STOP Cutting Wires So Short!!! What Does Code Say?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- There are not many things that irk an electrician more than when the previous electrician installing a device cuts the wires in the box super short!! I am quite confident that most of us electricians have been forced to work on a box that someone has left barely enough wire to install the devices! It isn’t fun!! In this latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explains a bit about the rules surrounding how much wire to leave available in the box.
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Article 310.14 of the 2020 NEC states “at least 6 inches of free conductor, measured from the point in the box where it emerges from its raceway or cable sheath, shall be left at each outlet, junction, and switch point for splices or the connection of luminaires or devices. Where the opening to an outlet, junction, or switch point is less than 8 inches in any dimension, each conductor shall be long enough to extend at least 3 inches outside the opening.” The biggest reason for the length required at the box is so the electrician working on the device, fixture, or junction can actually have enough wire to perform the work. If the wires are too short to put a device or wire connector (wire nut) on, it makes the installation quite difficult, and sometimes unsafe, to accomplish.
The above code reference states 6 inches from where the wire emerges from its raceway or cable sheath. So that is from the BACK of the box where the wire enters! It is ok to leave a bit extra, but not overdo the extra length as it can become difficult to install some of the larger devices (GFCI or USB receptacles) in the boxes with too much wire. The second portion of the code reference states that for boxes with dimensions less than 8 inches, the wire must extend at least 3 inches from the opening (front) of the box. This part can be used to get the length correct on the grounds that are cut off when installing a green wire nut and leaving one wire long to connect to device but cutting the others short.
A couple good tips for getting the correct wire length in a box without having to pull out your tape measure!
1. When working in single switch boxes, push the wire into the back bottom of the box, then accordion them up to the top of the box and back down to the bottom and cut. This insures you have left enough wire to work with but still fit neatly inside the box.
2. Another tip is to use your fist to get the length you need. When working in a commercial setting where you pull wires in a pipe, grab the wires in your fist, put the back of your fist against the opening in the box, extend your thumb out and then cut your wires at the point where they reach your thumb.
3. Another item to remember are the wire connectors. You do NOT have to use RED wire connectors for joining two #12 wires. For those joints where you only have 2 wires, you can save some space within the box by using a smaller connector!
We hope this has been helpful in determining how much wire you should leave in an electrical box for access. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section below and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in being the best electricians they can be!
Your first channel got me so interested in electricity. Now 2 1/2 years later I'm 2 months in with the IBEW local 145. Thank you so much Dustin! You helped me find my career!
Congratulations! I'll be getting my IBEW 20 year pin at this year's Labor Day picnic. Joining was one of the best decisions I made in my life.
@@greedo2660 whats ur pay right now
Ultimately, it’s about caring about the next guy, which is what sets a good workmanship apart from hack work.
And that next guy might be you.
So true, I recently put in a few lightbulbs and an extra outlet in my garage and literally was thinking about Dustin‘s video here and tips about leaving enough wire for the next guy so thanks for everything!!!
Tape your receptacles too! Especially in metal boxes.
@@cheflebowski8155 overkill
It takes less than a second looking at the wires, or "make up", in a box to see the quality of an electrician.
Thank god you mentioned both of the requirements for wire length. I’ve gotten into this argument way to often with people I have worked with who don’t satisfy both requirements of 300.14
I’ve always been told to stick your linesman plier head to the back of the box, and at the end of the handles of the pliers is where to cut them out so there is always plenty of conductor. Depending on brand and size, you’ll always have 6 inches of conductor, sometimes more, but always what you need. Thanks for the content!
Just mentioned this trick without noticing someone beat me to it! Same thing I was always told 👍🏼
Yup, that's exactly what I do. Pretty simple. I don't want to piss Dustin off!
same here..
Sadly the ones that are cutting wires to short probably don’t care enough to watch this video either. 😂
Fully agreed that there’s should be a mandatory minimum wire extending out of the box to facilitate electrician to fix receptacles basing on common sense even if there’s no regulations. Longer wires can be cut short while shorter wires only hamper the smooth execution of any kind of electrical works. Anyway, thanks for uploading a video stating the obvious
There is a mandatory minimum. It's 6 inches
@@JesusPerez-yc6yu yes, that’s correct and true …… something so obvious that the government need to legislate it.
