Couple little minor tips from an Electrician that has beenpulling wire for almost 40 years. #1) When you are taping wire on to pull anywhere (up a wall, in a pipe, etc...) Tape in the direction of the pull. What I mean is this: If pulling up or through a wall from an existing box, do not start in the box and tape out, start on the outside and tape back into the box or wall. That way there is 1 tape "edge" for any obstruction to catch and roll the tape off or into a bundle that can really screw up your day. Each wrap of tape overlays the prior wraps with the "edges" facing back and not forward. # 2) 99% of pulls like you are showing in this video do NOT need to be twisted. Cut the individual wires in each romex back in a staggered way leaving the grounds (or a stripped insulated wire if no ground on the old romex) long and do a TIGHT fold on each of them. Tape tight and your bundle is MUCH smaller and compact and in some cases will slide through old staples if the old romex is the cloth covered type. In 40 years of doing it this way I have never had wires pull apart in a wall fish if properly, tightly taped and not jerked HARD. Other than those two little things, this is a great tutorial for people. Most of these DYI videos concentrating on electrical work makes me cringe, the ones I have seen from you are generally spot on and only lacking in the minor details that only come from too many years of experience that make the job easier.

Be sure to test both sockets. I pulled a 20a out of a box and received a gift from a dual circuit socket. I found that it's a good habit and to test any and all old wires to make sure there isn't any current running through them. Back feeding is a thing, test all wires.

You are providing a valuable service for people like me, who are good with their hands and are able to do a lot of things, but don't always know the best practices when it comes to electrical. Thanks for doing this.

For DIYers, check both the top and bottom outlets before working on an outlet. It can be a split circuit outlet with the top and bottom on different circuits. Rare, but it happens. I wired a garage like that once. Also, take a scrap insulation cover and slide it over the wires where they enter the box.

As I have run into this issue before, one other option is to remove the old work box and verify how the wiring was actually run, and if you can get any slack from either simply rerouting the cable, or possibly pulling a staple that might be binding it also. If not, then it does give you an idea of how much nmb sheath that you need to add onto it so that the plastic box grip isn't bearing on just the insulation of the wires by themselves. Like I said, I have run into this issue many times from homeowners doing their own electrical work... Great video!

Nice! I'm definitely going to use these tips from now on. Up to now I've been using the technique where you carefully deliver loud expletives, cursing the last person to work on the outlet, while making do with what little wire you have.

A couple of things 1 You should always snap the ears off of the outlet when using a blue Carling Box like this then the outlet will sit flushed with the box rather than bending the ears over and causing the cover not to sit right. 2 With the Carlin Box like this you can loosen the screws up pull the Box out and see if you can loosen the wire inside the wall to get more into the box. 3 You can always take a piece of yellow sheathing off of a peice of 12-2 romrx and slide it over the wires so you have some type of protection where the wires come into the Box.

I bought a lifetime supply of WAGO's after discovering them. A total gamechanger. Instead of dodging electrical jobs of the past around the house...I'm actually seeking them out! Thanks for showing another use for them that I had not yet faced before. WAGOs are even way better than the push-in connectors...I trust them more to not slip/slide off when pushing the wires back into the box.

Excellent video, thank you. This was the first problem I faced the very first time I attempted an electrical repair--replacing a switch in my parent's almost [sob] half a century ago. I'd never heard of pigtails or the NEC, backwiring and Wagos were not yet dreamt of, the Internet was beyond imagining, and what should have been a 15 minute triumph was more than half an hour of cursing and sweating (literally, this switch was outdoors on the screened in porch), and fervent prayers that I had not just cost my folks an expensive service call. So my very first fix was also the first time I came face to face with a nemesis I'm very much afraid I myself have been for others: The Last Guy. I eventually succeeded, yay, but this would have been a great help.

When my Grandpa, dad and uncles wired the 95-ish year old farmhouse I live in, he would hook up each device then have one of his sons pull the wire from the basement/crawlspace so there would be as little wire in each box as possible. He did this to save a few inches (which add up to feet) of copper wiring. Yes, he was cheap. Grew up in the depression. And, yes, it is a pain when I want to upgrade anything... especially since that 1959 Wire insulation crumbles when you work with it. Therefore, in some cases my only option is to pull new cable. On the bright side, I don’t mind the extra peace of mind or being able to give myself some slack. 🙂Thanks, Grandpa, for being frugal and for teaching me how for those instances I need your frugality and your attention to quality. And, thanks for teaching dad about electricity so he could teach me! Can’t wait to see you in heaven!

