circuit" as everything fed from a specific breaker/fuse. Some might consider what is controlled by a switch (eg, light switch) as being a "circuit". I ran into this when I tried to use a timer to control 2 coffee makers plugged into separate outlets. The timer was designed to control either one 240V input & output, or 2 120V inputs and outputs (yes, I know the input is the same thing). It was not allowed because it was considered I had 2 power supplies to the timer because there were 2 separate loads. If I had 2 pinned 120V breakers feed the timer to control one 240V load, the timer would have been acceptable. Incidentally, there was no government inspector involved in this. I was doing volunteer work for a charity, and 2x per year I hired an electrician to review the work I had done, to ensure what I was doing was safe. I discussed this project with him before building it, and he told me it would never pass inspection, for the above reasons. It was in connection with this project that he told me about the code changes that disallowed the classic "kitchen split". As I said before, please make sure that anyone coming after you knows there are two power sources in that box. Too many people are not smart enough to test, switch off, and test again, and then test the test equipment to make sure it is still functioning.
Overall great video and good tips. But I disagree with one of your suggestions. I have been an Electrician now for 39 years. I couldn't agree more. If backstabbing outlets and switches were unsafe they would have been outlawed long ago. They are still UL approved and still approved in the National Electrical Code. The only change over the years is that you can't backstab 12 AWG anymore and the holes have gotten smaller as to not allow that. The problems you see with backstabbing comes from improperly installed or poor-quality switches and outlets. Leviton has always made high-quality switches and outlets and that's all we have ever used over my whole career. I have seen some other brands over the years that were not good quality.
I have to disagree. I've replaced outlets and switches as was needed, I am nowhere even close to a professional, yet on every 1 pulled out to replace, the "backstabbing" pulled out extremely easily. I don't doubt for an instant, that high quality switches or outlets don't suffer from this issue, but that's not what is being used on "cookie cutter" houses, they are using the CHEAPEST things they can get ahold of in an effort to make the most amount of profit they can... I'm sorry to inform you, "cookie cutter" houses are the most popular houses being bought and in turn, they are using the cheapest item they can get ahold of. This UA-camr has already done a video about the comparison between "cheap" outlets and "high quality" outlets, perhaps you should take the time to watch it. You, being a "professional", have your reasons for not using the cheapest thing you can get your hands on, but that doesn't mean they are not being used on a daily basis by companies "mass producing" houses... That's sort of "short sited" on your part.
@@david78212 "The problems you see with backstabbing comes from improperly installed or poor-quality switches and outlets" He basically said the same thing as you!
@@asymptoticsingularity9281 That's a waste of time. Fine if you're DIYing, but for a professional electrician, it's a lot of lost time and time is money. Especially in a commercial setting when you're installing literally hundreds of the things.
Before even watching the video, props on starting right away and not wasting a minute or two of everyone's time with BS at the beginning!
no silly intro, straight to the point, excellent presenter, accurate info, well produced
10/10
So many subtle factors separate ‘good’ instructional videos from ‘just watchable’ ones. Your technical but unpretentious vernacular, set lighting, scripting, sound recording quality, video editing and especially your approachable demeanor and appearance are IMO, Absolutely Perfect for DIY subjects.
That's an incredible compliment. Thank you SO much!
I just had to rewire a bedroom in my house. All outlets in my house were backstabbed and one room kept tripping the AFCI breaker, every night. I opened up all the outlets and switches and I didn’t find anything inherently wrong… so I decided to just get rid of the backstabs and wire it up properly with pigtails and wire loops under terminals. Hasn’t tripped a breaker since re wiring. Videos like this one helped put me on the correct path to diagnose and fix the problem correctly.
Why aren’t more channels this fast and to the point?! Great content.
Because the presenters want everyone to listen to how great they are. That's why
Immediately to the point with no unnecessary rambling on, brilliant
Agreed 👍🏾
I just subscribed simply based on this comment Now i will
That caught me off guard too…. I thought it was an ad at first.
Plus the professional quality of both video and audio, and no music (because most of the time it is a poor choice, annoying or distracting).
Yep that's why I sub'd no bs get to it.
After 40 years of providing Air Force educational videos, it's a pleasure watching a simple, concise and well-done project with minimal equipment. Thanks for the straightforward approach.
I do electrical work professionally, and I've been casually telling "newbies" or anyone else who is seriously interested in how to wire electrical stuff properly, about all of these tips here in this video... Very well presented and accurate info!
Agreed.
Thank you so much! That means a lot coming from a pro like yourself.
yes electricity is VIBRATION and it is the vibration too that will cause wires to pull out
@@carlodonnell146 Actually, a loose connection usually gets worse because of heat buildup at the connection where it's loose, expanding and contracting the joint, depending on how much current is going through it, therefore making that connection even looser over time, many times to the point of the connection falling apart, and also even sometimes causing a fire from either arcing, and/or the heat buildup in the bad connection.
@@JoeJ-8282 are you saying that vibration is not a factor along with the expanding etc?
Just replaced all the backstab outlets in my house with commercial grade outlets. I like the straight wire connections in the back that tighten with screws. Also the internal connections for the plugs are much more rugged and durable. Several of my old backstab outlets were scorched and melted, some of the wiring had to be replaced. I also bought an ECX screwdriver from Lowes, very useful.
Go spec. Grade outlets .
