I'm installing a junction box with 1 wire coming in and 4 going out. I'm trying to twist and cap 5 wires. Is there a trick to twisting this many wires. Some of the wires seem to loop on the bottom of the twist. As I'm sending this I'm wondering if I just need to strip the wire more. I've attached a picture. See how the white wire looks funny where it meets the red cap:huh:
Junction Box
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To connect 5 wires strip them longer. Maybe 2 1/2" -3" Line them all up straight with the insulation in the same spot. Now with your klien pliers grab tightly and twist and cut to 1 1/4" length. You could also use a gray wire nut also. If this is not working for you, connect two with a new pigtail and the other two to the other end of this pigtail.
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I don't see a ground screw in there:brows:
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Need crimps or a wire nut on them grounds too:yes:
I just assumed he is going to since hes talking about wire nuts.
Thanks guys. The box will be in the attic. It's just hanging down for the picture. Am I missing something with a ground screw. I have 3 boxes for this remodel and all the grounds are wired together with a wire nut but no ground screw. Do I need one and how do I do it?
Is it too full????
Two of the wires are for 2 GFCI plugs I was going to run one into the other but I was told it not to do it that way so I ran one wire per GFCI from this junction box. If there is a way to combine the GFCI plugs I could remove one wire making it less full and easier to wire nut??????
Two of the wires are for 2 GFCI plugs I was going to run one into the other but I was told it not to do it that way so I ran one wire per GFCI from this junction box. If there is a way to combine the GFCI plugs I could remove one wire making it less full and easier to wire nut??????
I hate this kind of crap. I fix this kind of crap all the time.
Homeowners have no business doing things like this. Too many wires, crappily made up in a too small jbox buried in the attic. You know just enough to be dangerous. Your installation will not last a lifetime. Some poor schmuck will get stuck buying it or fixing it.
Either way, because the clowns are usually long gone by the time I am on the scene repairing their crap work, I am telling you that you are an idiot.:jester:
It's not rocket science. I am sure you can get from point A to B, but your work methods are crap. I don't expect you to know how to do it right. This is obviously not your line of work.
I do expect you to know your limitations and hire somebody who can do it right.
If you insist on doing it yourself, take it alla part and use a plastic box, the bigger the better and run all cables in the top to make the wiring more neat. Also, ask yourself, can I eliminate attic Jboxes by making splices in switch/recep boxes?
Homeowners have no business doing things like this. Too many wires, crappily made up in a too small jbox buried in the attic. You know just enough to be dangerous. Your installation will not last a lifetime. Some poor schmuck will get stuck buying it or fixing it.
Either way, because the clowns are usually long gone by the time I am on the scene repairing their crap work, I am telling you that you are an idiot.:jester:
It's not rocket science. I am sure you can get from point A to B, but your work methods are crap. I don't expect you to know how to do it right. This is obviously not your line of work.
I do expect you to know your limitations and hire somebody who can do it right.
If you insist on doing it yourself, take it alla part and use a plastic box, the bigger the better and run all cables in the top to make the wiring more neat. Also, ask yourself, can I eliminate attic Jboxes by making splices in switch/recep boxes?
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128 Posts
haha, i feel the same way, you the ho, should not be doing this,...just looking at your taps makes me cringe....i kinda wish that electrical was like a/c work....they need to stop selling romex to the public!(i know this will never happen), but i can wish
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2,487 Posts
I'm not going to rag on the OP, except to say that yes, you need to do a better job.
On a related note, I work in a place where everyone thinks they can do electrical work. And they all do it poorly. Friday, I got a call from a repeat customer. He asked me to come out to his place and talk about his new work building. When I pulled up there was a concrete crew and the plumbers were just finishing up the slab piping. Customer asks me if I can come by and "Certify the wiring" after he gets done with it. I asked him if he was doing the plumbing: "No". How about the concrete: "No". I asked him why. "Because I don't know how to do concrete or plumbing". But you know how to bend pipe and wire this place: "Yep".
So, you can't pour gray mud into a form and you can't figure out how to get the sh*t to flow out of the building, but you have a firm understanding of an invisible, mysterious force of nature that can kill you with a touch: "I reckon so". I got pissed and walked away. It's been a bad month and that just topped it off.
On a related note, I work in a place where everyone thinks they can do electrical work. And they all do it poorly. Friday, I got a call from a repeat customer. He asked me to come out to his place and talk about his new work building. When I pulled up there was a concrete crew and the plumbers were just finishing up the slab piping. Customer asks me if I can come by and "Certify the wiring" after he gets done with it. I asked him if he was doing the plumbing: "No". How about the concrete: "No". I asked him why. "Because I don't know how to do concrete or plumbing". But you know how to bend pipe and wire this place: "Yep".
