I was thinking the same thing and western unions work great.

This guy is a hack

I think the key is to solder it too to avoid arcing inside the knot. Electricity only flows on the outside surfaces.

@@toriless DC Electricity flows through the entire conductor. You are thinking of skin effect, which occurs with AC, and is really a notable phenomenon in higher frequencies. Skin effect is not a problem with sixty hertz home power wiring.

Agreed. As a ready to retire electrician and electrical instructor, I would lay awake at night worrying about that connection.

Yet, nearly 3-million people watched this video. Is this guy even an electrician?

@carson: Good for you, champ. Looking forward to your series of videos.

Exactly. 😂

do you know green wire with a yellow stripe is not the same as yellow wire with a green stripe?

@@topcatandgangWell that depends on if the green stripe on top of the yellow stripe or the yellow stripe on top of the green stripe.

@@magu2k 10-4

I was thinking about that too, but pretty sure it was to not giveaway the tool before the end.

Yeah, I noticed that too. Those types of auto strippers are fine and dandy for some things, but I've found teflon insulated wires are hard for them to grip and they often gouge the insulation bad.

I wouldn't replace a plug except maybe on an extension cord but electronics and appliances get new cords. Can't think of why I would splice a wire like that.

Uses what he telling us Not to use. 🙈

😂 right? The ironic thing is the automatic wire strippers can do more damage to a stranded wire than traditional wire strippers

This guy is dangerous - advice is not so good

I’m a DIYer and had issues too. Could you be specific on which techniques are bad and why?

Sure, the best mechanical wire connection is a properly twisted prior to capping connection with a wire nut. You never splice wires together with knots and shrink tube, if a wire is damaged or too short you replace it. As far as the use of specialty tools that's a personal choice.

@@sparky8910 Thanks! I had a problem with knotting of the wires too. Never seen that before.

wired homes for 25 years jumped in a rig in 08 when housing crashed

I typically use wagos for multi-connections in a tight fit; otherwise yea... I keep handful around in box for those occasions. On a typical 2-wire join, no good reason to use a overcomplicated min-bus-bar device with lever locks when a 2 cent wire nut works better. Resistance is higher, more failure points, more cost (I just don't get). They do look prettier i guess.

Not to mention you can buy a bag of wire nuts for the price of one of those connectors.

@@mateo77ish yeppers, comes down to the right solution for the job in most cases. I do prefer wagos for a 4-6 line join with 12gauge; instead of using blue wire nut. Don't like those massive joins. Keep in mind; I am just a amateur and lack the skills and practical application (I come from electrical engineering side).

Read the instructions, you do not need to pre twist the wires.

@@Dirty88Dizl I sure hope you don't do any actual wiring because I've done plenty and not pre-twisting usually leads to the connection coming lose, immediately or eventually.

Cringed through the whole video actually..... This is a electronics person who is trying to sound knowledgeable.

Agreed. This is awful. 80% of this video was completely wrong. Wild that people are watching this potentially thinking these are solid tips. The wire nuts part in particular made me cringe.

@@metalmike105 I cried laughing when he pulled the wagos out 🤣🤣

Wagos are much safer for a diy-er, because you don’t have to guess if there is a good connection inside the wire nut.

@@WimMalestein they are never the better option period. If you don't know how to properly use a wire nut hire a professional. That's the most basic thing you could possibly do. Any self respecting electrician would never use those silly things. And if you do I hope you have good insurance.

i was looking for this comment, thx

They are both important this day in age and there are voltages in both.

@@carlovincetti4538 yes, but there is a big difference on Signals that are largely dc low voltage and ac power voltages.

I guess that's fair

I tell new electrical engineers to think of power transmission as if they are high-voltage signals. It usually helps them make the mental connection between signal analysis and power output/consumption. Further, in this day and age with energy-saving switching circuitry found even in lightbulbs, it’s really important to account for interference as well. This is especially true on GFCI-protected circuits where microcomputers are constantly calculating FFT on power signals. Noise riding on the line can occasionally trigger a false positive for ground/arc fault causing a trip.