Ive been a JW journeyman wireman since 87 and I must say well done sir. Two things I would add is I believe in just 3 wires on a recep unless its a half switched recep. In other words pigtail whenever there are more than just 1 hot 1 nuetral and 1 ground in the box. Wire nuts are a girls best friend as they are better at carrying the current to the other receps than the side tabs of the recep. If you look at the connecting tab between the 2 screws on each side you will notice the bridge between them and how thin and skinny it is. Its that way so you can break it off by bending it. That is so you can isolate the top recep from the bottom one for half switching the recep or in some cases supply the top and bottom receps with there own circuit. That skinny little piece is all there is to carry the load of down stream receps. The second is it seems logical to use short wires from the box to recep but in reality is much more difficult to push the recep back into the box and is against code. I like my wires to extend 6" from the front of the box and my pigtails to be 6" long. Then after attaching the pigtails to the recep and wire nutting the correct wires together simply fold the wires over and then accordian the wires that came from the box into the box then do the same with the pigtails and push pigtails and recep into the box. Using short wires makes it difficult to fold the wires into the box and if something goes wrong the longer wires leave you with enough wire to fix the problem plus code doesnt allow for short wires. Also installing with the u-ground hole up is a good safety measure thats not required by code but is specified to be that way on many jobs now. It would be tough to explain why its safer but trust me, it is.
You want to install the receptacle with the ground hole up because of something falls on it then it only makes contact with one contact instead of two. Listen for chance of a short.
In some jurisdictions 6" from front of box and ground pin up is code. Here, 6" for a very long time, and ground up since about 2000.
@@99bn99 Just a little history on U ground up. It was first introduced by Jerome Migetric. Im pretty sure I didnt spell the last name right but he was an electrical eng in Tucson, Az and introduced this idea in the late 1980's. And for those saying it is code it maybe that your local authorities have adopted it on a local basis but it is still not required by NEC. Another electrical milestone coming from Tucson was the Ufer bond or bonding to building steel. In case you couldnt guess I am from Tucson.
@@tonythomas951 I understood from a licensed electrician that ground up became code here (Ontario, Canada) about 2000. There were a lot of code changes made about the same time. It used to be that extension cords with right angle plugs hung down installed in a ground down receptacle. For at least 10 years, the new cords hang down in ground up receptacles.
@@tonythomas951 thank you for the history. I thought ground pins had been around a lot longer.
Very thankful for these tips! Doing my first DIY electrical. Almost done installing 3 GCFI outlets, 3 lights, and 2 lighted medicine cabinets. Happy to say its going very well.
Very good video my father was a electrician for 30+ years and worked as AA electrician in a major Truck mfg. For the plant. He thought me so much during his life time and i am so grateful for him teaching me and not to make or take chances to have a failure. God bless him.
Thanks!
Hit the nail right on the head "didn't go to school or trained", 29 years as an Electrical Inspector this sums up the majority of "clients" I have to deal with even electrical contractors as there's no State wide licensing requirements here in NY State, very few even own a Code book, know where to look in it or even know what version is in force in the State.
That's mildly terrifying.
@@Shoop83 Just the facts.
@@Shoop83 i agree
@@Shoop83 someone uses Reddit.
@@eltigueraso Far too much.
Cool, you learn something new every day, I've been an electrician for 33 years and I've never seen an ECX driver, I'm going to check it out. You're absolutely right about stab-in terminals, don't use them. New ones won't even take a #12 wire because they know they're not good for 20 amps. With a little practice you can learn to wrap the wires nearly as fast. Since you won't have to redo them you'll actually save time. Not burning your house down is another nice perk of properly terminating wires.
Agreed Will! And for the record, the back stabs won't even handle 15A long term!!! And this is from experience of failures with 1500w space heaters!
I first saw the ECX driver about a year or so before I retired.☹
I have always found back stabbed devices to be a lot harder to stuff in a box. So, I always change them.
Every duplex outlet I've had to replace-in 3 different homes-had these horrid back-stab wires in place. I literally had to bust apart the duplex fixture to get the wires out. good tips, there is no other way-except the right way with electrical-I've seen more than one house burned to the ground because of faulty wiring. Doesn't take much. One badly wired duplex outlet or switch can bring down an entire home.
40 years here. Never heard of them either. Its pretty neat. Can't tell you how many times I stabbed myself in the palm of my hand. Lol
Wow! Was an electrician in the Navy and have done my own wiring for 50 years and learned something new!! Awesome videos!! Thank you!!
Thank you for mentioning insulation for screwdrivers.
I was a professional HVAC technician for many years and I still have my insulated screwdrivers (they are my go-to set, and work equally well for electrical or non-electrical work.)
A trick you can use for specialty screwdrivers (or screwdrivers you already own and don't intend to replace) that do not come insulated is to place two layers of electrical shrink tubing over the shaft of the screwdriver (two neighboring sizes of shrink tubing one that barely fits over the shaft and one, slightly larger, that barely fits over the, single layered, covered shaft.)
Doing so provides a semi-permanent non-conducting layer and while not as good or as durable as a proper set of insulated screwdrivers they work wonderful in a pinch or for light use.
I never used them as an electrician unless I was around high voltage. Biggest mistakes electricians make is getting comfy on T-Bar, otherwise you should not be grounded to get zapped unless in a high electrical field area. Most of use wear good boots and whatnot to prevent grounding. But we get cocky and lazy, then electricity reminds you not to. I seen guys that know their stuff grab live 120v in one hand and a meter in the other to check because they knew they were not grounded. I am still not that ballsy.
Yes they do
Your comment is irrelevant
This guy ain't kidding around. Immediately to the point. Thank you sir. Very helpful tips I'm about to replace 10 outlets . Glad I saw you're video..
I already knew many of these techniques, but I was VERY impressed by the "ECX" . Gonna go out and get some.
Excellent video, should be viewed by everyone doing electrical repairs. I've been doing wiring for many years and have experienced all of these mistakes. I had never heard of an ECX driver, but now I need to get one.
I've been doing electric for over 20 years and nothing grips those screws better than the ECX driver bit it is literally made specifically for those screws. But remember there are two different sizes so you have to get the right size. I would just buy both of the common sizes so you're sure to have the right one, they're pretty cheap.
@@actionjksn Been having issues with Kline #1 ECX tips breaking often. #2 ECX not so much but the only time I use that one is on Eaton breakers and some panel ground terminals. Have you encountered this?
