A few months ago I picked up some of those "new" poke in connectors that are supposed to be as good as wirenuts.
I finally had an application where I needed it when I installed two J boxes in my attic.
There's no question they are EASY to use. They are UL approved, etc.
If any of you hear something bad about them let me know.
Those type of connectors have been around for at least 10 years. Installed properly they do the job.
I picked up some samples of these at a show a few years ago, and the salesman said the resistance would be higher than wire nuts, but still very low. Here is a test I ran to satisfy my own curiosity. I wired 4 wire nuts and 4 "In-Sure" connectors in series, using #12 AWG solid wire. I applied a current, measured the voltage drop across each connection, adjusted for any wire length included in the measurement, and calculated the resistance of the connection itself. The wire nuts averaged 0.0125 milliOhms, the In-sure connectors averaged 0.915 milliOhms. These were brand new connections, and all devices were rated for the wire size used.
I have a concern about what happens over time, if the connections are moved, or if wires are removed and replaced. The wires rotate very freely in the In-sure connectors, giving the impression of a poor contact pressure, although you can not pull them out. WIth wire nuts, there is no question about the connection being secure. I still have the test setup, and I might try a few more things if I get some free time.
Ben Miller
Yep! That "rotation" gives the impression that it's not really a "serious" connection.
Thanks.
You tests indicate close to 0.001 ohms resistance. At 20 amps we are talking about 0.4 watts per connection. That's certainly enough to keep the j-box dry, isn't it. (Over a half watt in the box!)
BTW:: in this, the house of magical wiring, I actually had what looked like a proper wirenut connection fail open. The wires were still twisted together and the wirenut was in place and the connection functioned when we moved in but one day it just stopped working. (This house had been vacant for the better part of a year.)
>
I never noticed them and didn't know of their existance until someone here mentioned them in the context of the poke in outlets and switches. The poster said these connectors were better than the poke ins on the outlets.
I'm sure I would have noticed them had they been in the "big box" stores for
10 years.
Back in my service days I ran into a common occurrence in a development I serviced. Open neutrals on the circuit they used for years to plug in there vacuum cleaner. Seems that the neutral always backed out of poke in connection on the back of the outlet.
Oh yeah.
The "poke ins" in the outlets and switches definitely have a bad reputation. But someone on this group assured us all that the poke in connectors are sound. I think I might have used a poke in on a switch ONCE. Maybe its because of guilt feelings but it just seems TOO easy to work well. I will keep an eye on the connections. Unless something bad happens before I will open the covers in a year and see if the insulation shows any signs of heat damage.
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.