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The time I figured out I had been twisting wire nuts wrong for a decade
So I was working with this older guy on a commercial build in Nashville last spring. He watched me twist a wire nut on and just kind of chuckled. I asked what was up. He showed me how he pre-twists the conductors first with linesmans before even putting the nut on. I had always just shoved the wires together and cranked the nut on hoping for the best. Pulled one of my old connections apart right there and sure enough one wire had barely grabbed. Felt pretty dumb honestly. But now I do it his way every time and I haven't had a single call back for a loose connection since. Anyone else pick up a basic habit way later than they should have?
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faith_shah884mo ago
all that pre twisting makes sense for sure, but I gotta say, the real trick is making sure those wires are stripped the right length before you even start. too long and you get exposed copper past the nut, too short and the nut barely grabs anything. @grant478 that "prayer twisting" thing is hilarious but also way too real, I think most of us have been there.
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grant4784mo ago
Jump right in with the fact that I have definitely been there. I probably went a solid eight years just twisting the cap on and hoping for the best, same as you. Called it "prayer twisting" because a lot of my early connections were held together by faith and electrical tape. Learned the hard way when a ceiling fan fell on my foot after a few weeks, and the ground wire had barely touched the nut. Now I twist the wires together first, and I look back at my old self like an idiot.
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