@@jasonj4865 That's funny that you mention that because yes I broke mine as well. I do not attribute it to being an inferior design though, I just figured mine was not very good quality Steel. I don't see where it is inherently any weaker than a flathead. The fact that it grips so well which allows you to apply a lot more torque to it is most likely the cause. I'm eventually planning to look for a set of high-quality ones and if I get several of them I guess it won't matter if I break one I can just put a new one in. I do have a tendency to really crank down on those screws in order to get the best connection possible. Maybe I'll just buy a large pack of cheap ones and not worry about when one breaks.
Thanks for the ECX information 👍👍🇺🇸
I’ve done DIY wire for years and years but I accidentally stumbled onto your videos and I’ve learned so much, Thank you. I’m going to order some ECX bits. Good tip on making the shepherds hook, I’ve used the pliers on my original Leatherman. Makes a perfect hook. I have an assortment of Wago connectors but I only use them on 12 volt automotive wiring but I won’t be hesitant from now on.
Thanks for turning me on to the ECX driver. Always learning.
You could probably make a video about me personally and I would still learn something I didn't know.. also, I appreciate you not being above using and mentioning Harbor Freight tools. Great video, yet again!
As a 30-year electrician, I appreciate the direct, concise advice here. The no nonsense approach is fantastic! I can't begin to tell you the amount of diy mistakes I encounter. Whether made last week, last year or last decade, they eventually come back to bite you....or the next person.
I had to start skipping through this, its for people without common sense which is not so common anymore, no real trade secrets here or anything and I am not an electrician or even close.
@@TryingToDiscover2 Might as well just use doorbell wire then. Or aluminum wire. I hope I don't encounter your wiring in a house I buy.
@@TryingToDiscover2 😂😂🤣🤣
@@TryingToDiscover2 Terrible comment. So someone plugs a high watt old light or heater into your suggestion. Surely you jest.
As an electrician to an electrician, can you tell me if it would be a big problem wiring an EV charger to a dryer outlet?
I appreciate you mentioning the Robertson. I am a Canadian who worked in the electrical/electronics field and well as the industrial mechanical field. Most professionals as well as DIY guys in Canada would never use any other standard, and for many reasons. A property fitting high quality Robertson bit is by far the easiest to use.
Absolutely correct. What amazes me the most is that you know the common problems we see with DIYer/Handyman work and Apprentices.
Thank you for your Chanel! Your videos are extremely validating and reassuring that I'm doing things correctly.
I add one last level of protection for your last mistake often seen (leaving the used screws loose). Starting at the top of the outlet I wrap the outlet terminals with one run of electrical tape so that all contacts (screws and wires) are covered with a small amount of insulation material. And thank you for the excellent video, as a DIY person I have made all the mistakes you have shown in the past and have learned some hard lessons from those mistakes. Thanks again, I only wish I had seen this video 15 years ago. LOL
I also tape my switches especially if there are 2 or more so bare Ground wire on second switch don't short the first switch
I also do that to prevent getting shocked whle manipulating it.
However I was told that it was not a good idea because the gap between the screws and the box has a purpose. If there is an overload, it is preferable for the spark to happen in the box and not in the walls.
However I did save my uncle from electrocuting himself when he grabbed a plug the wrong way as we wer moving a circuit.
So now I put that tape for safety when It's exposed and I remove it when I put it back in. 🤷♂
Electricians don’t put tape on outlets or switches. Homeowners do that. Today most boxes are plastic so no need for tape.
And when the tape dries out and falls off, you have nothing, but you think you do. Don't be advising people to install doo dad ideas that have no basis in fact. Just tell people to do what the NEC says to do, which may include following mfgrs directions as the priority, ie, wire nuts.
@@SpaceOddity4214 turning off the breaker should have made the list then.
Excellent video! Key points I focus on is 6” of free lead from where the wire exits the box, tug test on all wires made up in a wire nut, and wrapping the terminals in either electrical tape or a newer product that looks like a very wide rubber band. Thank you for the video!
eh, I find tape not as reliable as a nut of those clamps. Wago also makes a push-in version as well, very reliable. I use Wago where I have a ton of wires to connect.
I try to get slightly upgraded outlets that have back wiring under the side pressure plates. I find more convenient thsn fiddling with the hooks
That's an excellent point. The side wiring options are excellent, like the ones at 8:50. I have found that Home Depot doesn't have a good price on them and neither does Amazon but Lowe's has by far the best deals on these. I'm considering a new video on exactly that topic because I shopped at four places to find that deal.
I have done these things over the years and have learned like you the proper way , as learning is great, pigtails and the wago are nice to use with greenie wire ground nuts with a hole in the top to have a ground wire to fasten around the ground on the outlet
Love it! You hit all the things I learned wiring houses. We used the back wire receptacles in the 80’s. But doing home repairs in the 2000’s I was removing them because they were not good.
Thanks for a pragmatic and realistic video. I particularly appreciate that you avoided the grandiose, eye-rolling "Six Biggest DIY Mistakes in the History of the Universe"-type titles that I see all over YT!
I am proud to say I have never made any of those mistakes. Except for the ecx driver. I use an insulated Philips. But I'm going to get an ecx.
I was taught by my dad, who was a shipboard naval electrician during the Korean war.
Fine video, I might add. No drawn out blather. Succinct & informative.
I enjoy watching “mistakes” videos, and for the first time in my viewing experience, I can say I knew all of these tips. I would most certainly share this with people who are just getting started in their DIY journey.
Excellent! I'm sure this will help many people. Very kind of you.
Yes, I enjoyed his presentation, I built my house years ago but I'm rusty now. Things have changed so much, this type of Quality info can help you get back to it and enjoy working with you're projects !!
This was a great video! The information was well researched, well presented and well filmed. Thanks for making it. I had never seen an ECX screwdriver! I'll definitely be getting one of those.
