Dealing With Electrical Wires That Are Too Short

[danielholtxxl]

Wow. You should get an award for the most concise, informative, no fluff video on YouTube. Great job!

[dennyfarrell]

IT IS SO NICE TO SEE SOMEONE GIVING INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT TRYING TO MAKE A VOICE DEMO OR ON-CAMERA APPEARANCE DEMO. STRAIGHT TO THE POINT 5 STAR

[TheMonkIsMad]

Thank you for this "right-to-the-point", straightforward, no nonsense video. It would be nice if more folks had instructional videos like these; absent all the fluff.

[beefandpotatoes]

No nonsense straight forward explanation. Exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[CrimeDoesNotPay]

No spinning logo intro with metallica playing and explosions. Just right to the point. Thank you!!

[DanBlackRacing]

This cannot be done due to code restrictions in some places. We're not allowed to do this in New York State areas. The problem is that the wire can still somewhat be loose and cause arcing. There are lots of these easy connect terminals out there on the internet and in electrical stores but they're not really suggested because they are prone to failure and they can cause arcing if there's an electrical spike. Sparking leads to fires. A general or thumb is not to use anything that requires a springer mechanical tension for continuity. Also if you can spin the wire it is not fully contacted. A wirena is great because when you spend the wire nut it should spin the whole connection which is much more stable.

[davidbrewer]

Actually, IF the socket or switch was installed properly to current & recent (in the last 20 years) building code, there should be a service loop hidden in the wall for this eventuality. This is a loop of slack cable between the cable entry of the box & the staple located less than 12 inches from that box. The idea is that it should be possible to pull some of this extra into the box after releasing the clamp & the ground from the box screw... This should be your first choice of action in this situation because every wire connection is a potential vulnerability but don't get carried away...try to leave a few inches still available in the loop if you can for the future.

[jbratt]

This beats tearing out the Sheetrock and running new Romex by a long shot 👍

[JohnDangolli]

thanks for not having a ten minute video on this 👍 loved it.

[jessedoyle]

who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. love it.

[DeanCharles]

Having been an electrician for over 30 years; the ONLY connectors I use are wire nuts. I've seen these connectors loose contact, both in this configuration as well as receptacles that also use the push in connection. A person might be able to get away with this in very low use situations, like a living room or bedroom ; but in an area of heavy use such as a kitchen, I consider them a fire hazard. When I moved into my house, I went through every receptacle and switch to make sure all the connections were done with the wire wrapped around the screws and that the screws were tight. However, your opinion may differ and that's your choice; choose wisely!

[TheSparrowLooksUp]

I was worried that doing this was dangerous in some way. Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

[jagboy]

And don't forget to kick the guy in the balls that screwed you with 2inch wires. :-)

[kriticosART]

Fast and to the point! Wonderful video.

[spelunkerd]

Before hand wringing too much about short wires, check to be sure there is no service loop. Most professionals routinely put a short service loop of romex for every wire entering the box. To access that, temporarily loosen the screw holding the wire in place, and carefully pull. You may get all the length you need. Just be careful not to cut the insulation when you strip off the outer cover.

[edpowell]

Hey, Thanks for showing that video. I used regular wire nuts but was a pain. I'll buy some of those jumpers, thanks again.

[petersaunders]

For UK circuits. The earth wire should be sleeved with green & yellow sleeving to identify it as the earth.

[samuelt]

I've used these push-on wire connectors and they work great. Much easier than wire nuts. (The ones I use say "made in Germany" on the package - go figure).
NOTE: be sure of what you are doing as these connectors are pretty much permanent once installed. You cannot just pull them off, and they are damn near impossible to destroy (if you need to remove them).
I asked an electrician I know about the wiring method shown, and she said as far as she knows it's okay. And since she's a woman she must be right.

[mnmn]

Excellent suggestion and thank you for saving me a big headache.

[jefflundy]

Thank you for your help. My ground wire on a outside light fixture broke leaving me about 3 inches work with. Your video gave me a quick solution. Subscribed.