From an electrician. Step 1......go with option 3. Step 2......go home. Don't forget to test ⚡BOTH ⚡outlets before starting.

You should always test for power in both upper and lower parts of the receptacle because both sides could be independently wired.

1 inch out of the box is often a luxury. In one of my houses every outlet in the house had a "homeowner special" done whereby the prior homeowner had snipped the ground wire as close to the back of the box as possible. Apparently he thought the ground wire was either useless or just had some vendetta against it. Was an absolute nightmare trying to get my hands in the back there to extend the grounds.

I was hesitant to use wagos till i watched some of your videos and read the comments, many from electricians. What a game changer, so much faster and easier, especially in tight places. I’m just a homeowner who does many renos, but likes things done properly. I don’t want issues later on. Thanks for putting these videos out.

I was an apprentice electrician 45 years ago. I was trusted to do the second fix on a council housing development. I cut a few cables too short and over compensated by pulling them through a bit too forcefully with my pliers. All good until they failed the final circuit test. I gave up sparking to become a fireman, it seemed appropriate.

That is a remodel box which is easy to remove from the wall . Remove it then search the wiring path . You should have a staple within 9 to 12 inches from the box . Sometimes you can remove the staple and gain enough extra wire to get your 6 inches . If not , option 3 is the way to go …

Another option that is sometimes possible is to put a second outlet or maybe even a switch between where the run comes from and the box you are working on is, this way all you have to do is make a run between the two boxes. It sure beats running all the way back to the service panel.

6:15 Pro tip: Begin by making sure the wires you're grafting onto are indeed the Hot, Neutral and Ground wires. Sometimes you'll find the white and black are reversed on switch legs in older homes.

Terrific explanation of this scenario. In a recent rehab situation I went the long road, and cut a channel in the drywall and installed a second junction box. Then was able to get correct length out of the original box and ran correct length to the new box. For sure the long road ! 😅

I love your videos. I just purchased a house and am doing little electrical fixes and your videos have saved me so much time and money. Thank you so very much!

This is nice to know, Thank you. On a side note I used my ECX#1 yesterday to install an outlet. WOW, I am impressed on how it grips those screws.

When using an “old work” box, don’t forget to snap the plaster ears off the receptacle. This allows the receptacle to properly seat into the box creating a flush surface for the cover plate.

I ran into this problem and used a Wago to add an extension. Lo and behold, this was your final option! Good to know I came up with a solution that is ok to use lol

Option 4: The wires are so short, or had to be made short due to melting from a failed or improperly installed outlet, that you can't even do option 3. Either move the outlet box in the direction the wire is coming from, or add a junction box in that direction where you can connect as much wire as you need to feed the outlet. Much more of a pain, because you need to cut holes in the wall, and patch if you're moving rather than adding a new box.

Maybe a word of caution to the viewer (since they may not have a lot of experience or knowledge: when "up-grading" from a 15 amp to a 20 amp receptacle, first be sure that you have 12 ga wire ALL the way back to the breaker panel and a 20 amp circuit breaker. If not, someone may try to use a 20 amp appliance and either keep blowing the breaker, or worse, overload the wire and start a fire.

Good video. One recommendation is to test that both outlets are dead, rare scenarios have left one outlet energized due to it being on a different circuit. I know that takes some serious monkeying but I’ve seen it demonstrated by an electrician so just a good safety step to check them both. 👍🏻

I like to tape my Wago's closed and wrap around the outlet to cover the terminal screws. But Wago's are so nice and smaller than wire nuts. Great video.