Thanks so much, Evan. I find that I spend WAY more time researching for my videos nowadays so by the time I get to filming and editing I feel like I'm already most of the way done. That said, I can guarantee you I'll still miss some things and mess up so I appreciate everyone's patience as we all learn :)
@@LRN2DIY Wasn't that last plugin shown wrong on the white wire or ground wire? I'll go back an check also.
10:47
Great advice, well presented. Every light switch in my house was backstabbed and when I replaced them, not only did some wires pop out on removal, some of the backstab holes were dark and/or actually broken from years of arcing due to the bad connection. The sparkies building these houses in my neighborhood were only interested in doing the job fast, not doing it right.
And I heartily recommend that set of Milwaukee screwdrivers.
Ain't that The American way , the Boss wants it done fast , and skip the quality of work.
Klein, fluke or bust with regard to electrical tools.
Had the same problem in my house and 3 times down stream plugs were non operationable until located and screwed on. Real pain to search them out. They should be outlawed.
I used to read the Code book before every project. Now I do only with 240-volt work BUT You still got me on a few things. Great video. Off subject but there are probably some DIYers out there who skip putting ALL connections in an electrical box. A few years ago a light switch quit working. When I took the box's plate off I was shocked at how nasty an EXPLOSION can be inside those things. A significant portion of the whole switch was VAPORIZED. That Would Have started a fire if it hadn't been in a box.
I'm a handyman with thirty + years of experience, and my specialty is electrical work. I've heard about electrical fires, but never seen any evidence as you just described. Thank you for sharing. It's a very valuable lesson.
Explosion... If the switch was in a box... Would it be then considered a, "boom box"? Okay, bad joke!
professional inside journeyman here. Great video, There are so many wrong videos on youtube but this is simple and to the point but most importantly accurate!
There are so many small and not small tips and advice that anyone can use that they didn't know even after so many years of being a DIYer. Thanks for a great video.
also when doing the hook on the wire, we learned to use the strippers the way was showed, but with and added reverse turn making the little hook look like a question mark. makes it a lot easier to put the wires on the receptacle.
I took an electrical in job corps and I was taught the same thing.
Thank you for getting straight into the video!! Very helpful information.
Thanks!
You mean some people like to tell us their whole life story before getting to the purpose of the video? it's humourous ha!
One thing I’ve learned working in the Chicagoland area where conduit is required even in residential and therefor stranded wire is very common is twisting the exposed strands to the left (mimicking the pitch on the factory right hand twist throughout the wire) before making your hook. It keeps the strands from splaying out to a surprising degree.
Did you accidentally say this backwards? If you twist the exposed strands to the left, that would be opposite of the factory right-hand twist.
TIL ECX driver. These videos are wonderful and very informative, no cruft. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, man.
Wonderful video, no wasted time, and I spent the entire video learning new things or remembering things I forgot that are important. Thanks for doing this so well.
Great video Nils! As one who has done a lot of handyman jobs on the side, I wrap the electrical outlets with electrical tape especially when they are installed in metal electrical outlet boxes. That way the screws are less apt to make contact with those boxes. Also, TY for the tip about ECX screwdrivers. That was very helpful! 😉
The electrical tape is what I was going to mention as well. All the outlet boxes in my old house are metal.
Same with the tape 👍👍👍
Thank you, Nils. Hands down, this is one of the best DIY videos ever. Thanks for the great instructions and the tool recommendations. Wish I'd known all this much, much sooner! 😂
Excellent video. And yes, those WAGO connectors are, by far, the best way to go. They may not be as cheap as wire nuts, but they aren't very pricey and they are absolutely fantastic!
You just have to ensure they are rated properly...
Wagos suck!!!!!Wire nuts are best.
@@davidcooper4385 ok, cool
Once I found the ECX drivers that’s all I use now, self centering and high torque with minimal effort, even in a power tool ( mounting screws etc). Often I run electrical tape around the outlet or light switch to cover the unused screws just as a backup. Thanks for the video.😊😊
Learned about a new screwdriver tip! Thanks Nils!
Ok, ok. I'm a believer. No more 'backstabbing' new outlets for me! I may even go through the house and fix those! And, yes - also guilty of counter-clockwise hooks and now I know why! The wire gauge on the back is a terrific help as well although I always thought that it was just for the proper backstab length! The screwdriver and stripper hints were awesome. Dad always said "right tool, right job". Nicely and concisely presented. Thank you LRN2DIY!
Absolutely nothing wrong with the backstab connection. He is just misinformed on the topic.
it is almost impossible to get anything with screw terminals in Germany, they are all push in connectors.
@@jasonmorehouse3756 NEC prohibits backstab use with any wire larger than #14. I think that says something.
@@ghost307 The holes in the devices prevent anything larger than #14 anyway. The unfortunate fact is, spec housing is built and wired and plumbed and roofed and sided by the lowest bidders. If it's legal and saves time, it is done. But no DIY should be concerned with the couple of minutes it takes to use the screw terminals.
I'm a mechanic by trade and a diy and I'm pretty impressed with the quality of harbor freight tools. I bought a set of icon snap ring pliers and compared with to my knipex and slightly preferred the icon.the tips were cast a little more precision and the rest of the tool build was good quality.
That’s interesting. I’ve virtually stopped shopping at HF because of poor quality. Seems HF is very hit and miss on quality.
The Icon stuff is really professional grade.
@@Mote78 the Icon line is not cheap but it is really professional grade. I've gotten pretty good at figuring out which of the other lines are decent. Stay away from the battery stuff. The big cast iron shop tools like drill presses and stationary sanders are a good deal when you have a coupon
@@KreemieNewgatt I'd never normally support anything HF, because it's primarily Chinese junk that helps support the CCP, but Taiwan is currently a free country and it deserves our support. Buy Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean or American without a second thought about it.
Harbor freight is pure garbage. You are lying to yourself.
