Electrical Fire Prevention 101: Wiring Your Outlets the Right Way

If you are like the 62% of my audience who feel comfortable doing DIY electrical but don't feel they are a pro this video will be a great foundation or refresher. We will focus on a standard residential-grade outlet and the 4 most common wiring mistakes DIY homeowners make when wiring an outlet. Some of these mistakes you will even find in newly built "professionally" built homes.

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[capn]

Wow. You're much calmer and more effective than my dad was trying to explain this to me 40 years ago.

[RobertSiwik]

I really don't know why I watch these videos. I have been a journeyman union electrician for 25 yrs. Residential, commercial and industrial. I do like seeing how other people do things. These are really good tips for the average homeowner though. I have no idea why the manufacturers still put the quick wire stabs on the back of devices. They cause nothing but problems! There are so many different ways to skin a cat. I really do like using the ECX drivers. I just started using them recently. I hate the Robertson tip on the multi screwdrivers like me Klein 10-1, the bit always sticks in the screw and pulls out when you goto remove it. There have been times in when I was working in a panel and the tip has almost fallen across the bus. I have since learned to either tape the tip in my driver or get a dedicated Robertson driver.

[berthongo]

I just remember Jed Clampett. Black gold, Texas tea. So black on gold and white on silver.

[banksiasong]

This is so important, esp. as we seek to save money by doing simple jobs if we can. Many thanks.

[orzot]

I've been wiring for 25 years and I learned a few things. Thank you for the excellent video.

[ReclusiveMountainMan]

Always great to get back to basics. I also use a few layers of electrical around GFCI outlets.

[WindOfTheWisp_Janine]

Thanks...excellent video as always! I would just add that it is recommended to torque the screws using a torque screw driver. Studies have shown that even experienced electricians often are not able to torque the connections properly by feel. Also, many comments here mention wrapping with electrical tape. From what I understand, this is not advised, as tape can trap heat & moisture, interfere with air flow, and tape adhesive may release gases, trap dust, bugs, etc., & leaves a sticky mess for the next person working in the box.

[WhatzTyme]

The best teacher! Straight, good information! Well done!

[hassanbazzi]

Valuable information. I know you mentioned before that you rapes an electric tape around the screws so they would not touch the box if it was metal. Thank you for sharing

[stargazer]

Two things: 1. What's your theory behind "speed wiring" being bad (because there's a spring loaded clamp holding the wire) but WAGO spring loaded connectors being good? Don't get me wrong- I agree with you, but it seems to me they are very similar in design: A push in connector that clamps the wire vs a spring loaded connector that clamps the wire....
#2. I'm not feelin the ECX bit. I tried it and it slips too. It must not be machined to a very close tolerance. So what I've been using is just a flat blade that's big enough (but not too big) to fit all the way across the screw head, and fat enough to fill the slot. The leverage that the wide blade gets on the screw head is far more than the square drive or phillips.

[harbourdogNL]

Going to check every outlet in my house...BRB!

[rafabonati]

I don’t normally do electrical work in my home, but this was a good instruction video that should help people. I think I would remember these points.

[RB-yzpk]

Great points & descriptions. Nice job. Several takeaways for me - thank you.

[simply_the_dev]

Could you do a video of a 14/3 wire setup with red and black wires connecting to a receptacle? I still haven't found a video yet to show how to connect two sets of 14/3 wires to a receptacle. The receptacle in my apartments has two sets of 14/3 wires connecting to a receptacle that must be ancient because no one sells it. It has two speed wire holes on each corner. I've just learned that 14 gauge going into speed wire holes so it's a 14/3 wire. The receptacle doesn't work and apartments aren't in a rush to fix it.

[BigPowerAL]

My dad used to demand we wrap the plug with electrical tape over the screws regardless if the box was plastic or metal.

[salernolake]

An electrician I know used to complete the job by wrapping a length of electrical tape around the receptacle, to cover the terminal screws.

[demontekdigital]

It often surprises me that people would take shortcuts when dealing with electricity. Out of all of the systems we have in our homes, the electrical is by far the most dangerous, with maybe gas being the exception. I think it's because we've used it for so long that we tend to treat it with complacency. I have a house that was built in 1980, and we intend to update all the systems to modern materials, and techniques. We have at least 3 outlets that need to be replaced because GFCI wasn't available when the house was built.

[Verminator]

With you being the world's #1 Wago Fan Boi, I'm surprised you didn't somehow incorporate a couple of Wago's in there!! You're slipping! Do better!! 😊

[samjones]

You failed to mention how important it is to not attach a black to one screw and a red to the other if the jumper has not been removed. Course it is a great way to have your own fireworks show.

[timchilcoat]

I avoid wago connector unless absolutely necessary like if the wires a just to short to twist. I’m not sure why you’d recommend them since they work exactly the same a the “speed wire” connector on the outlet which you described as a failure point. I don’t like them because 1) they don’t have a wire release so when you pull a wire out that connection hole is damaged and should not be reused. 2) if you need to connect three or four wires together the wago actually takes up way more space than a wire nut and in a two gang (or more) switch box there are at least three groups of three so wagos are more bukly. 3) if my customer decides to add a device like a ceiling fan or an additional light or something the wagos can’t be reused and in case you haven’t noticed they’re pretty crazy expensive compared to wire nuts. 4) wires properly twisted have a zero percent chance of failure whereas wagos (being a manufactured product made by the millions) have a percentage of manufacturing defects and even a wago without defects is not nearly as reliable. Furthermore it’s nearly impossible to spot a bad connection in a wago with the naked eye. Troubleshooting a house full of wagos would be a nightmare and let’s face it most homeowners end up calling an electrician at some point after the DIY project because something’s always not quite right afterwards. But what do I know I’m just a knuckle dragging electrician who takes calls from homeowners every day. Haha. I’ll be hearing from you.