Those are nice connectors. A single 4” x 1 1/4” small box can only hold a switch or outlet plus up to three wires feeding it. ( Hot, neutral, bare ground), if you had another outlet down stream and have three more wires running out, this box would not pass, too crowded, in a box just big enough, adding these large jumpers might put it out of compliance, needing the next size box. That’s the biggest mistake DIY’s make putting in there own electric. I wired my whole house and when the city inspectors came over, he sees the first box and exclaims, “That box is two small! …. No wait, you used the large boxes, your good.” Everything was done neatly and to code or better than code. I asked if he wanted to see all the other boxes and he said, “No, you obviously know what you are doing.” He signed off and left. So many DYI”ers complain inspectors are too picky or don’t like home owners doing there own work. I found, if you know what you are doing and why, the inspectors are very nice, friendly and helpful. They just want to know the work was done right, is neat and professional in appearance. Adding a jumper block or even a single wire nut, might overload a box sized for just three wires going in, the device, and no wires going out. When doing your own work learn the capacities and install generously sized boxes. Many hardware stores will only carry one size box (usually the smallest one, and no other sizes, so go to an electoral supplier. The box you find at the hardware store will likely be too small. Doing your own work can be easy and fun and you gain a lot of satisfaction knowing it’s done right. My friend wanted me to do his electric under his permit and I asked why not just hire a professional? “Because you do a better job!”, he exclaimed. Fifty years now and original work still going strong and should be good for at least 100 years. My daddy taught me years ago and it was a most valuable and useful skill, saved me a bunch. Taught me how not to get electrocuted be staying insulated from the ground. This would prevent a shock from going through your heart, might still burn a finger, but not be electrocuted. We had an incident when an employee was working at home with his metal case electric drill. The days before double insulated electrical tools. He was outside in the dirt wearing sneakers. His barefoot son approach and he handed him the drill to hold. Even though it was off, the metal casing was live due to a worn out wire contacting it. As soon as he handed his son the drill he received a lethal shock sadly. Father was insulated with sneakers but barefoot son had a nice connection with the ground very little resistance allow many amps through the heart on way to earth. Today we have double insulated tools and GFI’s, thank God these accidents are largely a thin of the past. It only take 10 milliamperes of current to freeze your mussels. At just 15 milliamps you can let go. Over time your electrical resistance starts to beak down and the current increases until until fatal. If you ever touch an appliance and feel a slight electrical tingle. WATCH OUT! You only feel a tingle because you are not grounded well. If you grabbed a cold water faucet and touched the tingling appliance with the other hand, you have set yourself up for a lethal shock through the chest and heart. And tingle from from appliance can be lethal in the right circumstances. Relate or replace immediately.

You could also use Wago 221-2411 splice connector, although not a big deal, it would eliminate the u-turn on the pigtail. When using an old work plastic box, you can break off the receptacle mounting ears for a better fit.

Thanks for your videos! NO unnecessary foul language. Very informative 👏 👌 👍

My BIL is a master electrician, and showed me why the wagos are dangerous. That little piece you flip down onto the wire, can also easily flip up as your folding the wires to the back of the box. Then obviously the wire can just slip out.

On an old-work box like that, you could've also pretty easily pulled the box forward to see if additional cable could be pulled forward. After all, when they installed that box, they had to get that cable into the box, then push the box into the wall, so there's probably slack behind that box.

I've found old Knob and Tube wiring with the splices soldered, 100 years later it was still good

With older wire I usually use a small piece of emery cloth (sand paper works too) to "sand" the end of the wire to make sure the contact is clean.

Make sure you neatly tape that receptacle before pushing in "to" the handy box. Less chance of any thing "arc-ing out". Might take a few seconds longer......but certain safety measures are well worth the time spent. Didn't see many comments on taping the recep? I guess everybody's in a hurry now-a- days. Safety 1st is "B & B Electric's" top priority

Great video! I have been using the regular WAGO Connectors (so-to-speak) for about a year and they are perfect! Also, a few months ago; I purchased the "(WAGO Lever nut)" connectors and used them for the second time most recently and they are not only easy to use but effective, too!

I noticed that an "old work" box was used in the video. When installing a receptacle in this type of box, the ears, or tabs, of the receptacle should be removed so the receptacle will fit within the confines of the box tabs providing for a more flush installation before installing the cover plate. Great video!

I think the wago solution is the quickest solution and just did this a couple days ago in a box I installed inside a new kitchen cabinet for installing under the cabinet lighting. Another method I used in a bathroom was when I replaced a single outlet receptacle box with a three gang box containing two duplex outlets and a switch to a new light bar installed above a new medicine cabinet. Instead of using wagos I made a cut out directly below the old box and installed a box under the sink top inside the lavatory cabinet as a junction box and then made the wire connecting to the three gang box long enough to solve the problem.

When faced with this problem on outlets that are in the usual position of about 16 inches off the floor, I have cut a hole above the old box and installed a new one to gain the necessary wire. Of course, this means you have to patch the drywall. But this might not be a big deal if you are doing a renovation anyway. But the intended use of the outlet needs to be taken into consideration. In my case, a space heater was regularly plugged in, so pig tailing some wire extensions did not seem wise. In your example, the position on the wall and the wood paneling gave you few options.