As a 38-year electrician and 31 years as an electrical contractor, instructor and employer, this video is spot-on for beginners and journeyman who never learned how to do it right. I do you use the backstab rather than wrapping the wire around the screws on the neutral and the hot wires. The reason I do this, is because this is AFTER I have pigtailed EVERYTHING so only three wires are going to the receptacle - the hot, the neutral and the ground. Of course pig-tailing takes longer but once you've pigtailed everything out, backstabbing receptacles in residential for various reasons is adequate. This would be the only time I would do it. If I did not pigtail out I would use the screws on the sides of the receptacle, but again if you pigtail (which is better if you do it right) go ahead and stab the wires in the back of the receptacles
Spot on!
Anyone that uses stab ins ,ever, is a hack. always pigtail and always wrap around screws.
@@HellcatM6 What a naive, shortsighted, inexperienced, reality impaired comment. It's about the load on the stab-in silly and I'm sorry you're having trouble.
@@HellcatM6 You're wrong. Pigtailing is not always necessary, terminal screws are designed for feedthrough current.
Clear, concise, straightforward and intelligent advice/instruction...what could be better? Thanks for this great video!!
Thank you for this video. I just bought several outlets to replace some of the older ones in my room. You just showed me how to best replace them. Thanks again.
I have been using the #1 Robertson for a few years now, but with the ECX you obviously get the most torque with less chance of stripping the head. I have that 15 to 1 and have used the ECX. I'm a master electrician with 27 years in the trade.
Excellent presentation! I just subscribed. I do have one suggestion: At ~8 minutes in, you twisted wires for splicing using a wire nut. You twisted the wires clockwise, which feels natural. HOWEVER, if you twist them COUNTER-CLOCKWISE they will form threads in the proper direction and the wire nut will be much more secure. Just sayin' 🙂
Righty Tighty, Lefty Lucy
I would suggest adding a 7th common mistake to the list. If the 2 outlets are on separate circuits, be sure to snip the factory-installed jumper wire between the outlets. Obviously, I learned this lesson the hard way!
If you're a diy'er please don't put multiple circuits in the same box. Somethings are best left for professionals. That's not even a common practice the tabs more for switching half the receptacle. If you don't know what that means you should call an electrician
I would never put 2 different circuits on the same device, especially opposite polarity.
But he didn't call it 7 mistakes. He called it 6 mistakes. Which one would you have suggested he leave out. Or should he just call it Sixty Bazillion mistakes?
@@srfour excellent point
Great tips clearly demonsrated.
I am so glad I watched this video. I am 73 and have wired a plenty. I do so many of the things you covered, but as technology continues to advance, I certainly needed the up-tick. The proper tools are necessary to a job well done. A man is only as good as his tool. And an old tool can still get the job done. lol! Your presentations are great. It is shocking how some DIYers get things done. (pun intended) Thanks for the tips and tricks!
I am 74 years old. A Systems Integration Engineer with 55+ years of Electrical and Electronic Systems. I think your DIY Video hit it on the nose. Great Job.
I would add two more products to the list, both are cheap and give piece of mind.
A simple three prong outlet tester, which you plug in and can identify a few simple issues (correct wiring, reversed polarity, ground fault, etc).
And a voltage tester pen, I always use one of these even after I’ve tripped the breaker, gives piece of mind knowing the outlet is dead-dead.
As a professional electrician I never trust a voltage pen to tell me something is OFF if I might get shocked working. I only trust it to tell me it is ON.
Use a meter and test the meter first before trusting IT.
Live, dead, live check of the meter.
I work with lethal voltages so I take the extra step
Just make sure you test the device on a hot receptacle FIRST.
@@davedickinson6345 always my brother live dead live
Journeyman electrician here. With most wire nuts you should not pre-twist the wires together. The instructions on the box don't say to twist the wires on the two brands I have here (which is to say not to do it), and I have seen some instructions expressly state NOT to twist the wires together before putting on the wire nut. You must follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is important to make sure all the the wire ends are equal and then twist on the wire nut as tight as your hands can tighten it while firmly holding the wires from twisting. Then as you showed, check each wire to see if it will pull out. Then you are done!
You are 100% correct...to add...important to make sure all the the wire ends are equally stripped 3/4" hold them and tap the ends with your kliens or your callused thumb which ever hurts less and cut them even. Use kliens if you want to caress the wife smoothly with your hands!😄
"then twist on the wire nut as tight as your hands can tighten it while firmly holding the wires from twisting."
This is completely correct. There's no need to pre twist your wires.
Using WAGO connecters is the better way to go in most circumstances. Less stress on the fingers and hands over time.
You’re incorrect
Not a professional electrician but everything I have seen says not to pre-twist wires mainly because you can twist the wires together and the wire nut may not be secured to the wires. This is part of the reason I do another questionable practice, wrapping the wire nut with electrical tape.
Awesome! I'm really happy that you endorse the WAGO connectors. I work with 480 volt, 3 phase motors and have seen wire nuts fail multiple times. I use the WAGO double and triple connectors to make the connections for High/Low voltage windings and for L1, L2 and L3 source connections. Haven't had one fail yet!
I feel like the WAGO is essentially the same thing as a backstab receptacle. Would you agree or disagree?
@@stevel5462 I respectfully disagree. Backstabs depend on razor sharp stabs to make the connections.
Wagos have curved contacts, and spread the load over a much bigger area.
This was most helpful. Most of us didn’t know at least a couple of these things. Now I’m going back and checking the connections on the job I did a few months ago. Excellent job.
Very nicely done! Happy to say that as a DIYer with no "formal" electrical training, I've never made any of those mistakes - most of it is common sense anyway. But informative. I never knew those "backstabbers" were so bad. Never used them because I was just always leary of them but always thought if they weren't okay they wouldn't be there in the first place.