@@PSM-IPADZ_OX well they have to. Then it would be to ur own discretion. Ppl would say no cut it 9 or 10 some would say no go 4. So instead they made a minimum 6, past 6 u can do as u like.
I know you don't like us DIY guys, but I can honestly say... Ive seen horror in some of the boxes i've had to fix from your electrician brethren. And it's not often, but I personally have a passion for Electrician work, and can spot shoddy work a mile away. Not every "pro" has the passion you and I do, and it shows. All i'm saying is give us the benefit of the doubt, I do my homework as best can be done with the resources I have, The information isn't readily available if you aren't in the trade so that makes mistakes more common.
Tbh a lot of times I see homeowners asking questions on forums only to get told "if you have to ask, you're not qualified for the job. Hire someone". It's such an idiotic thing to say on a forum designed for this purpose.
The guy is going to have a go at it anyway. Why not give him the best advice possible so that he completes the work safely instead of letting him guess?
While I have enjoyed several of your recent videos, I was glad to see you return to an educational video where you pull out the code book - thanks. I agree that those short wires are a real pain. I tend to use my lineman pliers to measure where to cut the wires. Depending on the brand you use, there are many features that were specifically designed into this tool (Kleins) to facilitate in these sort of things - like the depth of the cutting jaw being the correct amount to strip from wire for a standard red or yellow wire nut
An in-depth coverage of the Kleins and all their features would make an interesting video - I'm sure Klein Tools could help with some of the more subtle aspects of the design features that were designed into this versatile tool.
Great video! I’de also like to add to leave service loops on the cable going into the box. When there skin tight like that and a drywaller cuts your wires inside the box you can pull in the extra slack to redo the splice. Master Electrician LU 213
Also known as fu@k up loops. They can be such a godsend after the drywallers have their way with a build!
I would be interested in the same question for the breaker box; what does code say, and what are good practices for extra wire in the panel. I've seen some boxes where the wire just barely reached the breaker, and others where it seemed to do a lap or two around the outer edge first. Especially fun when trying to clean up wiring in a mammoth 400A service panel with multiple 100+ amp feeds to sub-panels.
I'm a DIY electrician - but I stay in my lane. Love your video's.
Some DIYers are better than professionals. Some guys just want to be in and out as fast as possible and they have no pride in their work. They cut corners all the time. They lost their passion.
Whereas some competent DIYers put a lot of time to research everything properly and they follow every single code to the letter and they do the job right because they know they will have to live with it and they might have to work on it again one day.
Great video and explanation. I have to admit, when I bought this house 10 years ago, I wanted to learn how to change light switches and outlets. So, I jumped into it, watched some videos and went to it. I did cut some of them back too far I feel, but my reason wasn't so much about recycling, I got USB outlets, big boys, and I was getting frustrated because I couldn't get them in flush and thought there was too much wire blocking the way. Now, in the last 3 years, I've learned my lesson, since I've tried to change them again and they are super short. So, anything I currently change, add, or replace, I've left at the 6- and 3-inch marks, I get it now lol. Previous house owners also cut them short, so I've been adjusting and fixing their issues to bring things back into code and make things right. Wish I saw this video back then. I've learned a ton from your videos and have now installed new lighting in my ceiling, and more. Feel a lot more comfortable and even have large electricians' book now. I do enjoy it. Thanks again.
Why not cut out the box and install a larger one? I don't really see a reason to ever use shallow boxes (understanding that yea, older work probably used smaller boxes) unless there's some sort of space constraint behind where you're installing the box. Would be curious to know there is a reason other than cost savings to use one.
@@danielherman9483 Exactly, if I get away with it now, I will. But back then I was a little intimidated and didn't know. This past year when I remodeled my basement, I added new lights and the way the old owners had it wired, was a nightmare. I basically rewired the entire basement, they had things going all over for no reason that I could find. I streamlined it and it's so much nicer now. I work IT, built many PC's and now do web dev stuff. So now electrical is like building a PC to me. I enjoy it and look forward to my next project. This house has been my training grounds. Next house will be fun!