I'm old school, I use my linesman's as strippers and as a hammer, just don't knock the guy off the ladder.

I've tried several brands and most didn't work very good. I found the Irwin ones to work pretty well

I've had a few different pairs people gave me. I tried them a handful of times but eventually decided they weren't worth the weight in my toolbag so I gave them away. T-Stripper is my favorite wire tool.

Ironically, watching him use them two or three times convinced me to not buy a pair. My regular strippers work just fine and apparently faster.

My, ends up somewhere forgotten. Trust me, they are not elcheapo $. Due to the fact that I like the old tried and true elcheapo ones also lighter to carry and can work in tighter spots.

And it will be easier to remove the sheathing.

Came to make this comment. You beat me to it. Do it all the time.

I was going to make the same comment! Great minds think alike! LOL

Garbage. This guy doesn't know anything.

You are so right, I realized that after one or two times of doing it the other way, I am not saying I am smarter than anyone else. I just thought I could keep from poking wires in my fingers.

I agree the heat from loos connection will cause a fire

Very glad someone has pointed out, far too many issues with wiring can come down to hot joints

@@electrocresent l

Don't over think it. It's not a rope......

Ya I stopped watching and started strolling at the wire knot. Thats not the way i would do it. LOL

Liar.

@@Sum_Tings_Wong How so?

@@Sum_Tings_Wong Not at all. I am friends with an electrical estimator and I remember years ago he said bidding on new home builds was so cost competitive that a 5c difference per outlet could mean the difference between getting or losing the job.

Yeah, the guy disregards his own advice.

@@DerekDavis213 but, we are all watching !!! Lol.

I know, right?

Same thing I saying..lol..!

probly not an actual electrician ..

Another tip for either solid or strand, use the stripper to cut the insulation, then release the tension on the handles, grab the head of the strippers, twist it 360 deg to get a good cut on the insulation, then with the long end of the wire between your fingers grab the head and to pull the insulation off the wire. This works better because majority of the resistance of stripping the end insulation from a wire comes from the stripper biting into the wire and you need to squeeze the handles to keep the strippers at a 90 deg angle to the wire, so the tighter you squeeze the handle the more the strippers dig into the wire. By releasing the handles and pulling on the head of the strippers, you release the tension of the stripper digging into the wire, so the only resistance will tension of the insulation being pulled off the wire and possibly some uncut insulation.

Yeah, I figured you that one out on my own, nice even twists, the jacket will start sliding once it is proper twisted.

why dont you use ferrules, its alot easier and tidy

Is a master tip better then a pro tip? I'm so confused now

good tip

agreed, and those wago's have a tendency to fail under high load for long periods of time, as the spring steel heat cycles and gets weaker.

Down here in South AL they all get salt residue/corrosion within a month if we don't use thermal grease. Had a harbor we were working on and they wanted us to use wire clips so they could disconnect the pedestals easy before hurricanes. Lol already changed 4 boat pedestals back to wire nuts

@@drewlowery496 do you use wire nuts already coated with thermal grease or do you coat them yourselves?

@@gtb81. Also if there is wire 'bend' stress or crowding, it causes them to fail even faster.

Agreed

use Wagos if you don’t mind losing money with all the call backs

@@1topfueldrag I've never had a single call back related to a Wago and the time savings alone for initial install, and for modifications to existing circuits pays for the slightly higher cost per unit of Wagos. Just practice with them a bit more...you can work it out.

@@1topfueldrag Wagos are amazing and that is all they use in Europe, but I am specifically talking about the brand Wagos (German made), not the generic push in connectors

@@Hitman.13. 👍🏽

@@1topfueldrag never had a Wago fail, had a few knockoffs fail but I normally only use fake ones for bodging stuff in my workshop.

o Only those who know understand what you mean. I agree!

Agreed. My complaint is people who don't pre-twist wire nut connections before putting on the nut. 30 years wiring traffic signals.

Don't just dump and run. Call out the issues. The author might thank you, and viewers will appreciate it.

