The moment I realized most guys are wrong about wire nut sizes

I was swapping out a ceiling fan in a house built in '89 in Cincinnati last week and kept noticing the previous guy used blue wire nuts on 14 gauge wire. That got me thinking so I checked a few more boxes in my van. Turns out most of the younger guys I work with just grab whatever nut is closest and force it on. I looked up the actual torque specs and color ratings an hour later and realized half my own work was probably undersized or oversized. Has anyone else checked their own connections after reading the chart on the box?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey3932d ago

Is it really that serious if the connection is tight and holds?

ellis.susan2d ago

Let @casey393 think about what happens when that connection heats up from use, like a high draw appliance warm enough to soften insulation over time. A tight fit now can still arc or degrade inside the box if the wire's nicked or the screw's overtightened, leading to a failure later. The real issue isn't just "does it stay put" but whether you've created a hidden weak point someone will discover the hard way.