SHOCKING New Way To Fix The VERY Common Open Splice Issue | Homeowners Don't Know These Exist
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2023
- In this video I am going to show you how to fix open splices. These are very common and usually in places most homeowners do not go in order to realize they have them in their home. It can be very dangerous and definitely against code. There is a new product out that makes this repair incredibly fast and easy!
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Have you found any of these open splices in your home? Do you need to go look now? 😂
Crap. At least I don't have an attic.
My sprinkling system is like this. No box. Sprinkling system needs protection from lightening strike. That happened. Must have traveled under ground.
@@davidkilby1043 I don't either, LOL.
Bummer, was hoping to eliminate the box
I don't have open splices but I have a bunch of boxes with no covers. Don't know how that got past the inspection. One day I'll remember to fix those. And, wow, those boxes are NOT cheap!
Awesome! I just found an open splice last week and was planning on getting a box and doing the needful. This will be much quicker and easier. Thanks!!
New subscriber here!
That's a great product! A am a DIYer, but my father was a master electrician back in the day. He taught me how to wire and showed me the code violations, and the open splice was one of them. I'll have to admit that there is one in my house right now 😮 I was cutting the floor from above and somehow managed to hit the wire in the basement. I made a quick open splice and moved on. Now, I can go back and fix it quickly! Then my entire home will be in compliance!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you for sharing this product!! I have quite a few to do in my attic. A definite time saver!
Pretty good idea . Usually they are too short and need 2 boxes to accomplish this , but if just right , great product
Always great to discover new devices on TH-cam. Thanks!
Hi there, Rack-A-Tiers Rep agency from Canada here. Great video! Just to add a couple items.
The biggest time saver is something you didn't show. TRACKING DOWN THE BREAKER the splice is on and turning it off. Especially if you're working solo.
The other important note is to be sure to check the connections of the open splice before enclosing it. If the connections are loose, you're going to have to take apart the splice so go find that breaker.
It’s a great idea. But at $13 usd it’s still a little pricey, hopefully the price will come down in the next couple years.
@@USMC1984Right, I can undo and redo a splice for less than $13 and a box with actual clamps is better anyway, AND you get to make sure the splices are tight when you redo them.
@@integr8er66 I agree. But with this plastic box having its own lid and not needing plastic cable stays and lids for metal boxes it would be a lot easier to use.
Don’t really understand why putting the connection in a box makes it safer
These cant be concealed yet in most states
Haven't seen that box before, what a time saver. Thanks
Good job with clear and concise explanation approach
Neat-o. Open splices were some of the more “professional “ wiring situations in the last house I bought. Not only were there a number of open splices but I found splices inside lighting boxes that were wrapped with a couple of loops of masking tape.
Excellent tip! Great instructions! Really like/prefer your new "bullseye" transition, much better than the old "hand in the face"
This is really helpful. I have an open splice in my attic right now that I sometimes worry about. Now I have an easy fix. Thanks!
Awesome! You are very welcome. Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
I have to say it really looks like a remarkable product; simple but valuable.
Good job. Just helped a friend in Falls Church VA. I found this exact scenario. Amazing people do splices outside junction boxes. Got er cleaned up. Now it’s to code.
Thanks for the tip I created two or three of these in my attic my self . Always want to be prepared for the inspector.
that open splice box instead of a junction is quite nice
Such a simple concept, yet where has this been for the last 40 years?! Thanks for the video!
Right where it should be.
That's amazing! I bought a very old house in an unincorporated area in 2021. Having come from Chicago suburbs, I was greatly surprised to find all the open splices in my attic, and to not have been cautioned about them by an inspector. I've repaired about 15 of them so far, the old fashioned way. And, I've been working 2 weeks (almost done) up in my garage attic to completely redo a number of circuits. It's been so hot, I almost got heat stroke today. Thanks for sharing this!
While you're at it, add some roof vents to keep the attic cooler. Excessive heat will cause premature roof failure.
That’s what I did, this house when I bought it had no garage attic vents so I put some in, it was amazing how hot it was up there even without a ceiling in the garage.
Is there a reason you can't do this in the morning before the sun heats everything up?