Why not show the spring loaded type wire stripper at the beginning rather the end? Confusing. That style was all my Dad used. (And I learned that they will pinch the $#!+ out of your skin, when you are young and dumb.) Sorry.... I only use needle nose, lineman's pliers, Marettes ( tightened with the linemans while holding with needles), and electrical tape on anything over 16 ga. Old school here.

@@LarryCook1960 flat wagos are even better than those wire nuts

If you want a really secure splice then twist the stripped ends together with linemans and then cap it. WAGOs don't give the most secure connection I can't believe this was suggested lol. More like a guide for handyman electricians I guess

@@ToastedLobster IDK how people don't know they're supposed to twist the wires before putting the nut on top. I was taught that the first time I was shown how to wire a socket.

@@thelight3112 I know at least some wire nut or marette manufacturers do not recommend pre twisting the wires. I have a box of marette brand wire nuts that tell you NOT to pre twist the wires. I always pre twist.

amen.

You Said it Brother Far Superior

Good wire nuts have a conical shape spring where the spring itself has a square cross section that can really bite into the copper wires. Suggest throwing out old wire nuts that are all plastic or ceramic, The copper wires should be twisted together first, and maybe cut flush for equal length into the wire nut before attaching the wire nut. This way the spring grabs all the wires at the same time. Mixing stranded and solid wire can be a problem, like in a light fixture. Suggest twisting the stranded wire first, then twist onto the solid wire, making sure it extends slightly longer than the solid wire before putting on the wing nut. Love the square knot idea!

Check out the amperage tests people have done. The Wago connectors are impressive and in many tests the wire fails before the Wago does. The WAGOs have to pass the same UL tests as other connection methods and independent testing has shown the Wagos to be vastly superior to nuts.

Receptacles and switches have a "bus bar" too.

I'd say if such a professional electrician leaves such a mess with lever connectors, do pray he loses his license before he has a go at wire nuts...

It's harder to get a good connection with wire nuts when you have solid wire. It definitely makes sense to twist stranded wires together before putting on the wire nut.

@@MorrisDugan the same application is used for solid wire.... solid wires are Twisted together with a pair of linesman before installing a wire nut

I've been a electrician for 35 years. We use wire nuts. There is no better connection than twisting your solid wire together, snipping the bundle down to the proper length and using a wire nut. You have to know how far to skin back and how to twist with a pair of lineman pliers to do it right. You skin the each wire back farther than you intend to leave it then twist them up cut the bundle back just enough to where the wire nut will cover it when twisted on. There is no need to twist stranded wire. The bundle will twist together when you crank down on the wire nut. Push in connectors are for people who can't twist wire or they're good in a tight spot where space is limited.

I agree the best way for soild wire is traditional nuts

@@MorrisDugan Use pliers and twist solid core, every time.

This is a linesman technique, you use linesman pliers to twist the conductors together firmly and the wire nut is mostly to act as an insulator. “Marette” is a trade name, it’s another instance of calling all tissues “Kleenex.” I prefer wire nuts, even when mixing stranded + solid conductors. It’s cheap, simple, and plenty good enough. I rarely need to ever service connections once I’ve made them, I already own about $5 of wire nuts which should be enough to last the rest of my days!

Compare the wires pulled out of that way go and a wirenut. You can see it here you decide. I already have. Pro elect here but you decide. They are nice if you really think you will be taking them apart. Usually not. You decide. Pros and cons

That is how all my neutral and ground bundles were done. The sockets were all done wrong though.

Twisting solid together is a waste of time if you know how and have the strength to use wirenuts with the wings. Using MC in the field quite a bit, we don’t have time to twist with our lineman’s.

Imagine a brain surgeon using similar short-cuts.

many are superior

@@robertwilber1909 You forgot to linkn to your video.

Def. I prefer making a proper splice then using a wire nut, I don’t trust the surface connection with these push down type connectors, the surface contact is little between the wire and the connector. The only time I use these type connectors is when the wire is really short and I don’t want to risk breaking what little wire I have to work with by doing a splice connection, so I use the push down type connectors only when working with really short conductors.

it is not correct to twist the wires before installing a wire nut. the nut twists the wires

@@somerandomboomer243 I hope you're not calling yourself an electrician and working on people's homes.