@@ThommyGunnGaming Hah, similar boat. Software Engineer here, and the things that the previous homeowner to me did are horrifying. Some are pretty dangerous. In addition to the deteriorating old BX I need to replace, I've found something wrong in every box I've looked in.
@@danielherman9483 hah exactly, know how you feel!
bulky smart switches, gfci outlets, etc etc, the days of skinny toggle switches are almost over, when are they going to make all these single gang boxes a 1/4 inch wider, geeze !
DIYer here, but I learned most of my stuff doing side-work with my best friend who is now a master electrician.
He never cut any corners and wouldn't let me either, so I learned good habits from the start.
I always measure the wire by grabbing it with my hand outside the box and leaving a couple more inches. This always leaves at least 6" outside the box. You can always trim the wires, it's a lot more of a pain to make them longer. Extra wire nuts for pig tails fill the boxes up real quick. Especially in the old metal boxes in most of the houses around here.
There are a few things that really piss me off when I am doing service work and one of them is when I need to remove a switch or receptacle and the wires are so short that I can't get to the screws to disconnect the wires. How in the world does someone install a device like that? What goes through their mind when they think that the shorter the wire the better it is? Or is there some other reason for it?
I understand that sometimes someone screws up and just fails to pull in enough wire or ran out of wire, but for God's sake put a fucking wirenut and a pigtail to extend the wire so you can work with it. So annoying.
Things that unqualified people will do when installing electrical that saves them a minute or two ends up being an hour or more of headaches and aggravation for the troubleshooting service electrician.
For all you installers and new guys and girls, here is a tip that will help you out in the future, as well as the electrician from the future who has to follow up your work someday.
Think about the next electrician who has to work on your install. If you do your job right it won't need to be fixed in the future and if you do it with bad workmanship you are making life more difficult for the next electrician which could be yourself. An extra minute or two will save someone in the future an hour or more fixing your crappy install.
Exactly. And if the wires are just barely long enough to begin with, what do you do when you run into some knucklehead that decided it was a great idea to plug in 6 powerstrips into one, and then run a dozen+ extension cords off of those, and burns the receptable up. And the only way to fix it is cut off the burned part of the wires and hopefully there's enough left...
Yes think about the next electrician, because the 'next guy' might be you 10 years down the road.🤣
@@brnmcc01 --- if there isn't enough wire, that's when the real money gets made. New wiring from that box to wherever those circuits are being run from. If it's flex it's not so bad, knob and tube - you're screwed, Romex or BX or MC or free air wiring, you're screwed. Actually the customer is screwed, we just have some work to deal with. But that's what we do. That's why we get paid the big bucks.
The electricians that did my house used crimp sleeves on all the ground wires... like 2" from the entry to the box. Honestly, as annoying as this has been to deal with I'd be curious to know HOW they even managed to crimp them that close to the back of the box.
Impatience and skill. I'm 19 (not yet an electrician, nor do I have proper tools), but I make it work. Though I've been wiring receptacles in our house for 7 years time to time, Saturday was the 1st time in my life I used a crimp!! In that poorly wired box, I shoved it on and used weird tools to make it stay.
@@Bidenlost2020 --- as a licensed, own elec contracting business, 16 yrs as a union journeyman, and over 30 yrs total experience working with tools, I have say... STOP DOING THAT! LOL
@@Bidenlost2020 thanks for sharing your ignorance.
@@thehamburglar9mm OK?? No problem then.
@@13_13k You're right. If I'm going to get serious with that as a career, I should get all the right tools and stuff as well as watch more of these videos.
I hate when I come to a box with short wires. Love your content. Thanks for sharing
Crazy a code so simple can have language i’ve missed for years and i’m 20 years in and licensed. Always made a habit of 6” passed the opening of small outlet boxes and now realizing it’s 6” from the sheath or conduit and only 3” passed the opening on small outlet boxes. Code is a minimum, but with larger devices it’s good to have a way out legally.
Almost 30 years in and I still experience the same thing on occasion (simple code language that I missed). But, like you said, code is the bare minimum and sometimes the code isn’t even adequate for all situations. What about a 5 or 6 gang switch box? 6 inches from the point of cable/raceway entry into the box is not enough. What if your romex comes into the right side of the box but you need that switch on the far left side? It makes for some nasty joints and unnecessary cramming of wires/ wire nuts when trimming out your switches
You can make the wires longer as long as you don't exceed box fill.
