The Wago's are an amazing invention, safe and simple for domestic electrics.

i was looking for this video the other day and now i've found it! Thanks for posting l! Going TS now to collect my wagos and casing! 😊

I've never seen the ferrules before. The times I've needed these! Pretty much used everything else in this video. Thanks for the info.

I enjoy your posts 👍 keep on doing them my friend

I bought that exact same ferrule set last year - I've been guilty of using stranded wires in screw connectors in the past... I have changed my ways 😀

Very informative. I like the idea of putting those ends one stranded, and using them in a Wago.

Excellent, thank you !

Thanks for the explanation man :) cheers!!

Nice overview - thanks

I’ve been using terminal connector blocks for years with absolutely no issues, using bootlace ferrules with these types of connectors makes a perfect match too. It’s nice to see other products available though and I’m sure they will have their use.

Thank you, i have always used "choc box" connectors, but i have just ordered the Wago type you mentioned to give a try!

Thank you very much sir.

Thanks COOP ...

You showed the wago boxes, which are great. But I now use the Quickfix Junction Boxes for Wago's, much better! neater and suit UK wiring better

Wait a sec, you want to teach somebody about connections, showing in your thumbnail phot that Wagos (perfectly safe and strong) are bad, and then showing NOT EVEN CONNECTED terminal block as "worse".

The twisting of solid core wire is not that bad as presented in this video, of course it have to be done correctly which it was not in this case. The right way is to strip about 10 cm of wire, twist the cores tightly together for 7-8 cm, cut the excess wire off, put a sleeve over the twisted part and bend it on the middle (this is to keep the sleeve from falling off and the wire from untwisting). When I first was introduce to this method outside my native country I was chocked "How can they use such a terrible method to connect wires ?", but it had been proven to me a few times that it, if executed correctly, gives a lower transition resistance than the resistance that actually is in the cable itself, second concern is long time stability, and I have seen decade old installment that are still showing no signs of bad connections. So far so good. So why do I almost always replace these connections to wago's when I see them ? Well first of all they take up a lot of space in a box, then it is a pain in time and work to do fault finding on a circuit that is made this way, and you may not have the needed wire length to redo the connection. There is different ways to evaluate "what is a good connection of wires ?", some think it is ease of use, other think time is money, others again think that low transition resistance is king, others look at the total cost, as long at you follow the local law/code/etc. any method is good enough if executed correctly. In this video there were a few methods (the once that the author do not like ?) that was executed very badly, that is not fair to the methods itself. I know that exaggeration promotes understanding, but in this case, where you, to a certain extent, compare different methods, then this exaggeration is not useful.

I was looking at my training documents from the seventies where we had chock blocks, twist connectors and fabric insulating tape. It does mention twisting the earth and didn't require sleeving!! the term CPC hadn't been discovered then!!

Your explanation of the ratings on the WAGO connector are wrong. The ones on the left (next to the "UL" logo) that say "450V/32A" are from the IEC and apply for both *Europe and the US.* That's why the same side also lists the wire size in both mm² and AWG (American Wire Gauge). The rating on the right side is from the JET (Japanese Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Labs) for the Japanese market. (However, note that even though the _connector_ is rated to 32A, the maximum wire size (14 AWG) is only rated to 15 amps for building wiring in the US, so this connector can only be used on up to 15 amp building circuits according to US code (otherwise the wires would be too big). However, if you are using it for other applications (for example open-air chassis wiring inside an enclosure) you could potentially take advantage of the full 32A of the connector in some situations.)

Last week I took a connector out of the circuit because it failed after 50 years. The screw had pressed on the copper and flattened the spot. The sparks caused a layer to form on the oxidation insulation. And this deposit had become conductive. This led to short circuits between two hot conductors. I now only use WAGO terminals. Installation is easy and the contact is secure. I change screw connectors for WAGOs.