@@somerandomboomer243 problem is that the wire nut does not always properly twist the wires together. Ever remove a wire nut in the field and all the wires just fall away from each other? Wires need to be twisted together first.

They are designed for a specific current. Use for that and it is perfectly safe.

I think most lever nuts don't use spring tension like the quick connectors on an outlet. They make like 2 line connectors that use the same principle as those but the lever designs don't. As someone who isn't a skilled electrician I am starting to swap to lever connectors because they are brain dead easy to use. I don't have to worry if I did the lines perfect for the wire nut when connecting stranded to solid or w.e. They are simple and plug and play as it were. Most of my electrical work is changing light fixtures or switches so nothing high load. The levers shouldn't ever have an issue with those and the increased resistance is non existent especially because my house was build in the 80s so with everything being LED lighting these days the load is even less.

That is actually UK wire colors for AC along with a few other countries probably. Actually in 24V brown is + and blue is -

Was thinking the same

that knotted splice is not approved for line voltage connections. there is heat shrink tubing that is rated for line voltage, though.

I pre twist. The manufacturers say you dont need to...on the box

That goofy square knot can definitely get hot enough to melt insulation and start a fire. It is a terrible idea for anything that uses any current.

No matter what your ⚡ voltage, that square knot is not a good connection ... There will be a minute amount of arcing of current from wire to wire at this connection point and even if not, nobody can guarantee it doesn't. This can definitely lead to house fires.

RIP

@@blackout7028 Soldered or not - technique is not ideal for stranded cables carrying high current. Something like 5 volts DC at 2 amps, - sure.

That knot is awful. The 100 year old solution is the western union splice and solder.

@@dictare Indeed, the WU is equally adequate for multi-stranded and the single piece cabling alike.

I was trained in New Zealand to use the "married joint" similar to the technique described above (all house wiring is heavy stranded wire there) for ground wires, and also used it with heat shrink for random extension joints where putting in a junction box would have been overkill.

In your example of the moving and vibration on an ebike...that's the exact reason offroaders and vehicles in general do not have any soldering. almost all are crimped on connectors of some sort. solder creates a section of immobilized stranded wire which means the section of wires beside the solder takes on all the vibration and movement which eventually fatigues and breaks individual strands.

Adding a connector in my opinion would not make it more secure. You now just added something that can fail. Keep it stranded. Use a flat head not a Phillips. Tighten back off a bit than tighten one more time. Just my 2 cents.

Keep in mind that the NEC states you can only use fork terminals on receptacles or switches if the manufacturer of the receptacle or switch allows it in their documentation.

I’d solder it to keep the strands together before I used a fork terminal. The vast majority of fork terminals people are going to find are for low voltage dc use and are not rated for home AC use.

@@jamestewell7721 You would not solder it if you did this for a living.

@@jamestewell7721 All I’m saying is that’s great if you doing 5. If you do this for a living you would not be.

Alot of the newer cord caps do not have adequate room inside to do that without damaging the insulation. Nor is that needed with the redesign of cord clamps

No greater lesson learned than when splicing 277. Mistakes get amplified.

With bundle of nine it seems one is always slipping out the pliers, use these it was so easy a child could do it.

Great advice! Similarly, when connecting a two string wire, it's good to cut one string longer on one part and the other string longer on the other part. That way the connection of the strings is separated and even if the insulation wraps off or melts, they won't get in touch.

JAMIE P....huh?

@@ottoroth9377 You want 1 of those pens that tell you if the wire is live or not. I don't know the correct name of the tool.

@@jpasby779 I've got several and tracers too....I find some of these pens give off false readings...best way if you're working alone is plug in a m I ni boom box...throw on some ZZ TOP, start flipping breakers, there ya go

@@ottoroth9377 Over there we have fork lift drivers not operators driving over the female ends at booths being built. I like your reply. :). This is a convention center where trade shows are held if you didn't know.

Agree JP, and you're not supposed to splice unless it's in a fixture, and wire nuts have been around almost as long as electricity in the home. I have a coffee can full of old porcelain nuts I've collected as I upgraded my service.