So, you can't pour gray mud into a form and you can't figure out how to get the sh*t to flow out of the building, but you have a firm understanding of an invisible, mysterious force of nature that can kill you with a touch: "I reckon so". I got pissed and walked away. It's been a bad month and that just topped it off.
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THIS is what I hate! When DIYers get stupid advice from folks who have NO business giving advice!
Let me guess. The guy from Homer Depot?
A packed j-box with one wire to each device box. WHY?????
Sorry, the others have you covered with what to fix.
Hey 220 if you don't like DIYers why are you at this site. If you must be on this site try saying, "I'm concerned you might be in over your head. I'd suggest for safety reasons you hire a professional." Attacking my crappy work does nothing to help the situation. Besides doesn't my crappy work allow you to fix it for twice as much as it would've cost if you did the work in the first place. Plus if you don't like fixing stuff like this you can charge $200 an hour rather than the $100 an hour you charge now.
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128 Posts
dont be offended you awesome diyer!!!!...you are a diyer, you are great...do your crap work, waste time and money and when you f up...you can call your electrician...go to work :thumbup:
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17,249 Posts
#1 Take a decent pic so people can see
#2 Red caps are rated for 2-5 #12's but I'd never twist 5 together. If they don't fit right, & by the pic they really don't - go buy the larger size. A properly twisted set of wires cut the right length does not require tape. I also strip the insulation off longer, twist, then cut the bare wires shorter
#3 You really should work on twisting things up neatly. The grounds look a mess
#4 Yup, the grounds need to be bonded to the metal box
#5 Not sure on the fill calc for a 4x4 box, I use plastic which are bigger. My only metal boxes are REALLY big, I could probably fit 10 romex cables in them. Plastic boxes are stamped with fill for current carrying conductors
Ground = 2.25 cu ft
Hots = 7 cables = 14 hots * 2.25 cu = 31.5
Total 33.25 cu needed ?
http://ecmweb.com/nec/electric_box_fill_calculations/index.html
GFCI - seperate runs. If you want each outlet to kick off independant then you were told correctly. Almost all of my GFCI protected outlets are independant runs. If you run to the 1st GFCI, you can then connect the next reg outlet off the LOAD side of the GFCI. It will then be protected by the GFCI outlet & if there is a problem BOTH outlets stop working
Are these feeding bathrooms?
If I'm running multiple runs I also leave my wire hanging "looking a mess" until I'm ready to finalize & secure them in place
One reason people get upset is that a poorly wired/twisted connection is a fire hazard. But you are here asking for assistance....
Its best to investigate how to correctky run the wire 1st
Then run the wire :yes:
I bought the NEC 2005 code book a few years ago just to learn more. Some of the best $$ I ever spent
#2 Red caps are rated for 2-5 #12's but I'd never twist 5 together. If they don't fit right, & by the pic they really don't - go buy the larger size. A properly twisted set of wires cut the right length does not require tape. I also strip the insulation off longer, twist, then cut the bare wires shorter
#3 You really should work on twisting things up neatly. The grounds look a mess
#4 Yup, the grounds need to be bonded to the metal box
#5 Not sure on the fill calc for a 4x4 box, I use plastic which are bigger. My only metal boxes are REALLY big, I could probably fit 10 romex cables in them. Plastic boxes are stamped with fill for current carrying conductors
Ground = 2.25 cu ft
Hots = 7 cables = 14 hots * 2.25 cu = 31.5
Total 33.25 cu needed ?
http://ecmweb.com/nec/electric_box_fill_calculations/index.html
GFCI - seperate runs. If you want each outlet to kick off independant then you were told correctly. Almost all of my GFCI protected outlets are independant runs. If you run to the 1st GFCI, you can then connect the next reg outlet off the LOAD side of the GFCI. It will then be protected by the GFCI outlet & if there is a problem BOTH outlets stop working
Are these feeding bathrooms?
If I'm running multiple runs I also leave my wire hanging "looking a mess" until I'm ready to finalize & secure them in place
One reason people get upset is that a poorly wired/twisted connection is a fire hazard. But you are here asking for assistance....
Its best to investigate how to correctky run the wire 1st
Then run the wire :yes:
I bought the NEC 2005 code book a few years ago just to learn more. Some of the best $$ I ever spent
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1,013 Posts
Much better response by Scuba Dave! That is what was really needed here, some guidance and information for the op to do the job himself. I really don't think this Op is in over his head like others have suggested here, with a little help here he can have a code compliant install and safe install. I know I can get 5 #12's in a red wire nut, but I have also been doing electrical work since I was 14. Personally I'd suggest getting a couple bigger wire nuts and you should be OK. I also suggest that you change that box out for a plastic or fiberglass box, no grounding of the box required and since your not connecting anything to conduit there is no need for it to be metal.
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