@@Ephesians-ts8ze 6 inches is a minimum so just make them longer.
8 inches from the back of the box. Klein strippers is my gauge
Great video thanks for preaching it lol another annoying thing is when they strip just enough sheathing to barely get enough wire to terminate and then cram it in there.
The folding trick is pretty good haven't seen that. When I was doing residential as an apprentice I was taught to pull the wire out straight put my lineman's pliers to the back of the box and cut the wire the length of my pliers. That gives you 9 inches from the back of the box and that folds up well after splicing. I had my lineman's pliers in my hand anyway so it was a convenient way to do it.
DUDE, what’s with the orange extension cord pulled through those studs??? MESSES with my head, hard.
Is that what that is? I thought it was for a 30 amp line. I don’t know what gauge wire that would be but I know it’s orange.
Number 10 Romex has an orange outer jacket
@@Ephesians-ts8ze nope! 😊
Look at the black stripe
@@Gruntled2001 ok,my bad. I couldn’t really see it too good on my phone without my reading glasses. I just know no. 10 Romex is orange.
@@Ephesians-ts8ze I hear you! There was even a discussion thread about this cable/cord from one of the previous videos on Electrician Talk, and the conclusion was that it is an extension cord after all, maybe as a stand-in made look like 10/3 Romex...
Short wiring in outlets and junctions is not always the DIY guy or the handyman (I'm both). I find old wires left really short by the original electricians on the 1920s wax & cloth wiring, which is still prevalent in the area where I live.
I'm a DIYer that just finished building my new home. I used the lineman pilers trick, plus I used pigtails. Only thing I found weird here in Southern Mississippi is everything had to be 14 gauge on 20 Amp breakers, even my hardwired smoke detectors..
Seriously? I'm pretty sure that is a code violation, and a fire hazard, if anyone puts 15+ amps on that circuit... it will protect from a dead short still, but not overloading the wire. Who demands that? The inspector?
The licensed electrician who wired my house in the late 1980s was big believer in cutting short and using backstab devices. I'm a big believer in cussing about him every time I have to replace a duplex or a switch. Sometimes my only option is to pigtail., and as short as the conductors are, it can be a real hassle to release the backstab spring.
I really, really wish manufacturers would stop with the backstab connections.
I always tell my apprentices to put the tip of the linesman to the back of the box and cut it at the end of the handle. This is a huge problem whenever I do side jobs. I can't believe what people in the past have done.
I just put my hand on the box with thumb extended and cut them off there. Rule of thumb. It's probably a couple more inches than needed, but that extra 2 inches or so, the next guy that has to replace a burned up light switch or receptacle will thank me for leaving a little bit of extra wire so can just cut off the old receptacle back to undamaged wire and just replace it. Always think of the next guy, switches and receptacles don't last forever...
Dustin thank you so much for your videos. They help to explain some different concepts to this Canadian Apprentice. Cheers buddy.
Stop holding back, let us know how you really feel! (Yeah, I've run into wires that really can't be worked with because of being too short too. 😞)
I just ran 12/2 BX for my dishwasher. I left some extra in the 4x4, plus I left about 2 ft curled up underneath the floor in case whoever happens to buy this house if we ever move can move it possibly to the other side of the cabinet. Even put a note in the electrical panel that there's extra wire.
I can understand the frustration 😤.
Talk about short wires; in Hawaii the receptacle box was cut in the baseboard which is 3/4 inch thick; so only one romex to the box and you need to leave enough wire to connect the receptacle so it you can install it in the box.
The problem is now, people lack he common sense to do proper electrical work
I always favor having as much slack as is practical to still fit in folded up without shorting, rubbing, or obstructing, you can always cut it shorter later if the extra doesn't fit. The most useless expensive wire is one that's ALMOST long enough. Didn't know there was a specific code but I have also used the "2x/3x height of box" as a rough guide because its easy to fold in but easy to pull out and work with.