Is it possible to just twist the stranded copper wire and insert them into a Wago connector. If not can you recommend what connector crimps to purchase.

when joining flex type cables a, as in hedge cutter, which I have cut through I would always solder the cables together carefully so that there is no chance of coming apart. I shall seek some of those Wago boxes. Thanks for this information.

All depends on the load. Wago for light circuits but I'm with screw down connecter strip. It's not what you got, its how you use it.. :)

30A juntion boxes are designed for ring final circuits. They were commonly used and still are to extend cables. Each leg of a ring is desinged to pull at max of 27 Amps at fault. So a 30 Amp jnc box in situe is perfectly acceptable as long as it's accessible for inspection. We tend to use wago and ideal connectors in Maintenance free boxes so we don't have to worry about inspecting them.

how do you spell wehgo? do they need a ferrule or can you use bare stranded wire, for non wall current. 8:30 can i solder the tips instead of ferrule for non wall current?

is twisting and then soldering the cable a suitable way to make a connection? are you allowed to soldier inline wire connections infact?

I replaced a bunch of screw terminal junction boxes in my own home with Wago boxes. They were all at least 12 years old. Some of the older boxes had loose screws and even evidence of arcing where connectors were loose. The problems are; the connectors are brass with brass screws and these are relatively well self-lubricating metal on metal contacts and the copper single core wire is fairly soft and deformable, especially compared to the brass. Often these boxes are in lofts or roofspaces where temperatures fluctuate considerably (+/-15-30oC), cold in winter/at night and warm in the summer/day. The fluctuating temperature cycles over a number of years expand and contract the wire trapped by the screw, loosening the screws grip on the wire by a combination of compressing the wire more and loosening the well lubricated screw. Eventually the wire is barely held by the screw. Wires under any tension can be pulled out of the terminal altogether. What makes things worse is when someone has put 3, 4 or even 5 wires under one screw! Wago levers are a sprung fixing, so there is some give and positive pressure capturing the wires, in theory they should last indefinitely, however plastics do deteriorate with heat cycles and UV exposure so worth making them inspectable and checking them periodically.

WAGO in my opinion is the route to take. Very capable and a safer design. Good for 32A too.

Haha. Apparently it's a miracle no house I've ever lived in has burnt down.

The current rating of that screw terminal connector is going to be way higher than 5 or 6 amperes. I would say at least 15 amps. It is, after all, as larger as the screw terminals on a typical socket, which are rated for 32A. What is more, the conductive metal cross-sectional area is more than a Wago type. The danger is a poor connection, not the rating of the connector in that case unless you use it on something like a shower circuit. Cable ties in the Wago box are nothing to do with IP ratings, they are there to meet the requirement that it requires the use of tools to access the live conductive parts.

Do you ferrule all wires before wiring a plug?

Can these be used to extend wires to reposition a consumer unit ?

Can one use the WAGOs for 4/6mm solar cable? Tx

Personally I have never had any issues using wago connectors with their designated boxes as they are really simple and safe to use on most applications. I just don’t favour the screw type connectors (I.e chockblocks and JBs) as it’s very easy for those kind of connections to work their way loose over time with current and heat, whereas wagos and push connectors tend to stay springed in place. Generally speaking, any screw termination has to be tightened up sufficiently but not overdone so it crushes the copper too much.

My grandpa was a DIY-er and the wired up a shed with flexcore wires twisted together 😳 After his passing, I re-wired the whole shed. God bless his soul, but I was terrified of the things I saw.