@@455buick6 oh no, I spent hours every day up there. It was a big job. It started when both my outdoor floods broke (about 11' off the ground on the outside wall), and I had to completely replace them. Then there were wired going up both side of a window into the attic, with switches and outlets on both sides, and romex running every which way. I piped it in, now just a single run going up into the attic, separate switches ganged into one box, one for lights over the bar, one for ceiling fans, one for coach lights above the bar, and one for outdoor floods. All those connections had to be reworked in the attic. I know how to do it, but I'm not an expert. My biggest problem is I don't know how to bend conduit.
@@ralph1478 this is really a large pole barn. There's insulation above the ceiling, but the roof is corrugated steel. What kind of roof vents would go onto that, with the corrugated humps on the roof? Thanks.
Your example is the best case scenario. 90% of the time that you run into open splices there is not enough wire length to get both wires into the box. You'll typically need 2 boxes with covers, a length of the appropriate size romex (NM-B), some staples, and wire nuts. If you're dealing with the old cloth covered wire you may need heat shrink as well. Some old houses are using bx. If that is the case then you'll need bx/mc connectors, romex fittings, and the boxes need to be designed to accept the fittings.
TYCO makes a code compliant splicer kit for those tight wires. Part A22899-000
@@IrfanKhan-ze4yx I'm familiar with that. It's typically used in double wides at the seam. Most of the time when I have to deal with that situation both ends are too short for that device as well. It also tends to be more time consuming than just installing boxes. On top of that, the boxes offer the flexibility of expanding the circuit if necessary in the future.
@@IrfanKhan-ze4yx That seems to be marked as obsolete on Mouser
I always just install 2 boxes and a jumper on open splices because a guy who's dumb enough to make an open splice, is also dumb enough to make it too short to work on later.
@@N20JoeWORD!
Timing is perfect. I have a small home project that this will do well on
I have had to do that a few times with Raco octogan boxes in the past, take a hacksaw and cut two Parallel cuts in the side of the metal box and bend the tab in and insert the Romex. Worked for me.
Nice. I like the hexagonal shape and flexible mounting options.
I do like the product. It's not always that easy. Many times I will find an open splice with 3 or 4 sometimes 5 Romex coming together. Great videos
Nice idea thanks for sharing, I believe the reason we haven't seen such items before is code compliance from the NEC (they take forever) these splices were a dream to fix. Normally there isn't too much slack in the wiring and the whole mess is taped up inline, sometimes without enough slack to put a box in without additional splices to the line.
Code requirements for splices have not changed. They all have to be enclosed. The market research, design, and listing (UL, etc) is what took the time!
Talk about timing, I was putting in a receptacle extender yesterday and was shocked to find open splices inside my kitchen island. Amazon is sold out. This is brilliant.
That is ingenious! Thanks for sharing.
I think it might be a good idea to not bend the openings down entirely. If you bend it in just a tiny little bit, it will provide some strain releave. The plastic edge will press against the cable and keep it in, if my assumption is correct.
This is actually a strain releave method that is used with many compact connectors. For example the strain releave on many MC connectors (from Staubli) is done this way and works quite well.
That's what I was wondering. My understanding is that a retaining clamp or some other mechanism is required to resist pulling the cable from being pulled. Also, to help seal the opening against any sparks shooting out the box and starting a fire.
strain relief, not releave
Or that sharp hard plastic edge will strip the insulation off the conductors and create the perfect short circuit right on the edge/outside the box and set fire to the attic...
@@watvannou If it is a short circuit, the breaker will trip immediately. That is what they are there for.
My first house which was built sometime between the late twenties and early forties had two lines coming into a fuse box from the alley and two lines going out to the attic. Each line had a fuse, I think, but it was just one circuit. The two cloth covered wires ran parallel through the attic with a splice for each light and outlet, which were few. There was a single outlet in each room, not a double outlet like is common today. While rewiring,I discovered some charred wood next to the old outlet in the kitchen where the refrigerator was plugged in. Scary. I went a little overboard with 10 circuit breakers, outlets everywhere, including the attic, a closet, outside, and on the rooftop. I added a window AC and some ceiling fans while I was at it. House was only about 900 square feet.
Awesome product and timesaver. Thank you
2nd house I bought had 4 of said connections IN 1960's ROCKWOOL insulation!! Learned alot on that one! Graduated to building my own w/ that knowledge and running a crew 4 Habitat. The final house we sold had ZERO items on the inspection punch out! Quality is key! (along w/a good dose of OCD) 😉 Great channel....still follow tips, methods & products..
Handy solution to a common problem. Thank you!