If the wire itself is in good shape, option 2 seems like overkill and doesn't provide much additional benefit. It's also unlikely to ever work given most of the time the wires are secured somewhere. There's also a lot of unknown risk. You can pull the wire out of the box, then it gets stuck somewhere else. Then you have a MUCH bigger problem. So honestly I think option 2 is generally a bad idea. It might be "more correct", but it doesn't make anything safer or better. The only time I think you should replace the wire is if the wire itself is in bad shape. i.e. the insulation is disintegrating, or you want to re-wire the circuit in general.

I think there's a fourth option if one is doing the work either in a garage/workshop or if the "fix" will be hidden. The option I'm thinking about is determine which direction the wires are coming from in the wall and then to instal a junction box further upstream from the wall plugs so one has sufficient wires in the junction box to meet code. Then run new wires from the junction box to the old plug box. I put the junction box lower down on the wall and only had to fish the wires a short distance.

Nice video ,I have come across so many short wire boxes in my time rebuilding old homes and moving bearing walls for additions that this video was close to my heart! Push in connectors like the Wago and modern connectors were nowhere to be found in the 70's and 80's ! So ,McGyverism was the rule of the day . Twisting ,soldering, using mechanical bugs ,and heavy duty electrical tape was the fix. It really sucked ,but rewiring totally would have been astronomical expense on some of these big jobs. Hard cement plaster with steel screen backing ,really fun stuff! Not! Push in connectors would of saved me tons of frustration and countless hours ! Big thumbs up .

Wago’s are the way to go here for sure. Another idea is to use stranded wire for the extension pigtails. They will fold into the box a lot easier than solid wire will.

I have been using wago for years now. Got me out of more than one fix. Easy to use. My fingers don't get cramped twisting wire nuts anymore. Highly recommended.

I myself prefer the back wire method you mentioned. I got a double wide in 2017 that was made in 1996. First thing I did was replace every outlet as they were all back wired with the old style that you merely push the wire in. I used the back wire method you mentioned and so far haven't had a single issue with any outlet.

An easy fix for the missing romex cover on those 3 wires. Goto Harbor Freight and buy their 5 pack of heat shrink tubing in the white boxes, it is very good quality. Remove that box, yours is easy to take out. Cut the heat shrink tubing to cover over the wires, and use a heat gun to shrink it on. Put box back in while threading romex back into box, then do your connectors. Otherwise, a standard box, you may be able slide in a section of heat shrink, maybe and do something similar. Heat shrink is very useful and does not have to be fully heat shrunk to also insulate and cushion those copper wires. I have been able to pry those side nailed to the stud boxes off and get them out before a few times.

Fantastic! I was just trying to figure out what to do about this as I am redoing my kitchen and the numbnuts who wired this house, probably an owner builder, made every dang wire too short. This is especially hard to work with when replacing old sockets with a GFCI type outlet near the sink. took me half an hour to do it, but I know it wasn't to code so just as I was thinking about calling an electrician to figure it out, I saw this video. The Wago's are definitely the way to solve my problems as i replace all the sockets and covers throughout this 51 year old house. I did make sure all the wires in my box were proper according to my father in law who is a journeyman electrician. And all the sockets seem to be wired as needed, just really short wires.

Another option would be to remove that box and check for a reachable staple that you can then pull more wire through the box.

You should always check both position on outlets in case it’s a split circuit

At 7:30, where the outlet is being secured to the box, the little break away tabs on the outlet should be removed when being installed in this shape of box. Notice when the screws were tightened, the pressure pushed the tabs outward. This can interfere with the cover. This can cause everything to wiggle and work loose, and it can also keep the cover from laying flat against the wall. That style of box will allow the mount to lay in a small recess when the tabs are removed.

Option 2B... Try and drop the box and see if theres any slack behind it. Once in a while, you'll see a wire drop from above, but hit the bottom of the box. A simple rotation of the box could free up 3 inches...

That solves a big problem. Option 3. Without a whole lot of stress.

I got rid of baseboard heat in our 1958 house. I was going to remove all the old cable and found the local code had it stapled every two feet! So it's still there.😃

My experience with those connectors is always tape them because they like to unlock when pushing them in tight stops!

Great tips. Gonna save this video for the next time I need to open up an outlet.

Great video. I have used wire nuts in this position before but those wago connectors are so much better to use

Option 4. Install a new old work box closer to source of the romex cable. Then just run a jumper betwixt the two. In your case, this may not be possible if the cable is going upward, but if it is going down or sideways this could work.