I already knew this because I'm pretty sure you put out a video with this about 1 year ago. I remember the 3" past the box, but don't recall you mentioning 6 from the sheath. This comes into play I guess with deeper boxes.
Im in canada, before pulling wire into the box i do a quick loop so after my install others can go in and pull extra length out
Great video man.
Not a electrical guy but when I do the wire works I usually put my cutters against the switch box and cut the wire at the other end of the cutters. Also side note. Before putting the wire in the box I bend the wire a bit witch adds another 4 inch before the back wire plate get tight down. That’s Incase the next guy fucks it up cutting wires short then the next guy can just pull down in more wire if needed.
Haha. The frustration is real.
the issue I've had is packing the conductors or low voltage cables so drywallers don't damage them
My theory is that in ANY job category, from truck drivers to brain surgeons, there are always a few who are brilliant and just way ahead of the rest. Then, on the other end are those who are not good at what they do and should be doing something else, and the vast majority of us who are somewhere in between fairly good to almost brilliant. Same goes for electricians. I am not an electrician, but before I retired I worked around a lot of electricians in a commercial environment. I found some of them excellent, and most were at least competent but there were a few who did really bad work. I worked on one job where they wanted us to put in isolated ground receptacles. We had never installed these before and we did it wrong, but an inspector caught our mistake and we fixed it. Then a young building engineer came to our crew and started asking questions about isolated ground receptacles. The electricians who wired the building apparently did not know how to wire them either and wired them as you would wire a standard 3-wire receptacle, and there were a lot of these around the building. I knew our limitations but I thought that the electricians should have known how to wire those outlets. By the way, I think you are near the top.
Thank you I had to go back and barely pigtail an entire set counter top receptacles. cause someone cut them not thinking about the granite backslash plus they cut them to damn short. I don't even won't to talk about their under cabs.
Telling me not to DIY when you taught me everything I know to DIY! LOL!
I do industrial electrical work for the most part but the few houses I've worked on had this problem. I had to use needle nose pliers just to make it work when replacing outlets. Obviously you'll just make it work in this situation but are you technically supposed to refuse to reinstall a device without wire being repulled?
I've always added a pigtail to give the wire the needed length
I noticed the way you mark the stud for your boxes. I learned the opposite way (27 years ago). Your 'to the top of the box' mark is my 'to the bottom of the box'. I will admit that your way might make more sense and I didn't necessarily learn from the sharpest tools.
Since I've inherited my dad's farm, I've been slowly replacing and fixing a lot of electrical issues in the shops. One outlet has the wires so short that I couldn't even get it out half an inch from the wall, I had to break it apart. He must have connected it and then pulled the wire back through the wall as he mounted the outlet x_x.
You tell 'em, Dustin!
I'm a professional Contractor. Old work is where I find that the most. Irritating for sure, but deal with it, don't regulate the crap out of it. I reserve the right to do my own work. Used to be we could do up to six feet of lead to install appliances or add an additional box in the course of a remodel. Now I have to wait a speed killing week for an electrician that's going to charge me a ridiculous 500.00 for 30 min of work. Other's can shove it where the sun doesn't shine if they want to regulate it to the point I can't do my own work I've done properly for thirty years. I'm tired of "We need more laws" people just wanting to protect their own trade, but don't wanted it applied to them when they want to do their own plumbing and so on.
Real talk!!🤙
Luckily we got wagos
I use the width of my palm. With my hand against the outlet, I grab the wires in my palm and cut the wires that extend out of my grasp. Works for me.
I always do double the box size. I do commercial and industrial work, so say if I'm doing a 4×4 box I'm making it at least 8", if it's a 12×12 I'll leave 2ft and so on.
My apprenticeship teacher 20 years ago liked to say "There's a special place in Hell for a short-wire electrician".
I learned to wrap my hand around the wire, put the base of my hand against the box, and stick my thumb out. Where the tip of the thumb is, that's normally 6 to 8 inches from the face of the box.
Our code in Canada (CEC) went a little further on that and we are required to have approx 6 inches from the front edges (opening) of a box.
No, the CEC is the same as the NEC in this regard. 12-3000(6) specifies "at least 150 mm of free insulated conductor shall be left at each outlet for making of joints or the connection of electrical equipment, unless the insulated conductors are intended to loop through lampholders, receptacles, or similar devices without joints."