Common where? I was an electrician for 40 years and saw this a few times, always done by a homeowner who thought he knew what he was doing. We did things properly in Massachusetts. No electrician would deliberately do this. But, since I retired to South Carolina, I have seen some of the worst electrical work imaginable. Totally SMDH.
Great product. Thanks for putting this information out there.
Of course! Thanks for this Aha! product demo
Hiya, GREAT Vids!! I REALLY wanted more info on making wiring connections & you did a fabulous job of showing me. Quick fix needed on your video link. The one that shows is how to replace a towel bar.
It's always good learning new stuff
These are super useful for situations as you describe where a typical box would be installed and *is* accessible (as per code). I had a situation where a ceiling can light was to be removed, but it was the first one on the string of can lights I had in my kitchen and I could not run a new feed wire from the switch. A normal box like this one shown would not work since I'm covering the hole and it is not accessible above the ceiling, so I used another splice method that can be placed in an inaccessible location... an UL listed splice connector from NSI (model NMS-2). They are expensive for a piece of plastic at ~$20 each.
What a brilliant invention
It's very important to emphasize that the outside (in this case, white) insulation for the cable must be captured by the tabs you pushed down. It is not good enough to capture the individual conductors. You must "pinch" the outside of the romex cable to provide proper strain relief and meet code.
I couldn't believe he just disabled the strain reliefs. I said to myself: I bet he removes them from regular boxes too. An yep, if you slow down at 1:56 you can see he completely removed the strain relief from that box as well. Solve one problem and create another.🤦
Those little tab doors on this thing don't do anything to secure the cable. The romex needs to be secured to the stud within 8 inches of each side of the box.
@@kamX-rz4uy Then you're either doing it wrong or using really crappy boxes. Mine don't pull out without extreme prejudice. Stop installing junk.
I removed the strain relief at 1:56? You do realize that is a “New Work” box and they just have punch outs no internal clamps. You just referred to a punch out as strain relief. There is no strain relief in most of the plastic boxes in your home. They are stapled to the trusses/studs. So no need to be in disbelief 😂
Go to the company's site and see for yourself. You just push down the doors and the cable lays on top of it. It's not designed to hold the Romex in place.
Thanks for showing this!
Great video, thank you. I wish I had these a few weeks ago
I have a few open splices I need to get back to.... That's a really cool solution! I was thinking you could also cut slots like that in a regular box.
Great video! I need to pick up a few of those boxes. I really learn a lot from your videos, thank you!
Yeah, too many are learning not to check what could possibly be a bad connection waiting to become a problem, not a good idea!
Wow, I both gave you a thumbs up and subscribed as I so appreciate you sharing this and have shared it with builders I have worked with
That is very slick, a very clever device
Thanks for the review!😎
That is fantastic! So simple.
I feel like this is how junction boxes should all be designed regardless of open splices or new work. I like the idea of not feeding cable (esp 12 gauge) through the usual holes and pulling them through the box.
Friggen awesome, love it. Qualifies as a true K.I.S.S. solution.
Such a no-brainer...why did it take so long to create this? Thanks for the video.
Good information! Thank you for sharing.
Watched a few of your videos and you give some good info.
Now here is a challenge for you: Many houses built in the 1970's have aluminum wire used in them, not the new copper coated wire of today but actual solid aluminum. The problem occurs when a DIYer needs to replace a light fixture, switch or outlet. Switches and outlets need to be designed and rated for use with aluminum wire and those can still be found at most big box stores. But light fixtures come with copper wire preinstalled and connecting aluminum wires and copper wires take special connectors. How about a video on this for those who own houses with old style aluminum wire.
Because dealing with solid strand aluminum wiring in a mid-60's to mid-70's home is not a DIY situation in any circumstance. All wiring work must be performed by a qualified licensed electrician using special connectors and a special crimping device that basically creates a cold-weld connection. If your home has not been professionally evaluated and retrofit, you should have that done. It's so important that many insurance companies will not insure homes that have not been corrected once they become aware.
I realize this is an old post, but this is important info.
Perfect solution to the one open splice in my basement! Although it shows as currently unavailable through Amazon
An excellent product. And about time!
Nice, easy!! Great information thanks!!
This thing would also be super nice to be able to tap onto a circuit mid run without having to get to an existing outlet box. I've added an outlet or light in the attic and such before where I probably would have had enough loose wire for this thing but not a normal box. Usually I end up with 2 boxes one for the tap and one with just a splice to lengthen the wire.