Very good presentation. I had to replace a receptacle with short wires. Thanks for a good professional tip without all the goofy stuff so common with these.

You can also insert a (solid) wire in a Wago connector without opening it first, it is mentioned in their datasheet.

For option 2 before I would of gone up in the attic I would of tried removing the box because it is a cut-in box so more than likely there is extra wire if it's coming from the attic because the wires are going into the box from the bottom. Just run the wire into the top of the box instead of the bottom and you'll have plenty of wire without the pigtails. Make sense?

I've relocated the box a few inches in the direction the wire is coming from before, then patched. Not usually an option for aesthetic reasons.

For twist on wire nuts I use a style where the cap unscrews from the insert. The insert is made of metal with a screw which can be tightened to hold the attaching wires together tightly. Then just screw the cap back on to protect them. This style is usually black and made of bakelite type epoxy. This type is far less likely to come off.

1M views and only 14k thumbs up? C'mon people, just the reminder that wago connectors exist is enough for a thumbs up!

The 3 inch and 6 inch requirements in the video are located in the 2020 NEC at 300.14 The 1/4 inch requirement is in 314.17(B)(2). Don't forget to torque the screws NEC 110.14(D)

Been watching several of your videos. I’ve done some electrical here and there, but I appreciate your videos as I learn a lot. Keep up the good work. Subscribed.

Some local building codes forbid doing extensions to the old wiring if it is too short. They require you to put in a new cable from the affected box to the junction box. So you must make sure you meet your local code as well, to be safe.

Being a retired license electrician I always told my help to get a good hand full of wire before cutting the wire

Really appreciate learning about Wagos, ECX screwdrivers, and commercial-grade receptacles from your channel. I have some old loose outlets to be replaced. Great tip about the short wires, I've seen one or two in this house.

Great explanation video. Although an open wall would be good to show here. Option 2 is clever, but probably a waste of time. I can’t remember ever opening walls and finding wiring that’s not stapled. It wouldn’t pass, and almost all houses were inspected when built. The reason option 1 works is that a short loop is left between box and first staple for this exact reason.

I built an addition and in rough-in the inspector gigged me for this. My leads were like 5 1/2". Fortunately, drywall was not up yet and I was still able to relocate the boxes enough to get sufficient slack.

Great video! Option 4 would be: this looks like an "add on" box and I would try to remove it to see if there was any way to loosen up some slack behind the box. Although pulling the wires from outside like you did, pretty much did the same thing.

I’ve struggled with this for years, wires were pulled tight (think guitar string tight)and cut short in my house. Bakelite boxes as well. I’m sure they save $5 in building the house by doing this. Plus it had a Federal Pacific breaker box with no main breaker, a real joy to do any electrical work

I just solder new wires to the old along with an approved shrink tubing cover. It's simple, easy and lasts forever!

Excellent, clear, concise presentation. You are a great teacher!!!

Great tips! My son has the same issue in his older home. Many will make their comments, Especially Electrical savvy people, but Most people don't want to spend alot of time solving this issue; just get it done, in a Quick safe manner, # 3 and be done with it, and go Fishing, or get instant ," Wife Points" .

Just had something similar where I replaced w/ a deeper larger volume box and jumpers/extensions and used 2-hole connectors like you showed. The push-ins are awesome, but the lever-typre are even easier IMO, just hard to find at most home centers - and more expensive. I may never use wire nuts again. :) They are invaluable when connecting most new lighting fixtures, where you get a crappy little piece of stranded & need to connect to a larger ga. Romex. I tin the stranded first and the rest is gravy. Don't know about code, but it keeps the stranded stiff enough to properly seat in the push-in types. Where have they been all of my life? ;)

I’ve been remodeling my 1962 home since 2007. I’ve redone some “temporary” junction boxes and older light fixtures/junctions with WAGO’s. They are awesome. My older work I’ve gotten back into to add things has be replacing my wire nuts with WAGOS. No better way to hook up 5 wires.

Good advice as I've used wago's many years ago.. I would not even waste time trying to pull in another cable and just go directly to the Wago connectors. But then again I'm not an electrician just a retired engineer.

I'd recommend the Ideal Spliceline connectors for this vs. the Wago. I always keep a dozen or so in my bag for this exact problem.