When I started this was my Achilles heel. A year in and I have come across enough shorties that I never leave a wire short now. Cut it like you will be the next person in that box.
damn bro,... super informative info for me as a DIYer lol
Dustin, have you seen my left-handed steam powered wire-stretcher?
I just put it down before coffee break and now it's gone...
The way I measure my wire for receptacles is, I put my strippers (which are about 6 inches) to the front of the receptacle and stretch out the wires to the length of my strippers and cut em to that length . A old journeyman actually showed me that a long time ago.i know you only need 6 inches from pretty much the back of the receptacle but I like to have more than I need as long as all the wires fit in the box
Dual three-phase load centers ... will there be a transformer there?
Touch the connector/cable entrance with the tip of your middle finger, and cut the wires no shorter than at your wrist. That’ll be basically enough, but nothing wrong with longer.
Bulk materials are usually much less expensive than the time it might take to make up for too short stuff like wires, conduit, pipes, cords, etc.
Zip router bits into the wire is another fun one.
I have a flip house. All the outlets had no grounds - cut. The wiring was so short. It was a #$#$ nightmare to deal with. I replaced the boxes, used pigtails to extend the wires. Grrr. I understand.
As a practice for the past 2 years I put my linemens up to the front of the box and cut at the end of my handles that's 9 inches just what I was taught
A drywaller knicked my neutral about 4.5 inches from the back of the box. So im thinking i need to cut the wire where the damage is which only leaves me with 4.5 inch of wire (1.5 inches outside the box), which isn't up to code. Could I use a butt splice or wago in-line to fix this?
I'm an maintenance electrician but do so many dang renovations it's not electrical maintenance at all but yes PLEASE STOP CUTTING WIRES SHORT . AND DONT BACK STAB OUTLETS EITHER! Thanks
So tell us how you feel about "Pigtails". I've seen guys pigtail everything. The issue I see with that then becomes box fill. Especially with wagos and ideal in-sures.......
Yeah all the grounds are cut short and pushed to the back of the box of my parents '95 home. It's annoying to try and figure something out to get it long enough to use properly. Like none of the switches, except the ones I have already dealt with, are grounded.
Thank you, more like this 👍
Tan-Reds are my fav :D
I've actually seen Journey-men cut things short and i'm like wtf
Technically wire nuts have a rating on how many conductors of what size can fit. Yellows are plenty good for 2 number 12 wires. I work in a factory and I use them all the time specially in those tiny motor boxes.
One of the things my electrician teachers were REALLY anal about was leaving behind excessive wire with every job. Not even a code or rule thing (besides ground having to be longest one).
I'm an electrical instructor, after almost 20yrs in the field. I instruct on what the code states, but I grade on there being 6" min. wire from the box face, no more than 8".
I give some leeway of course, but I enforce it enough that they're shooting for that general practice everytime.
Keep in mind bro it doesn't say must be un-spliced in 300.14 big problem for Mike Holt's PI 2008.
Literally the two times I hired out electrical work they installed things improperly & crooked, even with literal drawings of what I needed from the power provider. Just a disaster, & the others want $10k or they can't schedule you.
I think code is 6" but longer the better. How long is too long? I don't know but I always leave as much as possible. Also never clip the loops and make new ones. When you replace a switch/receptacle. This is why wires get so short.
Anything over 12" is too long. You then have to double count those wires, for box fill. (Although, with big junction boxes, I'm sure that there is a bit of wiggle room with respect to that 12"length, since you've got to have them at least that long to meet the wires in the other side of the box.
I've been doing some repairs on various things on my house. The only training I have is Leviton Copper and Fiber. Almost nothing to do with electrical wiring.
Everytime I remove a outlet. I've noticed the wires were super short. maybe an inch out of wire to play with. It pisses me off.
The last thing I changed was a outside porch light. While it had more wiring then everywhere else. It didn't have a ground wire. I was at a loss. Like why? My new light had a ground wire that needed to be hooked up. Took a look at the old one, and found it had one to that was just shoved up inside of it.
As a DIY guy. I hate other DIY guys.