Much of this looks fun--takes up too much time--deal with the real world I need to make money when I pay someone

Yep, it will arc without solder filling in the knot.

that is what linesman pliers are used for...

@@robertwilber1909 linesman pliers are made for just lineman wire which is solid wire

My experience too. Loose connections are high resistance which cause heat. Heat causes fires. Horrible tip. Add solder and much better (if they know how to solder lol).

@4u25out > I find automatic adjustable wire striper to the middle ground - great for lots of wire stripping & easy on the hands. A 199 Stanley knife is a underrated tool when your in a pitch or removing outer sheath of cable or multi strand. If you doing it professionally you going to have the right tools as it's your best interest for saving time & little mistakes. DIY not so much unless you like collecting pricey under used tools that gather dust in tool boxes!

They are now the 221s cover the US the EU and Japan

THANK YOU. they're also just as SH!TTY as back stab outlets

Use Wago 221’s. They are CSA and UL approved.

I wondered about this comment also. The liability of marketing a non-UL approved product for something like electrical connections is tremendous and I wondered why anyone would do this. My Google research indicates that they are and have been UL approved for a long time. But all you have to do is look on the packaging and I think they'll be marked on the devices also if they are UL approved.

@@lorenrickey5481 Or if you don't necessarily need lever action (still can pull out the wire, just can't use with stranded wires) and want smaller size - 2273.

twisting the stranded wire the opposite way of its normal twist makes it possible for me to put a stranded ground wire on a screw. if, it doesnt seem to work, then i pigtail a solid on it.

Wagos 221 for the win.

Mine are all transparent.

If you use good techniques, I am not experience enough to bind 9 neutrals reliably, it is easy with a few lever nuts.

Question - you say 20 years in food processing facilities? How common were total loss fires?!

What's the point of such a test? If you're feeding 60A in a 15A circuit, it means your breaker is bad and your electrical device is ruined and your house is on fire, why would you care about the wire nut?

@@digitalcurrents iIt was a test until destruction by an authorized laboratory, nothing may be installed without a certificate of conformity. The insulation must withstand 1500 v min, and the load test is done if the automatic circuit fuse does not do its job (defective), then the load to the blown main fuse must be withstood. Also test the test was made for longer periods of time to determine the composition of the gases that are released during massive overheating, i.e. the toxicity of gases in the event of a fatal failure or fire.

Dinko....he probably had a bad experience!

This kid is showing what he doesn't know.

Used wire nuts on my last project because I had them. They are more work, but if done right work fine. If even run out to wire nuts, I will get these lever things.

One of the best trade tests you can give someone applying for an electrical engineering roll, certainly sorts those who walk the walk and not just talk the talk

In Australia, it's illegal for anyone other than a licenced electrician to replace a plug. Talk about insane government interference in our lives!

@@kenlipworth6707 A plug or a socket? Anyone can change a plug, but a socket we can do the work here, but it has to be inspected by a licensed electrician. That's relatively new because I've done electrical work before. I actually did house rewiring as a job 40 years ago and hated it, the only thing I never touched was water and gas. Even there you can do the work, it just needs inspecting before it's actually used.

@@kenlipworth6707 At least South Australia legalised female barmaids eventually in 1967.

We always had a pack of MK UK plugs in the house and a selection of fuses. The same plug is used for all appliances and there are a selection of fuses up to 13 Amp. The size of the fuse is to protect the wiring of the plug to the appliance. Normally there is a label on the appliance which says what size fuse should be used. Many householders think that the size of the fuse is to protect the appliance. Not so. The appliance should have internal protection for the appliance. This is becoming less of the norm as most appliances now come with a moulded plug which is fused correctly. Unless is it a dodgy Chinese appliance and then who knows.....

I prefer the 3m also I have the orange with the blue silicone skirt, never failed me yet

3M does make quality everything, and I believe they made these originally and called Scotchloks, is that right?

@@Flea-Flicker yes they did you can still buy them there the ones that have a button looking top you put the wires in and press down the button top and it locks the wires in

Wago and never looked back.