Ref Option 2 (using the existing Romex to pull a new longer cable) it's important to take the warning about staples, etc., to heart. You run the risk of pulling the new cable half-way, finding yourself hung up on something and unable to go either way. Then you have to figure out where the hang-up is, dig into some wall somewhere and exhume the snag. Could turn a 15 minute job into half a day. If option 1 doesn't work, I'd just go straight to Option 3, and I'd use Wagos if possible.

Thank you for the code update, very informative. One question, you said you added a 20A plug, is your wire rated for 20A ?

Surprisingly, I've not yet seen anyone recommend wrapping a sufficient amount of electrical tape around Wago connectors. Those orange tabs don't take a lot of force to lift, so I wrap them to better ensure any future installations don't accidentally open them. I always imagine them snagging on another wire while someone's cramming into a box... very common in larger, "smart" switches/outlets.

Very helpful. In my days never had these options

Remember that all the problems associated with backstabbing wires into receptacles exist using wagos. Two small spring points are all that make contact with the wire. I use caution and don't use them in high amp situations, like kitchen circuits or at the beginning (home run side) of a box chain. Their great in light fixtures.

On a how to video I might add wrapping the outlet in black tape as well as seating the unused screw terminals. Good safety habits, Especially important on a metal box. Nice job. I enjoy your videos!

DIYer here. Have tried, and been successful, with #1. Aware of #2 but never seriously considered it. And that’s because…, #3 works I’ve been doing this since long before these connectors were available. My way was to use a sleeve, crimp it and insulate it with electrical tape.

WAGO also do an inline lever connector like this which can be better for extending depending on the space you have. In Europe no one uses wire nuts because connectors like that are not code compliant these days.

Can you provide more tips on how to effectively fold and fit wires in a crowded workbox? One of the problems I've run into with pigtails is that the extra wire nuts and wires take up more volume in the box which makes it hard to fold all the wires neatly into the box, especially if I have a thick GFCI which also take up space.

Sometimes it is best to just relocate the outlet in the direction of the incoming wire. For example, if the wire enters from the top of the box, you can move up the outlet box 5 inch and you will have 5 inch of brand new, never exposed wire to use. Never worry about opening a hole in the drywall or plaster. They are easy to repair.

I'm not an electrician but I have a fair bit of experience rewiring and such forth. Yes I got permits when I did it, homeowner permits. I watch the video for a lark, not expecting to learn anything, just wanted to see how you explained something. However, when you mentioned what you called, back wiring, you explained that you need to tighten up the side screws in order to secure the wire that's gone in the back wire hole. I had no idea that that step was necessary. Thanks

Very good video and the use of excellent Wago connectors is becoming more common in UK and Europe. However, one small observation is that the European (and UK standards) would insist on the addition of green/yellow insulated sleeving of the bare ground (earth) wire to stop the chance of shorting to the hot (live) or neutral terminals after fixing the fitting to the wall.

Great explanation. Exactly what I use, also. Wago is a little pricy but well worth the extra pennies.

I live in a condo so options 1 & 2 would not work for me. You made the option 3 so easy to follow! Thank you so much for this video. 👍👍

I agree with this counsel. I missed any mention of turning off the circuit breaker first.

Thank you for this info! This is my biggest problem right now. Love your videos!

Americans discovered wago couplings :-) There are 221 inline series fittings for this kind of connection. And my favorite 2273 series. The company's products allow you to save a lot of time when setting up new installations. Or when renovating the old one :-)

In the UK we would put a piece of green/yellow insulation tubing on the Earth wire(s), so that there is no chance of the folded wire actually touching any live conductors. Also, almost all screwed connections on the rear of our sockets or switches have the conductors pushed into shrouded connectors (moulded into the rear of the socket or switch) before tightening the securing screws (no 'J' hooks needed, though thinner wires are normally bent back on themselves to give more copper for the securing screw to 'bite' into. In a 'loop' situation with two wires per connection, both wires are twisted together before inserting into the connector.) Very interesting to see our our American cousins do it! And I'm a great fan of the Wego connectors; a lot faster than the old plastic strip connectors!

You can also solder them and then put some heat-shrinkable tube on each one of them. From Greece with love.

Great video, and a very common problem. I just started using the WAGO connectors and I love them. Thanks for sharing this useful hint.

Very good video for DIY'ers. If you're going to install extensions to the old wires, I would also recommend using pliers to pry the plastic clamp enough to slide about 2 inches of cable sheathing between the old wires and the plastic tab to prevent wear on the insulation of the old wires, thus making it safer.