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Art Todesco Art Todesco is offline
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Default connecting smaller stranded wire to heavier solid wire?

bud-- wrote:
james wrote:
I bought a motion sensing porch light with stranded wires coming out.

When I tried to connect it to the solid wire with twist on connectors
(2 solid wires + 1 stranded), one stranded wire slipped out after a
slight tug. The stranded wires is of a smaller guage.

I thought about making the leads on the stranded wire longer and wrap
it around the two solid wires first. But the strands being so thin,
might be cut by twisiting the connector on it.


There are probably a lot of "favorite methods".

I would probably twist the solid wires and leave the small stranded wire
straight so the wire nut positively contacts it.

Or twist the small stranded around one of the solids and then either
twist the solids or not. The stranded should be clamped between the solids.

mm recommends a wire nut with a metal coil inside. I would add that with
some wire nuts the coil expands over the wires ("live spring") and IMHO
makes a more secure connection.

When I've had similar problems at the
OP, I do exactly as this reply states
and it has never failed. As others
have said used the right size wire nut
and used the "live spring" types.