# Pigtailed outlets



## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

My personal standards, which are above the NEC, cause me to pigtail all commercial work, but not pigtail residential work other than when there's a multiwire circuit or more than two cables. 

I like to pigtail commercial work for two reasons. 1) I don't have to find boxes that the sheetrockers buried right away, and 2) it makes for easier MRO down the road for someone else. Ideal makes pretty nice wire nuts with pigtails with a fork terminal on the end that work well for this.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> 1) I don't have to find boxes that the sheetrockers buried right away


:laughing: 

Oh and what's MRO?


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

Sparky Joe said:


> :laughing:
> 
> Oh and what's MRO?


Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

mickeyco said:


> Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter


Nice :clap:


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## Bkessler (Oct 8, 2005)

I have never had good luck with those ideals, it seems there very easy to over tighten and strip out. I like pigtailing, I see more than any thing else loose wires on recepticals causing loss of power problem in homes.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

I not an electrican here but Im reading the posts and I always thought ground and white or nuetral cannot be broken thats why you pig tail. That said hot or black dont matter. I like the thinking of not interrupting other devices during mantence but doing this " pigtailing" are we violating other codes of wire volume in boxes?


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

No. Pigtails do not count in wire fill. 

Also, why is it a problem to remove a receptacle for "maintenance" and break the neutral. 
You're not doing it live, are you?


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## ron schenker (Dec 11, 2005)

And don't forget to wrap wire nuts with electrical wire when pigtailing.
My 2 cents:clap:


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## faber307 (Jan 7, 2007)

No offense, but it has been my experience that when an installer "tapes" the wire nut, They lack confidance in the connection. 

I think the only thing the tape does is stop the wire nut from falling off if the splice was poor in the first place.


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## ron schenker (Dec 11, 2005)

Tab Faber said:


> No offense, but it has been my experience that when an installer "tapes" the wire nut, They lack confidance in the connection.
> 
> I think the only thing the tape does is stop the wire nut from falling off if the splice was poor in the first place.



Oh well, better safe than sorry


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

I have to agree with Tab. There is absolutely no reason to tape a wire nut. It is NO safer, and really does have the mark of DIY or "non-pro". 
Sorry.

Do a survey of real electricians and see what they say.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

ron schenker said:


> And don't forget to wrap wire nuts with electrical wire when pigtailing.
> My 2 cents:clap:


:laughing: :laughing: 

Yeah, do that. This way, the professional electrician will have that big bold marker to show him where the problem probaby is.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

I tape all my wirenuts...... How else are you going to make sure that extra inch of exposed copper that the nut didn't cover won't short out? :jester:


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## Bkessler (Oct 8, 2005)

What's wrong with working on a live circuit? I find it hard to troubleshoot with the power off. When I have ipower issues with branch circiuts I like to resplice and pigtail the entire ciruit especialy when there handyman work going on that way I can garauntee my work and that ciruit will be trouble free from that point on. Tape on wire nut drives me crazy.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Bkessler said:


> What's wrong with working on a live circuit? I find it hard to troubleshoot with the power off. When I have ipower issues with branch circiuts I like to resplice and pigtail the entire ciruit especialy when there handyman work going on that way I can garauntee my work and that ciruit will be trouble free from that point on. Tape on wire nut drives me crazy.


Working on live circuits is against OSHA :whistling 

What city in "The OC" do you live in Kessler?


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## Bkessler (Oct 8, 2005)

fullerton right at the 91 and 5. Then how do you troubleshoot! OSHA is good for workers but not right all the time.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Bkessler said:


> fullerton right at the 91 and 5. Then how do you troubleshoot! OSHA is good for workers but not right all the time.


I used to use that interchange to go to tijuana :blink: 

A bit west from me, I was between the 91 and 405 at the 605.

About working on live circuits, I was kidding, I mean who doesn't?


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## Bkessler (Oct 8, 2005)

Some of those union guys are straighter than a razor, I wasn't sure if you were joking or not. I am very safe, you should see how fast i can blink!


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Bkessler said:


> Some of those union guys are straighter than a razor, I wasn't sure if you were joking or not. I am very safe, you should see how fast i can blink!


I don't mind working panels live, nor even doing my own things live.....

But if there are other people working on the new circuit with me and I'm the one who has to tie the new circuit to the live wire.....I get a bit scared, that there may be a short somewhere and me touching these two wires together will be the weakest link which means where the "boom" will take place. So I'll close my eyes tight, turn my head, wear my gloves and hit the wires together quickly before assuming everything was done right.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 7, 2007)

Sparky Joe said:


> I don't mind working panels live, nor even doing my own things live.....
> 
> But if there are other people working on the new circuit with me and I'm the one who has to tie the new circuit to the live wire.....I get a bit scared, that there may be a short somewhere and me touching these two wires together will be the weakest link which means where the "boom" will take place. So I'll close my eyes tight, turn my head, wear my gloves and hit the wires together quickly before assuming everything was done right.


Measure the ohms first. That should tell you if you have a short or not, in most cases. Or check voltage between the new wireing and the live portion


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

JohnJ0906 said:


> Measure the ohms first. That should tell you if you have a short or not, in most cases. Or check voltage between the new wireing and the live portion


Now I have to carry a meter with me at all times too, not likely. Unless I saw a lot of odd things going on in the building like a remodel.


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## fridaymean (Feb 17, 2006)

ron schenker said:


> And don't forget to wrap wire nuts with electrical wire when pigtailing.
> My 2 cents:clap:


Iv'e seen tape used to hold wire nuts on splices on a few ocasions. Most likely homeowner or handy man jobs. :no:


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