Wago Connectors Under Load

[SeanB]

Wago Connectors Under Load.

What happens with these quick connection units under load.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsJffbx_l7E

Tested with 20A plus, and a look with an E4 to see where the hot spots are.

A quick tip for the next time, use industrial screw terminal DIN rail blocks to connect the cable, and use thicker wire to the power supply and load. something like

http://www.rapidonline.com/cables-connectors/phoenix-contact-3044076-din-rail-terminal-block-screw-5-2mm-32a-grey-51-4094

or similar. as they will handle 32A constantly, or you can get similar ones with a higher rating. Screw terminal cage which ensures good contact with stranded cable and single core cable as well, and very low resistance as well as having a built in test point and tie point to common them. Plus DIN rail looks nice as a backdrop.

[classical]

Thanks a lot for this great and impressive video.
Due to a fault of one of these twisting nuts and some issues with the "choclate blocks" I converted many connections to Wago 2273 series. This series maybe designed for the German market with 230V, mostly 16A rated  and 1,5mm^2 (between AWG 16 and 15) wiring. This series may in a certain way correspond to the 773 "wall nuts" and also uses the "push wire" connection.

But the 773 is recommended for solid and stranded wires, while the 2273 is released for solid wires only.

The 222 are extremely useful. Not only for installation purpose but also on my bench for quick connections.

Meanwhile I am switching more to the 221 series which are smaller than the bulky 222.

All better than the chocolate blocks. These can be misused in many ways, e.g. to many wires squeezed in, too much torque or too less. Or used with tinned stranded wires which is banned in Germany.

[SeanB]

US uses a plastic wire nut with a metal thread insert, but here in South Africa those are not allowed, we use a ceramic nut with moulded thread, which is very common. Pretty good, though I have seen many that came loose after decades of thermal cycling, but then again the socket outlets also have that issue.

Crimped metal ferrules though with an insulating sleeve are still the best, though they are non repairable and limited in cable handling. Very rarely have had one fail in use, though I tend to test them before use after crimping to see if I got the crimp tight enough, so catch most of the poor ones. Very good with cable over 4mm in joining them, and often available as part of a cable joint kit.

[classical]

Pretty good, though I have seen many that came loose after decades of thermal cycling

Exactly this was the case. It was in a small distribution box and I heared a zzzzz zzzz zzzz out of this box. Might be that the US-nuts may work better. Anyway using this stuff some misuse is also possible as e.g. using too many wires for this particular type of nuts.
This is much better using the Wagos. It gives much less chance for abuse.
In fact, the wire nuts seem to be completely vanished from the german market. I do not know if they are still allowed or banned.

[SeanB]

Had the cooked ones as well, but the ceramic ones at least do not melt like the US ones.

[grouchy-hermit]

WAGO connectors under extreme load.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg6VPucscxI

[SeanB]

That is rather crispy testing there.

[grouchy-hermit]

Yeah, it boosted my confidence in those connectors and I won't be hesitant to use them.

[SeanB]

Could have used some yesterday, but the plain connector blocks did the job well enough, and fitted in the space available.  Ceiling fan upgrade worked well, even though I had to pull out the existing PCB laden copper wire and draw new cables into the conduit to get the extra wire, and put in a separate earth conductor rather than relying on the steel conduit alone.  I do that now as standard whenever upgrading the conduit wire, bonding to the box at both ends just in case the steel conduit fails, and to give a defined PE conductor as newer plastic outlets do not have continuity from the PE connection to the mounting screws on all brands and series.