# pigtails



## waygone (Nov 10, 2011)

So I'm going from a military electrician to a construction electrician and ive been nonstop learning stuff. Today I had an outlet with 3 blacks, 3 whites and 3 grounds. I want to pigtail all three of them. I find twisting 4 12ga wires together is extremely hard and do I even need to pigtail the ground as I would with the hot or neutral? 
Any advice or pictutes for me?
Sorry for all the questions, things work differently in civilian world. On a ship we would just twist all the wires together and put tape around it lol.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Twist them together and use a wirenut.


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## waygone (Nov 10, 2011)

Also what is the wire inside the box's length suppose to be? How long should the pigtail be?


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Use a 4 port Wago( push in connector)


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

sirux said:


> Also what is the wire inside the box's length suppose to be? How long should the pigtail be?


box wire 6-8 inches, pigtail about 6".


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

Wirenuting said:


> Twist them together and use a BLUE wirenut.


Fixed it for you.

Bend a "J" and train it into the other wires ...


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

sirux said:


> Also what is the wire inside the box's length suppose to be? How long should the pigtail be?


Hold your hand fingers spread out, the distance between thumb and pinky is what I use.

As for twisting the pigtails.. when getting up to 4 #12's.. strip a decent length, line them all up together, and then take your linesmans and just slowly start to twist them, very light pressure. It'll start the twisting needed.. then get more grip and twist harder after a couple twists.

You'll figure it out.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

There is no reason to use a "blue" wirenut for 4 #12s.


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

Here in Canada I would use a red marrette for 4 #12's.


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## fanelle (Nov 27, 2011)

Shockdoc said:


> Use a 4 port Wago( push in connector)


I too like the wagos. It makes it easier to fold the wires flatter in the back of the box to device out.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

CADPoint said:


> Fixed it for you.
> 
> Bend a "J" and train it into the other wires ...


blue is too big


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Wirenuting said:


> Twist them together and use a wirenut.


Do not twist them together. That will void the wire nut warranty. Just put them in there and twist like the instructions say.


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

NOT PRE-TWISTING??

Blaspheme!


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Shockdoc said:


> Use a 4 port Wago( push in connector)


Wagos are garbage. 



FrunkSlammer said:


> Here in Canada I would use a red marrette for 4 #12's.



Marrettes are garbage. I'm glad we don't have them down here. :no:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> ...That will void the wire nut warranty....


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> Do not twist them together. That will void the wire nut warranty. Just put them in there and twist like the instructions say.


Please post the instructions that say you are not permitted to pre-twist. I am not aware of any that say that, but am aware of instructions that say "pre-twisting is not required".


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## fanelle (Nov 27, 2011)

sbrn33 said:


> Do not twist them together. That will void the wire nut warranty. Just put them in there and twist like the instructions say.


Are you actually suggesting that you know of a situation where there was a problem that went back to the manufacture of a wire nut and the company's official response was " Sorry we can't do anything its your fault for twisting the wires together."?


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

I have used my linesman to pre-twist almost every single splice I have every done.

Those splices will last 1000 years, but void a wirenut warranty. 

WIRENUT WARRANTY?:laughing:


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## Galt (Sep 11, 2013)

*Twist or no twist*

3M says you can do it either way


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

I really would not know. I have never been so bored or so wrong that I have ever read the instructions on a bag of wire nuts.


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

sbrn33 said:


> Do not twist them together. That will void the wire nut warranty. Just put them in there and twist like the instructions say.


Every wirenut I have installed does not require pretwisting but does not prohibit it either.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> Do not twist them together. That will void the wire nut warranty. Just put them in there and twist like the instructions say.


Where does it say it will void the warranty of the wire nut?:blink::laughing:


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## Duece McCracken (Sep 18, 2013)

6 inches minimum of free conductor, 3 inches min protruding from the box, i would throw a 3m red/yellow on it. Always pre-twist, or twist the wirenut until you get 2-3 twists of the insulated wires together. I hate it when people don't twist their splices properly either by tool or nut. Creates a potentially dangerous arcing scenario for the guy troubleshooting down the road. Always think of the next guy, and use your turn signals as well.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Jesus, Harry you are smarter than that. Although I never pretwist unless it is waaaay to many wires to fit into a wire nut.


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## Bobaker (Sep 15, 2013)

Always twist. Think about the next guy. Hate working hot circuits when the guy before me didn't pre twist. C'mon man


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## fanelle (Nov 27, 2011)

While we are on the topic did anyone ever see these white nut looking wire nuts but they have no springs in them. I asked our.purchasing agent for red wire nuts once. He ordered them and when they came in they looked like the red ideal wire must but there were no springs in them. I don't know what they were called or used for. If anyone knows I'm just curious.


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## Bobaker (Sep 15, 2013)

The old ceramic nuts had no "spring"


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## fanelle (Nov 27, 2011)

These were plastic and looked like the ideal wire nut red 76B type


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

probly a mfg. defect, or maybe some chinese version for low voltage:whistling2:


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## FishSlayer (May 8, 2011)

If you hold you wires tight together just under the wire nut so they don't pull out and twist like a man or use your wire strippers to crank down the wire nut you never need to pre twist. It dose it for you. I will get 7 #12 under a red if I have to...


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## fanelle (Nov 27, 2011)

Unless its rated for it its still technically not legal


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## ugly1 (Dec 14, 2009)

Those Wire Nuts without the springs are listed in the Ideal catalog as OEM(original equipment manufacturers) wire nuts. They are designed to be installed by automated equipment in a factory setting. Hope you didn't use them! The automated equipment spins this type of Wire Nut on the wires to a tightly controlled torque setting.


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## fanelle (Nov 27, 2011)

No I have them in the tool crib at work. Have no use for them since they don't actually function like a wire nut.


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## Sunny 1 (May 11, 2012)

You sure that your gonna need all that slack?


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