Great video for basic DIYERs , but if you do a follow up, please note that if using a chocbox then the cables entries should be secured using the providing cable clamp to make sure the cable is secured from undue tugging to stress and the cables do not pull out of the connector block which also hooks onto one of the pegs in the lid to ensure that the connector block is secure inside the enclosure

It's really interesting to see how different places do residential wiring. Here in the US, as you probably know, most household branch circuits for the past 50+ years are 15 or 20A, 120V, with 14 or 12 gauge solid wire, or about 1.6 or 2.0mm. All splices have to be done in a UL listed enclosure, with a UL listed device, and be accessible. On solid wire, installed properly, UL listed wire nuts are fine, and probably 95% percent of US homes are wired that way. But I agree wagos are a bit better. The push in types are frowned upon here, because some products were on the market..and still are...that have proven to be not reliable and have some hazards. So many electricians avoid them as shoddy. It takes a long time to shake a bad reputation.

here we just use wire nuts which act to hold the wires together against each other tightly twisted so would have the rating of the wire that is being joined since the current goes from wire to wire.

Not that tape a replacement for an enclosure or ever considered a permanent solution but if you use the correct tape for the job, it won't deteriorate as the correct tape if self-amalgamating adhesive tape, that is tape that is not held together by glue but the layers of tape will weld together and form a single solid. You won't be able to remove such a tape by pulling or just "unrolling" it, the only way to get rid of that tape is to cut it off. It's also perfectly waterproof and heat resistent and these are permanent properties. Such a tape even works under water and it's the only kind of tape you should ever use for temporary fixes that guarantees long lasting properties until a better fix is possible. It's also pressure resistent and an even fix water leaks on pressure pipes and that while there is pressure on the pipe and the water is currently leaking. And there are situations where you need a fix right now and a better fix isn't possible until two years later as it requires huge amounts of renovations which cannot be done over night.

6 - twisted flex: common in Saudi, and for quite hefty loads too, seen in public spaces such as for shop front signage. Last one, flex into a block, is essentially how a wires in a plug are connected (but with flex sheath grip too).

I have bene using screw blocks [choc blocks] for 30 years and have not had ONE single issue, except one day a wire broeke off as the wire was too thin. - I use everywhere - from 240V AC to 12 V DC, and for all types of Signal wires. It works well and if done properly, will last a long time. The ratings on those choc blocks are high and I have yet to see and appliance that will melt them.

In the closeup at 4:03 some kind of rating marking is clearly visible on the screw connector.

Am definitely guilty (As a DIYer) of having wrapped the connector block in electrical tape in the past. Have also found examples of cables being twisted together and taped - mainly in older properties 😱 Yeah for speaker wire / bell wire, maybe... But can't believe anyone though that was a good idea for mains voltage!

Can anyone tell me if 'Wire Nuts' are still allowed in the UK?

Got to love it titled " for joining cables" and not a single cable in the picture lol😂😂😂

Very good instruction video ! ...... Flex breakages may result in a ( very expensive ) appliance being thrown away .... these CAN be reconnected , but , ( CARE ! ) the wires need to be twisted together and then SOFT SOLDERED ! , with adhesive lined heatshrink tube used to isolate the conductors .. then .. an overlay of tough adhesive lined heatshrink tube used to surround the whole assembly ... this provides a ( safe ) but a tad ugly fix ... but ... it is VERY safe if done CORRECTLY ... DO NOT just twist and cover with PVC tape ( OMG ! ! ) ..... ( tried - n - Tested , many times ! ) ...... DAVE™🛑

I like soldering wires, of course this is not always practical, but the connection is really tight.

I know almost nothing about electric stuff. I know how to install an outlet and switches but I prefer to let an electrician do it cause I don't feel comfortable doing that. I have never made an error cause I'm very careful, though. If I had to choose a connector I would choose the Wago. The rating and lenght of the "strip" (bare copper) is printed on the connector and it's easy to use.

I remember when I was young, and my dad didn't have a spare 3-pin plug anywhere to plug in an appliance, so he connected the live and the neutral cables straight into the plug socket...