Thanks brother you helped me forsure
thanks for the video.your a big help
Wow look how lucky you were to have the regulation 6” of wire left after adding the box!
I will be grabbing a few of those Open Splice devices.
I have spent countless hours in attics enclosing open splices. Most would require having to use 2 boxes and extra wire so there are no exposed wires, the outer jacket must be inside the box. This would have saved a crap load of time. Because attics are so much fun in the deep south during the summer months.
Open splices is an extremely dangerous common practice for some people. They just want to get in and out of the attic as fast as they can, taking the quick and dirty approach and doing shoddy work.
Most homeowners will never venture into their attic. And you are 100% correct about homeowners not knowing about open splices in their attic. The only time they would get found is via inspection or adding a circuit or troubleshooting a problem, that is when they get discovered. When found I would always emphasize how important it is to have all open splices enclosed without trying to scare the bejesus out of them. They would always give me the go ahead to do the extra work and get them enclosed when found.
Great info, well done!
They should make an upside down version of this so that the lid can just slide under the wires in a situation where there is not enough play in the wires.
I thought that was the whole idea when I saw this...
same
Just use it that way (upside down) I thought the same thing too when the video started!
Best the wires are properly extended.
That is a well designed, and useful new product!
Question: My house was built in 1970, here in Honolulu, and it has aluminum wiring throughout. I want to splice an extra wire off of an existing outlet. Can I splice copper ROMEX type wiring directly onto aluminum wiring? If so, how do I do this safely?
Mahalo(thank you)!
in old enough houses this was common as the code requiring splices to be done in boxes is only since the mid or late eighties, in attics.. under house and basement was late 70's.. But the new Wago Boxes etc are much smaller and safer than the old steel boxes.. where many people feel like they do not need the sheathing clamps to hold the wire but simply place into the metal holes..
In your case, a simple handybox with the hold downs internally and a blank cover would work fine- that box you show works, and the new wago box with three straightline wagos works.. Just mount the box and make sure it is sealed afterwards.. we are spoiled for ways to fix that now..
actually not true. Code has required splices to be in a box since K&T went away. (almost 100 years now) What you are explaining is LACK OF CODE ENFORCEMENT from inspectors in certain areas. That doesn't make it right!
Great Video. Thank you for sharing
This is a pretty handy product. I would use it. I know that you are trying to save attic exposure time, but since you are already there wouldn’t you recommend a quick inspection of the splicing itself? I would think that if there was any undetected resistance or corrosion inside a splice, moving it around could make it worse, or more dangerous.
Thanks sir very great job 🥰👍.
Thanks again for the very informative content, now ill have to go check my attic 😅
Love the safety 👌
Thought I found similar under different brand on Home Depot but they are out of stock! You make a great salesman!
If only someone would pay me for it then 😂
So, that looks like a good idea. However, if the previous person was foolish enough to leave an open splice in the first place, would you trust that they adequately created the connections? When I see something done wrong I will always open it up and redo properly every time because I want to be certain it is safe and reliable.
If a person thinks he knows but actually doesn't he shouldn't be working with electrical bottom line .may God continue to bless all electricians in safety and there lives anyone's life can be cut short in the twinkling of a eye so take some time to do things the way they should.
You got that right, ALWAYS check others connections no matter what!!
Thanks for the info.
Great information, thanks for sharing them.
Our local radio station, KFI has a show on the weekend called the "House Whisperer" Dean Sharp is the person who runs this show and he also runs his own home rebuilding business. A question came up about splicing wire and weather or not it could be done legally. the caller wanted to extend his wire about 6' to complete his project and did not want to re-run this wire because he was moving a fan more towards the center of the room. Dean mentioned about open splices and said it was against code. He said as long as you enclose the splice in a box you can have as many splices as you need in the wire to complete the project. This box is ingenious. He never mentioned this box probably because of the question posed to him, This box is very cool.
Thank you for the video. It's good information.
🎉 I'm a big Rak A Tiers fan with great interest in new products
Cool!
Nice, good to know about this box.
i personally would give the wire nuts another half turn to make sure they are on good, tug on each wire to see if it will fall out of the wing nut,, and THEN put it into this box.
AND if there are no wire staples nearby, bang in a new wire staple close to the box to insure the wires can not move out of the box and cause a disconnect
That is incredible!!!