@@TotallyNuss Yes... with wago there is a solid connection and you can see inside it... even with OCD you can sleep better thanks to it

I agree with all you said Craig McCoy. The advice given is not the best I've ever heard. Those fancy "universal" strippers have been around a good long time...they are great for some applications but sometimes you need to PROPERLY cut the insulation like with silicone and other "rubbery" insulation. Wire nuts make a MUCH better connection...you just have to know HOW to use them CORRECTLY. Check your local Building and electrical code too because in some locations lever nuts, and similar press in nuts sometimes are not allowed. However...lever nuts are always usefull and helpful for temporary work and test builds/test circuits. It's kind of like using a bread board vs perf board vs pcb. They are all usefull for a given application...but I wouldnt pay for a TV built with anything but a PCB.

@@EDToft lever nuts as you call them (Wagos as we know them in Europe) have been tested proven to be better connectors than wire nuts, they now carry the UL too

Code requires the wires be mechanically secure before you cap them

@@dentonhoward5086Do you mean securing the Romex (or other bundle type)? Please clarify because otherwise isn't capping with a wire nut or Wago the means to secure them together?

Is the underwriter's knot what he did when putting the cord back together?

twist and cut with solid wire and use the wire nuts

You do not need a knot there is an integral cord clamp in all 3wire cord caps that secures the cord well . Of course the OD has to be within range

Most cord caps have about half an inch of wire sticking out before the clamp, so there's no room for a knot. It's a tiny little space. But each wire has a clamp and the strain relief on the outside is very strong. And yeah, don't yank on the cord.

WAGO pioneered lever nuts, receiving UL certification on the first such device in 2003

Always is good to try new things even know we may think is not good but we will never know until we try it. Remember one day what we use today was new and older people probably think the same way like we are thinking today 🤔🤔🤔🤔

@@timetrip6957 And a time saver!

The old way at least in sweden is a themial block (sockerbit)

@@ThePapaja1996 Did you intend to write, "terminal block"?

I've used the universal type in autos, gets problematic in tighter areas or with shorter wires, just trying to grab and align it right. Also, those work really well in demonstrations, but get them out in the real world where you constantly run into sealants, drywall mud, paint or wet wiring, they don't last long and don't hold up and often as not don't grab the wire worth a d. I'll stick to my $9 kleins thank you.

good one

i've always burned it off

@@chuckholmes2075 Me too. I never buy wire strippers; just a couple of butane torches. They're a little bulky compared to the strippers... Wire's kinda hot but I got my needle nose pliers... Never buy saws either. MAP gas torch makes quick work of a 2x4. Never have to charge the battery or carry around bulky extension cords... 😎

@@johnsee7269 don't forget to bring marshmallows, you firebug!

@@skindianu 🙃

That's is totally correct!! Any installation should actually just go into conduit and terminate at junction points(light switch, light point, socket outlet and D.B etc.) Anyways I'm a South African Electrician and our terminology is quite different but electricity is basically the same!

And another thing is one should use lugs and ferrules to get a good connection for joints and termination points!

i have a pair made in the 60's

Dad taught me to roll the wire on my pocket knife. Many times I’m done stripping wire before the pair of strippers are fetched!

My pair say "PATENTED USA CHINA WEST GERMANY" on the back, which is a nice indication of their age.

Often looks with something you are used to, 20 is so much smaller than 18. 12 and 14 look different too.

@@toriless Agree. When you work with wiring for awhile, you can tell by looking or by feel. Also, you know bolts 1/4-20, 10-32, 8-32, 6-32, 4-32, all just from sight. I cannot remember when I have put a wire in the wrong hole of a stripper or missed matching a nut to the common bolt sizes mentioned.

So, not only are the 'stripper' just like wire cutters, except having a much larger contact area on the soft conductor to facilitate conductor strand and insulation removal... they require two hands to use them. That makes for multiple reasons why they are sub-standard tools in a modern World.