It's ok to prevent people from doing dumb things that can actually hurt them when they attempt to work with potentially dangerous items/devices/installations. Anyhow, household electricity doesn't present that much of a danger IF some precautions are taken beforehand. For example, PLEASE, if you are going to work with electricity, WEAR SHOES, make sure the floor is DRY and SWITCH OFF THE BREAKERS so you don't get shocked. I'll have to say that in the Americas (maybe with the exception of Argentina and a few other countries), we commonly have 110V/60Hz, so a shock is not that dangerous unless many other things go wrong, but if in your country you have 220V electricity, be very careful as a shock is really bad and can actually kill you even if every other precaution is taken, so SWITCH OFF THE BREAKERS before doing anything. That being said, electricians have been twisting cables for decades with outstanding success, so calling it a dangerous, potentially fire-hazard way of connecting cable is a huge exaggeration. And that is because, even if the twisted cables get loose or uncovered, you would need another live cable, a ground or a neutral to provoke a short, and even then, if the breakers are correctly installed, the protection (short or temperature) will jump and all you will have is a part of your house without electricity until you fix the problem. This types of junctions are made for safety so electricians don't get shocked, for ease of use so you don't have to use pliers to twist cables, and for saving space as a very small junction box is much smaller than any other alternative. But other methods are still valid if you need to use them, and direct contact of twisted cables is much more efficient for transferring electricity from one cable to the other and all you need to worry about is the actual amperage the cable itself can handle. That's why nowadays electricians still twist cables but then also weld or solder them together.

For people who are nervous about the lack of connection area with Wagos you can find videos of them being tested under load - to destruction - and they actually take much higher loads than their ratings, so you can be confident that the contact area is fine. And unlike screw connectors the pressure is constant and can't slacken unless they're overloaded and heated to ignition point. Additionally - unlike twisting connections and screw connectors - Wagos don't bend or damage the copper in any way.

Electrician here, please keep doing what you guys do. It keeps guys like me employed!

While i do enjoy the WAGO connectors, in terms of quality of the connection, the screw ones are the best, but are also used wrong by everybody. Come with the wires so that both screws catch each wire, 2 points of mechanical connection is the safest way to do it. Might not look as pretty as WAGO but for sure they are more secure, remember that a wire will get hot at the weakest connection point, 2 screws on each wire is better than any other clamping method.

How do you connect cables together then?

The plastic bit on the end of my laces broke of and i used a crimp to make a new one after 3 months its still holding

@2:40 Insert both cables into the chocolate stick from one side. Strip enough insulation to allow the copper be gripped by both screws, but don't have copper beyond the terminal. This way, the connector isn't carrying all the circuit current to make the connection. I've recently fitted downlights and replaced the 'wagos' which came with them, because just the slightest tug on the cable caused it to pull out of the terminal....also, wago types carry all the current on the connecting metal....might not be a great idea. I was taught to twist solid copper conductors together, before putting them in a teminal....that's now frowned upon, as it stresses the copper which will produce a weak or broken connection.

I use screw connectors more out of habit, but always in the connection the two wires overlap, they are pressed by both screws.

Twist connection is best of all. But You need to use pliers. Length of twist -2 cm. After all - Solder it, and then wrap with insulation. It will last 100 years :) Screw connection - will always loose after time - I think due to temperature differences. Wago springing connector (first shown) - I don't believe it - as there is very little area of connection. Could be good LED lamp circus and others with small current, but I'll not advice it for others. Written description - what current and voltage is allowed to connector other than Wago is not important. Insulation in home electricity should be 1000 V resistant, and current should flow mostly between wires (wires should be put one on another) - not via connector.

Wagos have revolutionised domestic electrical work

Think you've got them the wrong way round. The clamping power of the standard connecting block is way over that of the Wago , you have no control over it unlike the connector block. Just as long as they are used inside an enclosure, they are perfectly fine, which goes for all connection methods

STRANDED WIRE? You showed crimping stranded wires with terminators before inerting into Wago, but Wago say that they "safely connect solid, stranded and fine-stranded conductors". Would you say that is safe?

Can you explain why is twisting dangerous? My house has twisted wires and they still last 30 years later

I've seen "professional" electricians just twist live wires together, let alone earths. The rubbish you find above the pendant fittings in new houses is astonishing.