Backstabs may be ok for light draw light circuits if you don't mind some flickering. Never for outlets. Appalling they allow them. I solder all high amp connections rather than use just wire nuts.
Not even legal in places like Boston.
I'm a master electrician. This was a very good video. Especially on using the push inserts. Also not taping around an outlet before installing. Code requires this in some areas
I better look up the code concerning taping the devices. Could you please tell me what section and subsection number your referring to? Are you referring to Canadian Electrical code or another nation's, American, for instance?
@@renebatsch2555 I'm American. It's not nec required, but small codes differ from city to city. I've come across a handful now who want the taping around it which to me is redundant as it might serve a helpful purpose in metal boxes, but if the boxes are grounded as they should be it's pointless anyway. My apologies for not making clear it's a local thing I've ran into several times.
@@rustymarrs4832 Thank-you for the reply. I used to wrap electrical tape around the receptacles as well years ago - just as I was shown by many journeymen.
I don't anymore as it makes it harder to trouble shoot if one has trouble stabbing into the slots with ones prob-tips and can't touch the side of the terminal tabs because of the tape. Also it prevents inspection of the terminals and wire ends when the device is pulled out of the box. Also the tape, if not allowed to relax before wrapping, will start to work loose and in time leave a tacky, encumbering mess. The only time I use tape now is temporarily on light switches hanging out the box when I'm painting a room and want to keep the room's light in use.
p.s. I'm a 32 year member of the I.B.E.W. local 353.
@@renebatsch2555 nice and yes I agree on tape just being a Headache. The only thing I tape anymore are colors on strand wires from single rolls to mark hots from neutral and ground. I don't wire hot to neutral old school so I don't have to mark those, so colors and wire nuts after twisting hots are about it.
WAGO wire connectors are available at Menards for a very reasonable price that is typically a lot cheaper than Amazon.
Good to know!
Fun fact, Amazon doesn't always have the lowest price for everything every time
Great video on correct way to wire a duplex. Have not seen all of your videos to see if you cover when to change duplexes in your home especially in the kitchen. I have seen so many homes where the duplexes are not holding a power cord securely anymore. On high wattage appliances like toasters, convection ovens or coffee makers, if the plug sags out of the duplex too much it can cause arcing and possibly a fire. Spending a bit more for 20amp duplexes is worth the cost for the components inside are a heavier ga. so they hold a power cord more securely.
Well done, this should help many with doing their electrical in a safe manner, and you own up to past mistakes which is a confidence builder for those who may need it.
As a fellow DIY'r, these are all things I have already been doing and/or using (except I guess I've never used wagos). The j-hook hole on the wire strippers is one I'm surprised more people didn't know/haven't figured out. The Klein ECX bit screwdrivers were a game changer for me, as odd as that might sound.
Same here with the ECX
I have adopted the Wago version recently. Do not trust imitations.
FYI, I've seen comparisons of the "Wago 2273 compact push wire connectors" vs the "Wago 221 lever nut connectors", which found that when using solid wire, the 2273's had much better pull resistance, and much lower electrical resistance (i.e., they don't get as hot) when pushing 20 amps of electricity. As such, if those two criteria are particularly important to you on a particular job, you might want to consider using the 2273's instead.
My electrician will not use the Wago type connectors for the same reason he won't use the push connections on the back of outlets: too little contact and a potential fire hazard. Twist the wires and install a wire nut to eliminate potential problems. Also using outlets as a junction is against code. Code requires pigtails. As to why manufacturers put two screws on each side, I have no idea. I admit to using them in the past until I was reprimanded by my electrician buddy.
@@30cpe the dual screws are there for the occasion where you want to split the circuit in two, so that one outlet is always 'on' and the other is controlled by a switch. That's why there's usually a little jumper bar connecting them which can be snapped off. However, to be NEC code -compliant, all circuits on a single device must be controlled by a single or double-pole breaker.
@@30cpe quote an NEC reference for the violation please
@@30cpe I recently connected two outlets together using the two sides, not only because it was already wired that way (was just replacing the old outlets) but because the secondary outlet is just a low power outlet. Primary plug runs a computer, fan and soundbar and that feeds the secondary which is simply charging phones n such. I assumed in this use case it really shouldn't be an issue. I'm not an expert but my experience with computers, drones and high wattage / voltage car audio had me thinking this scenario perfectly fine as the whole point is to not overload the capacity of the wire or the bridge of the outlet and thus the low power secondary wouldn't really add much in the way of heat / resistance. That said at some point in the future I've been thinking about rewiring and adding more outlets and after seeing how that was wired I wouldn't doubt two other plugs are wired the same in this chain and they didn't have this one grounded properly so I'll be checking those today or tomorrow...
German premium brands switches and outlets are since 30 years almost all push in only.
I’ve taken my electrical safety one step further, these six steps plus wrapping the outlets and switches with electrical tape, guards the hot and common posts from the bare ground wires in the boxes. Also, if you have that moment of complacency, you won’t get jolted when you grab the sides of the switch or outlet that you’re working with.
Yup definitly argee w/ that practice for outlets & switches
Being as I replace a lot of motors doing HVAC I in addition to switches & outlets I wrap all wire nuts with electric tape ...a simple cheap way to insulate your favorite screwdriver is shrink insulation,...
wrapping switches , outlets and wire nuts was mandatory on commercial jobs in the IBEW
I also give a few wraps round the plastic connectors because when you stuff everything back in the box who knows what you might inadvertently loosen?
that jolt will remind you that you should have killed power or kept your fingers away from the sparky parts.
Glad you mentioned and demo'd WAGO connectors.
Wow man. That is what i call common sense. Thank you.. really, thank you. Hope you have lots of children and they can make you happy.
The biggest but maybe not so beginner is knowing about the jumper between the upper and lower recepticles on the hot side. Knowing to cut this when replacing a worn outlet can prevent a big problem when one of the receptacles is controlled by a wall switch and the other is always on. It's an easy item to overlook.