My first house was loaded with those splices. To make it worse, the person used lamp cord instead of romex and taped the splices with friction tape. It didn’t take long for the friction tape to dry out and fall off. I ended up rewiring the whole house.
Oh wow. That sounds like a mess. Glad you ended up getting it up to date though! Thanks for the feedback!
But did you pay your greedy state for permits?
@@TheTubejunky They wanted me to get a permit to change 1 DAMN DOOR IN MY HOUSE, WTF ? TOLD THEM TO POUND SAND & I CHANGED THE FREAKIN DOOR.
I did get a permit for the 6 Foot Chain Link Fence I installed myself though. 52 HOLES DUG & POURED BY HAND, WHAT A JOB THAT WAS.
Somebody also had lamp cored used to power the upstairs rooms. Good thing my older Son is an Electrician, LOL.
I'm in the exact same situation with my current fixer upper. I have only on room to remodel. Rest of the house is done including all new electrical. I also did not pay for permission to work on my own property. If they want to inspect it, they can do it on their own dime. Inspectors are a joke.
@@TheTubejunkyalthough most states don't require permits to work on your primary residence, when doing an electrical project that large it's still a good idea so that you can have an inspector make sure that your work is up to code.
Important information.
Simple and effective.
Shockingly good vedio keep them coming.
Hey ya initially can’t forget to tell the people watching to first make sure the circuit is off/de-energized. Keep in mind there may be people out there that are totally clueless when it comes to working on electrical issues in their own homes. Keep that “thumbs up” up right? Your videos are great!
People that dumb are probably not working on wiring 😳
But that's no fun! I like a little spice in my day.
But seriously though, yeah, sometimes when somebody has wired two separate circuits into a box, you have potential for 220/240. That can be kind of hard on your heart.
One note you must also ensure the wires are stapled within 12” of the splice box.
Taping them wasn’t bad work back in the day; way back when in the days of knob and tube all connections was simply twisted and taped. That was how things were done.
any splices in the knob and tube wiring in the house I owned were also soldered. Never had an issue with any of it.
It was never OK to tape without solder or metal clamp of some type to insure an electrical connection.
If it helps The Boxes themselves specify "within 8 inches" on the label inside.
definitely something the electrical industry has been needing for quite a while. not gonna lie, I've fabricated a few in a pinch.
As always, super great !
Very informative.
That's stellar!
I'd just take a blue nail on box, slit two slots just wide enough for the romex to slid down in and use a heat gun to mould the ABS. Nail or screw the work box to the stud/rafter and cover with a blank cover.
nice looks like great time saver
Thank you for the video
Nice quick fix...
love your content!!
That is really awesome
Great info, it is safer but it also looks clean and good!
Unless the product has a UL or ETL listing symbol it is NOT legal to use. If listed then a great device.
@davidcurrie5260 it is "designed to meet U.S. (U.L. 514C)." Which is the UL Standard for Safety Nonmetallic Outlet Boxes, Flush-Device Boxes, and Covers. It is MET listed. MET is another recognized safety lab like UL is. It can still be used and is legal to use.
@@HowToHomeDIY I can not speak for the U.S. authorities but in Canada "designed to meet" will not be accepted. Devices used for electrical work must have a legitimate marking such as a "ULc", "ETLc" or a CSA to be acceptable. (Even a UL mark without the small "c" is not acceptable. I am not criticizing the device as it appears to be a decent product, but if something bad or ugly happens any non approved or listed device will be open to suspicion.
@@davidcurrie5260 Yeah I totally understand. It is MET listed and I went out to look at the box and on the inside of it where it says MET listed there is a US on one side and C on the other. It is my understand that MET is just another approved and recognized lab by both the US and Canadian governments.
@@HowToHomeDIY I have been involved with Standards Development in Canada for 25 years _Fire Alarm Monitoring and Intrusion Alarm Systems) and I have never heard of MET. But clearly based on your observation the MET symbol with a "US" and A "C" makes it 100 % legal to use in Canada. Good communicating with you and thanks for the replies.
Very good, thank you!
*But first de-energize the circuit before, you pull it apart.
I realize in this example it was just a mock up but, important that we don’t forget.
Thanks for sharing!
What do you think of lever wire connectors as an alternative to wire nuts?
Great Video. Thanks for no 30 to 45 super graphic intro. 😁
Haha you are very welcome. Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Bob!
Thanks
Excellent