I once stayed in a flat where they charged a premium price for a property that was basically one huge fire hazard. One day the landlord accidentally let it slip that he just got his cousin to do all the wiring instead of an actual electrician, and it showed - one day my shower switch caught fire. When I opened it up, the copper was so bare that you couldn't even call it sleeving, it was more like a t-shirt for wires.

Terminal strips has their uses, but a) I would never use one to connect AC in j-box, and b) if you do have to use one, it is best to go with beefiest, most expensive ones. I've had cheap ones break (one has to wonder what kind of crappy brass those were made of!). Spring connectors are excellent. The only problem is that while genuine WAGO are fine, most every other are not, unless you collect Chinese 222-series counterfeits.

We know traditional junction boxes last for many decades. What's the evidence for longevity of the clamp type connectors?

Wago is very nice. However, for the DIY'r, I still prefer the old fashioned wire nut. They are not idiot proof like the wago, but they are cheap and you don't need to have a case with 12 different styles on hand.

Funny thing all the companies that crapped on wages are now changing their own fixtures to include basically a wage type retention system. I saw new Leviton plugs and switches that have them.

a 30 amp junction is ok on a ring - 2.5mm T&E is rated to max 27amps clipped. Think about it.

2 03 Then how come modern socket outlets are rated 30 amp and not 32 amp ? As most commonly on a 32 amp ring circuit.

soldering the joint the best way

Dude to be honest... My grandfather made our house in the time of the war and he did all electricals on his own in our house. I doubt he (a butcher) knew that there were ratings on these at all. He used what he could get his hands on. Until the day he died he didn't allow anyone to dust off places where he made connections just to prove that he did a good job on those. And he did, 30 years and knock on the wood, the electrical is fantastic in our house..

Twisting. oof. I mean, I do join cables with a twist.... Then I SOLDER them, and usually heatshrink. but what cables do I join like that? honestly, probably the worst was an EBike's controller. The replacement controller wasn't for the same bike, and a connector on it was wired wrong, so I cut the wires and joined them to wire it the right way, and as said, twisted braided wires together and soldered with heatshrink.

What's with using cable ties to make the wago box maintenance free? Once clicked down, they aren't going to open.

the twist variant is really OMG & just 1 step away from squeezing a piece of metal into a live (substation) fuse holder under load using simple pliers (see the 43 minutes video from 2009 "Afganistan Elektriker" from the German state television )

The 30 A junction boxes _can_ be used on a 32A final ring circuit, but not a 32A radial. In fact a 20A junction can be used on a ring. A ring slits the current.

We’re did sqish come from , squashed together was the term in my day

It's interesting how locale influences what we consider safe. In North America, almost all connections are done by twisting wires together (and covering with wire nuts.) When I heard about British ring mains, my first thought was, "why aren't there more fires there?" Of course, your plug has a fuse, to compensate. When licensed electricians make twisted connections here (Canada) the resistance of the connections are lower than for Wago connectors (not that I would hesitate to use Wagos.)

I don't think any of the ones shown are legal for permanent installations in houses in Denmark. Especially if the fire insurance is to cover a possible fire.

here's a tip for you, you're supposed to twist the copper wire in a hook, clockwise, before you insert it into a terminal block.

Junction boxes are always better than electrical tape... *But* if only I could put aside my strong mistrust of anything which bears a _UKCA_ mark... 🔌🔥😇

Should have finished with “hasta luego”

Where I live, probably every house has twisted connections and it's been like this from WWII. Nowadays I see these fancy connectors being used, and some old electricians still prefer twisting wires - they say it has more contact than wago. And these are professional electricians near retirement, so with lots of experience. In 40+ years I never heard that some house burned because of bad connections. With that said all this "don't twist wire" sound like a propaganda to me. My house is almost 100 years old and it has twisted connections for 60+ years (that I know of). Never had a problem.