Canada is officially a bilingual country, so we have the French-sounding “Marrette,” which is the name of the manufacturer. The Home Depot calls the other manufacturers’ products “wire connectors,” which is a really boring, generic name. If you call them “wire nuts,” or “those twisty wire thingies,” we’ll know what you mean. And don’t get me started on cable ties/zap straps/zip ties. BTW, the guy who makes these vids is in the US, so I’m not sure why he used the”Marrette” name. The US Home Depot website doesn’t recognize the word, but the Canadian site does. And I don’t know where he got the cord he repaired. I’ve only seen white/black/green in Canada. That blue/brown/yellow-green is Australian colour code (probably NZ, too, and maybe England).

Try one, they are much better than it appears.

@@keithmills778 I always have called them wire nuts.

@@toriless a lot of people call them B-Caps because there is a company that makes wire nuts called B-Cap.

@@keithmills778 The blue/brown/yellow-green is common for cords supplied by IBM. I got a ton of 'em! We learn this during recycling of old gear and stripping off the wires or shortening of cords (IBM only ships three length of cable: 1) Too long, 2) Way-too long, and 3) You gotta be kidding!)

Humbly suggest you hire electricians for your wiring....

@@robertwilber1909 why?

Who cares, electricity flows around wires not in them.

That's exactly the point. electricity flows on the surface, hence, more contact.

Or...he didn't want to give away the "surprise" since the auto wire stripper was tip #1.

I love walk the wall and talk the talk! Right on!

Just a garbage ad…

I agree, he wasn't using the fancy tool. Also, the auto strippers will probably light you up good stripping live wires. Mine sits in the tool box, until I have a job with LOT of stripping, like building a cabinet.

Care to share your reasoning on the Ohms? Continuity between where and where else?

@@eatdirtmofo The earth is used for protection in the MEN system. From the earth pin to the body of the appliance, should be greater than zero ohm (it is connected) but less than 1 ohm (has a good connection). The phase and neutral should be zero to the body of the appliance (no connection). However there are also double insulated appliances, that is they have no metal body, and no earth pin.

@@AORD72 Thanks, my question is why the connection should not be 0 ohms, I know theoretically it has some resistance, but on a 2-3 metre cord-set should be negligible, My meters don't have the resolution for micro-ohms, only milli-ohms, but at a good connection I always expect to read 0 ohms, 0 milli-ohms. I would think anything approaching 1 ohm a definite fail (?) The line conductors to Appliance body should read 2 Mega-ohms minimum in my book. What are your thoughts?

@@eatdirtmofo Zero ohms would mean no connection, which is what your multimeter should show when you don't have anything connected to it. Zero ohms would mean your cable has zero resistance, which is not possible. So the ohms have to be greater than zero, but a 1 meter of cable might me 0.02 Ohms so might not be discernable on a meter. *If you have zero ohms on a cable and zero ohms when you don't have the meter connected how can you tell if the earth cable is not broken within the sheathing? * You have to be very careful, you shouldn't think zero ohms is connected (also I wouldn't assume as disconnected as well). Most multimeters beep to tell you there is a connection. If you see zero without a beep then you could assume a broken wire. I think usually you should see some resistance on your meter. 1 ohm is the typical government specification for my country. A would assume most countries would be similar. Lower the resistance the more likely the connection will trip if there is a short to earth, but it would be dependent on the device that trips at the switch board to how many ohms you can get away with. Probably find todays RCD's will trip with very little voltage difference to the earth (googling says like 30mA). "The line conductors to Appliance body should read 2 Mega-ohms minimum in my book", yes I was a bit misleading, my country says greater than 1Mohm, *but that is while under load* . You use special testers for that, a insulation break down tester. With a multimeter you are just applying a few DC volts, and will not give correct results and is dangerous as it is misleading. A insulation breakdown tester with high voltage (like 500V) will show weakness in the insulation. When I was out at venues years ago we didn't do breakdown testing, just the earth and continuity testing. I think you have to be carful with insulation breakdown testing because it can destroy electronics. I forget, many years ago since I used one (I think we applied thousands of volts), and that at a production facility with brand new products. That being said I do use a multimeter to check I don't have a dead phase or neutral short to the body to ensure I haven't made a mistake and don't trip the switchboard.