I work on live circuits a lot ( yea, I know, save the lecture, it’s just the way I’ve done it for 25 years)
And short wires are definitely maddening. It’s like losing the queen in the angry pixie chess match.
Would the 3" rule also apply to box extension rings and such?
i usually reference the width of my fist, to extend beyond the face of the box. (rule of thumb)
What happens when extentions are added on
Totally agree... I leave probably 10+ inches and usually run my wires down/up/down as you did to keep tucked inside the box as slack. One thing I can't stand more than anything is what you did at the 2:30 mark... why would anyone ever twist their grounds all the way like that. That is the worst idea ever. If you ever have to take those apart it is a pain in the ass and makes a damn mess in the end. Even worse when some idiot twists 10 wires in a breaker box like that. Can only make you wish eternal suffering for them!
I always leave my conductors at 6" from the front of the box. To me only having 3" of free conductor outside the box is still too short and a hassle to work with.
I just added smart switches to my whole house. I had to cut out a lot of excess wire to get the switches to fit. I basically consolidated everything with wago lever nuts and pigtailed line, neutral, and ground. So if the wires going into my wago are shorter than 6" I'm violating code? Is there any increased risk of fire or shorts if all connections are secure?
I'm currently in the midst of replacing all my home's old, beige or painted receptacles with white and I'm hitting this at every outlet. Sucks! Having to get creative in removing the sheaths from the little short wires and making pigtails for literally every receptacle.
Not an electrician, but I've run into this in multiple places in my home and found that Wago connectors work great for this. Make a pigtail that is actually a reasonable length and put it into one side of the connector, then you can work the short wire into the other side and make sure it's seated well. Worked great so far where twisting wires and getting a wire nut on would not have been feasible. I also like that the Wago doesn't damage the short wire at all if you need to work on the junction so the situation doesn't potentially get worse / even harder to work with.
@@danielherman9483 Absolutely, Wagos are definitely the way to go in this situation!
thanks for the tip Dustin
Great video but I think you should do a video talking about the same thing but talking about sometimes how are you going some remodels and you’re taking out all the switches and all plugs to replace them and they only come out of the box an inch or half inch and I really have anywhere to work with and you’re wondering how the hell you gotta deal with that shit let alone have a blank they got that thing in there to begin with with a shortage of wire is
You’re damn right I’m liking this video. I wish there was a ❤️ button.
is this national code? i need to buy this codebook
What do you do if you live in an old 1980s mobile home and the working area inside your electrical boxes are barely an inch deep? In some cases, they are pressed up against each other in one wall. What is supposed to happen? Your walls are not drywall, they are that thin .8" wood panels. The wires are already short as it is because of the home being so old, and you cannot afford to hire an electrician but for safety sake you have to replace the old brown receptacles whose backstab connections are worn and the actual material that the receptacles are made of crumbles in your hands when you take off the gang plate. If you do not replace them right then, you have a fire waiting to happen. There is no way to rewire the house without moving out of it, and the junction boxes are in the ceiling light fixtures themselves and nowhere else in the walls or ceiling. You cannot move out because you were barely able to afford your home in the first place. The building passed an electrical inspection in the 2 years before you moved in, so it does not require another for you to move in and use the electricity, but you find all of these issues...
What does one do then?
This is one of my biggest complaints and one of my largest frustrations that I deal with out in the world of wire. Previous technicians nicking wires way too short. Sometimes I feel as if they're doing it on purpose and it's a big f you to the next guy.
the length of your linemans from the back of the box....that was drilled into me.
Jason, I have a question for you. I have 3 closets, 30'' x52" and 9' tall. I want to put lights in them and would like your opinion as to what type light you think would be the best for this application. I do like things lit up well. Keep the videos coming. I listen to you because your a master electrician. I myself am a master plumber and gas fitter, I've been doing plumbing for 50 years now. You hold down Texas and I'll hold down Alabama....
I'm starting to put high-output strip lights hung on the wall horizontal above the door on the inside of the closet. Doesn't get in the way of racks or shelves and doesn't block you from putting something big on the top shelf like one on the ceiling might. That's just me, you may not like that.