All electrical connectors have evolved for speed of install. I wouldn’t say they have improved mechanically or electrically. I still don’t fully trust wago style connectors, I guess time will tell. Certified nylon screw connectors will have the voltage and current rating moulded into the nylon with the data usually displayed at the end of the connector adjacent to the terminal screw. The voltage and current rating will be stamped onto alternate terminals respectively.

Damn didn't have any idea that these have ratings. But the point could be that i'm in the Netherlands. Voltage is always 220 to 230, and ampage is limited. Bit i used Wagos(non lever) in my shed where i renewed all electronics myself. It could handle my dad's 3500 watt angle grinder with ease. So maybe these are more consistent and stable in europe?

Can you put a wagon in a wall

Wow how did we ever connect anything safely before Wagos? Junction boxes when correctly installed are perfectly safe period. Check your electricity meter main tail connections when you get chance and tell me what you see? Shock horror screw terminals carefully designed to safely carry 100A plus!

The caption says " bad worse danger ". Hmm.....so what are we left with?

the US are lower rated on the wago becasue they put the electric cables direclty in to the wall including clamps connectors and branchpoints and whatnot and the walls are in best case wood with insulation between worstcase literal paper....so absoluitly no heat allowed...while in europe they MUST be put into a dedicated box by regulation....

02:48 you said "that is a connector not rated for a socket circuit"....it's a "PA 29" connector (it's written on the side of it), which means it can handle from 0.5 to 4 mm cable, and 24Amp 450V.... So I don't know what YOU need for a socket circuit, but for me this connector is twice above what's necessary for a socket circuit....HTH

States Wago connectors are bad in thumbnail then proceeds to say use wago connectors...

I don’t agree with your fascination with wago connections. In my opinion as an electrician of 35 years the screw terminal is fat superior. The wago relies on a spring and springs weaken in time causing a weak connection which hears up further weakening the spring resulting in a burnt out connection. Use a screw connector block.

I would add that all connectors should be inside an enclosure. All connectors have there uses. I use them all, Wagos, terminal blocks etc. Depends on the situation. Using the terminal box connectors means that the cable is securely terminated as there is nowhere for the copper wire to escape to. As for taping over connectors...yuk. One way to set the place on fire. Self amalgamating tape is much better. Once applied, it never comes off - you need to use a tool, no matter how warm the place gets.

The wago light wouldn't be maintenance free doing it the way you showed, you would have to use the carrier. 5733-MF (Maintenance Free) Accessory only with Wago 221-2411 Inline Connectors and Wago 221-2533 Mounting Carrier. Maintenance Free accessory instructions included with Wagobox Light enclosure must be followed

Luckily I live in a country where there are official rules for electrical installations. In other countries your not even allowed to change anything on the el.system unless you have a licence as an electrician. The only thing a person may do is connect a lamp.

the 6 biggest mistakes are not using Wago connectors hand-orange-covering-eyesHe forgot to tell us about the sponsor 🤨who could it have been ☝👆

5:27 cable needs to be further in on the right hand side.

everything he said "fire risk" i said. hey thats reminde me of me! I AM THE DANGER

Personally I prefer to use " connectors" only at the termination. ( no matter what method you use to spice or join a cable, The weak spot will always be this JOIN ) ! For a HIGH Current Loads it's better to use cable of the correct length than to attempt to extend it. ( All joins introduce resistance, or deteriorate over time, resistance= HEAT. ) Most " High Current" circuits ( in domestic situations ) will likely be such appliances as Water Heaters or Cookers, you certainly would be best advised not to attempt to join ( or spice into ) feed lines to these ...

Strip connectors... or chocolate blocks as they were nicknamed years ago, yeauch! I have admittedly used many but on low voltage signal wires and the number of them where the screws have failed is mind boggling. They are hardly mechanically sound in my experience, and therefor not electrically sound.

Electricity and DIY should never be in the same sentence. Don’t risk it ! If you have no choice TURN THE POWER OFF at the mains .