Great video explaining how to correctly connect wiring to a receptacle but the one important thing you failed to mention was to make sure that the " Hot " and " Neutral " wires are connected to the correct terminals on the receptacle so that the polarity
is correct.
Who would be stupid enough to ... ... oh. never mind, idiotproofing ....
Surprised you didn't cover reverse polarity. That's one of the most common mistakes I have run into...
AC
AC has no polarity.
Hot and neutral reversed is what I believe you meant, and yes, it is a serious and common problem.
I have seen one case where hot and ground were swapped. That's SCARY.
Thank you so much. This was so easy to understand. I'm now going to redo the outlet I installed last weekend.
Nice vid! :) This is my first time watching you, but I'm now a fan! :)
As an extra safety, I wrap the outlet screws with a couple of turns of electrical tape. When you have a box with multiple outlets it insures against shorts.
This. I mean, there's no code to it, but it was how I was taught by other electricians when going thru apprenticeship school.
@@johnn3793 I worked with an electrician for a year and he required it too, especially in metal boxes.
One more thing I always do when working on outlets or switches, whether commercial or residential, is to wrap them along the terminals with good electrical tape. This just adds an extra layer of protection in the event someone or something comes poking along behind you. It's not needed, but it is a good peace of mind.
I do the same thing.
very useful in metal boxes and recommended, in plastic boxes not necessary and you may be asked to remove tape wrapping in plastic boxes by inspector.
not that its a code violation but it can block inspection view and repairs can get risky when you have stubborn tape
Same.
Yeah but in a couple years the tape adhesive turns to goo and makes a big mess. Then any repair you have to get the sticky junk on your hands.
@@court2379 very true and sticky goo can make working on line more risky but in a metal box its worth it not in plastic
Keep up the great work. Very well presented for DIYers. There is one thing that I think should have been mentioned and has been a problem, scoring the wire when stripping the wire. When the wire is scored it has a weak spot for breakage. Working the wire, such as bending, it will break at the scored area. This can happen when bending the wires when fitting the receptacle into the work box or removing the receptacle from a box . Most DIYers don't use the proper tools to do the job, and many times, don't read about the proper procedures to execute the job their doing. I've seen DIYers use a pocket knife to cut the insulation from a wire and heavily cut into the copper wire causing a deep score and couldn't understand why the wire broke.. Just my two cents.
Glad UA-cam recommended this for me. Rather fitting topic and pretty good delivery of the talking points.
great video, added this to my list to share with my employees during our weekly meetings!
Well done. The only DYI fail you might add and it is a serious one, is that the DYI doesn't fully understand the difference between the neutral wire and the ground wire. Combining or interchanging those wires can lead to serious problems or fire. They are always to be kept isolated from each other. The ground wire never to be used to "complete" a circuit.
Only to complete a “ short circuit “.
The ground and the neutral are certainly connected, but only at the circuit breaker box common bus.. At the terminal ends, it is agreed that the neutral and ground should never be combined.
#7 : reversing polarity. Buy an inexpensive polarity checker, the incoming wires could even be wrong. My current apartment has an incorrectly wired outlet, presumably done by a "professional" electrician.
Also, Wago Lever Nuts are especially helpful (for me essential) for joining stranded and solid, which I always have a lot of trouble with. Very common application is joining the thin stranded wire that comes with light fixtures and the solid incoming wires.
Spend the extra few dollars and get the unit with the integrated GFCI tester.
When joining a solid and stranded wire in a wire nut, always make sure the stranded wire is a little longer in order to prevent it from just wrapping around and eventually coming out
Wago makes installing fans and lights SO much easier
That point about joining stranded & solid makes we wonder about joining copper & aluminum wires. I had to have that redone and the connectors they used looked similar.
I didn't do the work, but I familiarized myself with the process. It seems like the Wago Lever nuts would be safer/surer than hitting torque specs, that I'm sure they didn't do.
I’d like to support you with an affiliate click through but I wanted to get an insulated version of the ecx. I’m purchasing one made by Wiha, a name I’m guessing you’re familiar with. Just wanted to note maybe you could add the link to that to the list for others who may tend in that direction.
Thanks for the video. I was the “handyman” in my parents house as my dad just didn’t engage in that kind of thing so I learned almost all of these the hard way. Setting the hook to the left was definitely the first mistake I made. Of course after a few failed attempts at getting it to sit well my brain cottoned on to what I was doing wrong. To be fair, I was like 12 at the time. :D
Great video. At 2:04 you call out a #1 Robertson drive, it is a # 2 size.
Wonderful presentation and great safe instructions. Best to you.
Unfortunately I’ve seen most if not all of these mistakes in new construction performed by lic. electricians. I had a complaint the other day of a kitchen GFCI sparking when anything was plugged in. I removed the outlet and found the hot line wire was over striped so about and 1/8” of bare wire was exposed. When the plug was pushed into the box the ground wire bent up under the bare hot. When something was plugged in the two wires made contact and tripped the breaker. The ground was burnt in two.
Yikes! Yeah, there's all kinds of stuff out there and some of it is poorly done. Glad you were able to take care of it for them!
@@LRN2DIY it got worse than that They have a 5 story parking garage. They wired up all the 120v outlets with 240v some how. Still don’t know how they did it. I don’t know if they had the neutrals on single pole 20s or they wired both hot and neutral on a double pole breakers. Apparently there was some confusion if the bldg was going to be 3 phase or something along those lines. They didn’t realize the outlets were 240v until several 120v devices got burnt up. Luckily no one got hurt or killed
Extra points for using all the correct terminology, or terminal-ology - if you’re feelin’ punny. 👍
correct nomenclature goes a long way with pros and he did well with his presentation though i see it was filled with flaws
He called the wire nut a cap. I've never heard that before.
