Swapped from push connectors to wire nuts on a commercial job and never going back

I was working on a lighting retrofit at a warehouse in Columbus last month and kept having push connectors fail on me. Swapped to wire nuts mid-job and everything held solid the first time. Maybe it's just me, but I trust the twist and tape method way more after that night. Anyone else find push connectors unreliable on bigger gauge stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_blair2mo ago

Those push connectors always let me down on anything over 12 gauge, man.

amy85823d ago

Has anyone else had those push connectors just straight up fail on 14 gauge too? I mean @the_blair, you're not wrong they're trash on anything thicker but honestly even on smaller wire I've seen them act up. Tbh I think the problem is those spring clips inside just don't have enough bite after you wiggle things around a bit. Ngl I've pulled out fixtures where the wire was barely hanging in there, just waiting to arc out and cause a fire. Wire nuts and a wrap of tape is still the way to go for anything that's gonna see any kind of movement or vibration.

west.alice2mo ago

Man I feel you on that warehouse job. Had almost the exact same thing happen on a service call at a grocery store near Toledo. The 12 gauge solid wires just wouldn't bite in those push connectors, kept pulling loose when I wiggled the fixture. Switched to wire nuts and a good twist, bam, no issues the rest of the night. Makes you wonder why they push those things so hard on bigger wire.