If wire nuts were as good as crimps, they'd be used in cars, boats and the
space station.

"Joey" wrote in message
...
Wing nuts are just as good as the crimp method, the secret is getting the
insulation off the wires. A wire stripper that pulls the insulation off
in one clip without nicking the wire is the best. If the bare wire is
nicked then crimping or wing nutting might very well break the wire. The
absolute best method is not used very often and that would be to remove
the insulation without nicking the wire and then soldering the connection
and then insulating it. I must admit I 've never seen one of these break
apart !

J


Doug Kanter wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Thanks again all. I did go out and buy a two-part circuit tracker and
am now in the process of mapping all of the circuits in the house.
Once I'm done doing that, I can turn off the ones that I think might be
going to the affected room, and pull down the overhead light. I'm
really thinking that I'm going to find the problem there...loose wire
or something to that effect. If not, then it's definitately time for a
pro (at least I'll have the house mapped!). Since it's starting to get
late today, and back to work tomorrow, I probably won't get much more
done until next weekend (luckily the problem is in a room that isn't
being used right now!). So, I'll post what I find next weekend. I
really appreciate all the help and words of advice...it helped point me
in the right direction. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!



By the way, in case this hasn't occurred to you by now, wire nuts are one
of the worst methods ever invented for putting two wires together. If
that's where you eventually find the problem, and there's enough wire to
work with (in terms of length), consider using crimp connectors. They are
legal/within code in some municipalities, and who cares, anyway? Since
it's nearly impossible to separate a *PROPERLY DONE* crimp connection,
anyplace which prohibits it in the code is a backward town run by
knuckle-dragging neanderthals and you should ignore the code.

If it sounds interesting, pick up some crimps and a good tool at HD,
Lowes, whatever, along with some wire that matches the gauge you'll be
working with, and practice with that wire. The key is to make sure that
*all* bare wire is completely within the metal sleeve, with none showing
through the transparent plastic ends.

Crimps are NOT appropriate in places where the previous wizard has cut
wires too short. To remove crimps, you have to cut the wires, so each
time it happens, they get shorter and shorter. If you're sure that one or
two cuts will still leave enough to work with, then use crimps.