@@rulrich45 in different areas they call different things different names west coast we call out moms mom and east coast mama in country mema. in north theres taters and in south potato's
you can call a wire cap a dohicky for all i care. there are the social types and the science types...if your a social grammar and identifiers mean everything and your clueless if the nomenclature is off. the science type are just focused on mission or task and you rarely pick up on grammatic errors because your brain is imaging and calculating.
@@kevinalmeida7159 Just helping the algorithm.
I'm a dad. I'm always feelin' punny!
Perfect examples. The last one about tightening down the unused screws has always been a huge pet peeve of mine. My house was all wired using the back stab holes and none of the screws were tightened at all. I’ve since changed out all the plugs and switches and did them the correct way.
i don't recall anyone asking for your opinion.
@@TryingToDiscover2 (1) His post does not contain an opinion. (2) Your life could certainly be more satisfying if you would stop trolling.
This is a really good video. You should also add a clip about wrapping around the receptacle with electrical tape it prevents loosening and prevents accidental contact. Most electricians do this mow.
Good video, thanks. One extra step I take is to wrap a layer of electrical tape over the screws before mounting the outlet in the box. Thanks again.
As an electrician by trade, I've seen many outlets wired right and wrong. I real newbie in DIY electrical will also make the mistake of putting the wrong wire on the wrong terminal. Hot wire(black or red, in the case of split receptacles to the gold coloured terminal and the neutral wire(white) to the silver coloured terminal. If you're using stranded wire, absolute best practice is to use Stakon connecters. This prevents stray strands from making accidental contact. Otherwise very informative and well presented.
Caution to DIYers: some jurisdictions do not allow split receptacles. They specify one circuit per device box. In those jurisdictions, the only reason to remove a bus bar is if 1/2 of the outlet is to connected to a switch.
@@99bn99 You could still split the receptacle with a three wire circuit coming from 120/240v breaker or a pair of breakers with a tie-bar. That is usually how you would wire a split receptacle.
@@fillfreakin2245 That is the correct way to do it. Unfortunately, due to the large number of accidents caused by people who don't know enough messing with receptacles, having more than one circuit in a device box, including split outlets, is not legal here.
@@99bn99 So they don't allow split receptacles or they don't allow two circuits in one device box? Those are separate things. The devil is in the details, specially with regard to code rules.
@@fillfreakin2245 I am not an electrician. I can't quote a code reference to you. I am going by information supplied to me by a very good licensed electrician at the time the provincial code change occurred. I see both as the same thing.
It is my understanding that one device box cannot have two power sources. Regardless of whether
a 120/240V breaker with one handle is used, or
a 120/240V breaker with 2 pinned handles, or
2 120V breakers with a pin in the handles, or
two fuses in a fuse block (block has to be pulled out to access the fuses),
there is no way to supply power to both sides of a split receptacle without having 2 "circuits" in the same device box.
Having a receptacle that is "split" so that one half is always live and 1/2 switched is permitted, if the feed through the switch is from the same fuse/breaker as the always live half.
There may be a definition issue here. I am identifying a "circuit" as everything fed from a specific breaker/fuse. Some might consider what is controlled by a switch (eg, light switch) as being a "circuit".
I ran into this when I tried to use a timer to control 2 coffee makers plugged into separate outlets. The timer was designed to control either one 240V input & output, or 2 120V inputs and outputs (yes, I know the input is the same thing). It was not allowed because it was considered I had 2 power supplies to the timer because there were 2 separate loads. If I had 2 pinned 120V breakers feed the timer to control one 240V load, the timer would have been acceptable.
Incidentally, there was no government inspector involved in this. I was doing volunteer work for a charity, and 2x per year I hired an electrician to review the work I had done, to ensure what I was doing was safe. I discussed this project with him before building it, and he told me it would never pass inspection, for the above reasons. It was in connection with this project that he told me about the code changes that disallowed the classic "kitchen split".
As I said before, please make sure that anyone coming after you knows there are two power sources in that box. Too many people are not smart enough to test, switch off, and test again, and then test the test equipment to make sure it is still functioning.
Overall great video and good tips. But I disagree with one of your suggestions. I have been an Electrician now for 39 years. I couldn't agree more. If backstabbing outlets and switches were unsafe they would have been outlawed long ago. They are still UL approved and still approved in the National Electrical Code. The only change over the years is that you can't backstab 12 AWG anymore and the holes have gotten smaller as to not allow that. The problems you see with backstabbing comes from improperly installed or poor-quality switches and outlets. Leviton has always made high-quality switches and outlets and that's all we have ever used over my whole career. I have seen some other brands over the years that were not good quality.
I have to disagree. I've replaced outlets and switches as was needed, I am nowhere even close to a professional, yet on every 1 pulled out to replace, the "backstabbing" pulled out extremely easily. I don't doubt for an instant, that high quality switches or outlets don't suffer from this issue, but that's not what is being used on "cookie cutter" houses, they are using the CHEAPEST things they can get ahold of in an effort to make the most amount of profit they can... I'm sorry to inform you, "cookie cutter" houses are the most popular houses being bought and in turn, they are using the cheapest item they can get ahold of. This UA-camr has already done a video about the comparison between "cheap" outlets and
"high quality" outlets, perhaps you should take the time to watch it. You, being a "professional", have your reasons for not using the cheapest thing you can get your hands on, but that doesn't mean they are not being used on a daily basis by companies "mass producing" houses... That's sort of "short sited" on your part.
@@david78212 "The problems you see with backstabbing comes from improperly installed or poor-quality switches and outlets" He basically said the same thing as you!
Often the success (or failure) of backstab wiring can depend on the gauge of the wire, too.
I have always pigtailed all receptacles.
@@asymptoticsingularity9281 That's a waste of time. Fine if you're DIYing, but for a professional electrician, it's a lot of lost time and time is money. Especially in a commercial setting when you're installing literally hundreds of the things.