I'd just find the brightest surface-mount light you can get at Home Depot or Lowe's. Good luck
When I used to do sight work. As a plasterer. The sparks used to leave the wires out of the boxes really long. So we couldn’t tuck them in and take them out after plastering. So we got sick of the sparks doing this. So we would just cut the wires right back to nothing cause we had enough of it
You are the reason why I left my open construction live as quickly as I can. How would you feel if I took out my ripping hammer and went to work on your walls after you ruined my day. The last man that did that, electrocuted himself, and when 4 of us grabbed him and confronted him in front of the customer, it never ends well when I am forced by someone like you to explain to my customers. Then he paid our lawyers and for all the rewiring he carelessly caused. Call the electrician. Every man deserves one chance. A helper might've been lazy. Never touch another man's work. You are liable.
@@keithhults8986 I’m talking about sight work. Big new build sights. The wires are not live. It wouldn’t bother me if you smashed up my walls on sight. The contractor would have to pay us to do it again anyway. I’m not in the building trade anymore anyway. It’s a horrible job. I wouldn’t recommend anyone getting into it. I’m studying to become a London taxi driver. They make huge amounts of money. I would recommend you do the knowledge
@@jimmybaldwin737 Again, a man like you cost me once 35yrs ago. I never let my crew leave a wire hanging out, tail off and go live as long as sheathing covers the mansion, the other contractors like me because plug in power is everywhere every early in construction. Because of careless people that are concerned only with their job, at the cost of other contractors, us custom high end builders quickly remove liabilities that cost us. You wouldn't last a week on the Gold Coast. Team work, manners really matter, and a spotless site were paramount. While you're lifting sheetrock, I am comfortably retired.
@@keithhults8986 👍🏼
@@jimmybaldwin737 The most important thing anyone can do for themselves everyday, is have a passion for the results of your labors. Like what we do. Working in a toxic company is no content place to be. The drywall contractors in NY are slave drivers. I think they are getting a handsome price somewhere over $100 per board, paint ready. A close boating friend DIY recently gutted a house for his son. The drywall guy had 5 Latinas for his crew. I stepped in while my buddy was away to manage. 5 petite Latinas 5/8 rocked a 1500sqft house and 3 coats of mud in 6 days. I never before saw a all Latina powered drywall crew like that in action.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that ground wasn't considered a conductor
wago 221's have saved my hide a time or two
When I was doing new construction rough in I always pulled 12 in out boxes then wound it back up in box nice in neat just case I was the one coming back thru qnd doing the finish out work then I cut it back to 6 in out box I always said good have little extra qnd them trim it back on finish out then I know I didn't short cut by accident was way I done it on rough in short wires use to erk my nerves especially I was a bigger dude UT jammed under counter or on back of a counter jammed up behind something and hard get to because it made job lot harder than necessary but the last 10 that I worked electrician I was doing strictly new construction only it was commercial not residential if was residential it was apartment buildings or high rise condo buildings
Thanks
Get the high press crimper out and extended them lol !!!
You should follow up with an in depth “what can you do” if the wires are too short.
ideal makes inline push fit butt splices just for this problem.
Some of my journeymen do this and actually scold me if I leave them like 5-6" out while I tie in, I can see cutting them a little shorter if the box is tiny but geez, give a guy a break on the carpal tunnel syndrome 😭
Cite article 300.14 to them.
The young and healthy don't consider any ailments whatsoever. My first major ailment was presbyopia(age related far sightedness), inability to see things up close. Nobody escapes that disease.
@@aredditor4272 I get made fun of for not wasting my back for work, or for using an impact for the first 3/4 of the threads rather than hand tightening the whole thing. For me it's like, when everyone older than me constantly complains about back pain or knee pain, RSIs, carpal tunnel - why would you haze those who try to be smarter about things in their prime? It's almost cruel
@@bubbly6379 Putting it in by hand at first can be useful sometimes to avoid cross threading. I'm mostly the same as you, run it in with an impact and hand tighten it at the very end to get it just right, but doing service work on some old metal boxes, the threads can be so boogered up. If it's stripped then I have to go for the tap and die.
@@benjamincarpenter4376 yeah I agree, start the first 3 or four threads by hand or with a screwdriver, the next bunch can all be automated though.