Family Handyman Approved: Wago Lever Nuts

Wary of cheap, twist-on wire nuts? Then try these from Wago.

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I don’t trust twist-on wire nuts. Sure, the wiring in my walls is replete with those inexpensive twist-on connectors. But that doesn’t mean I need to use traditional wire nuts for future electrical projects and wiring add-ons like new ceiling fans and light fixtures. The wire nuts that often come with those projects seem particularly weak.

With Wago lever nuts, I have a better option. After I discovered these connectors, I tossed my color-coded traditional wire nut connectors. I’ll use only these nuts from now on.

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What Are Wago Lever Nuts?

With a Wago lever nut, you flip open an orange lever, insert a stripped wire end and close the lever. Do that for the two or three wires you’re joining and you’re done. Closing the lever connects the wires. Give each wire a little tug to be sure it’s locked in.

These lever nuts work with solid and stranded wire, and they’re available for different wire gauges and in two-, three- and five-wire configurations.

Wago lever nuts are made in Germany by a large manufacturing company that makes much larger electrical equipment, too. The company has vast experience in electrical connection solutions, and the stereotypical German quality ethic is evident in the feel of these tiny connectors.

How We Tested Them

I recently added several surface-mounted electrical outlets in my garage, and the small outlet boxes made regular wire nuts difficult to use for all the pigtailing I needed to do.

On one of many trips to the hardware store during this project, I bought a box of Wago lever nuts — three-wire model 221. I needed a method to fit pigtail connections in small boxes that came with the surface-mount kit I used. I was adding seven new boxes and connections in my garage.

Performance Review

It takes some force to open each lever, and they close with a noticeable snap; these are not just push-connect fittings. The lever closure does the work and you can feel it.

You can see the wires as you insert them into the mostly clear plastic connector. This helps you make sure you’re inserting them all the way. A small gauge on the side of the device helps you strip the right amount of insulation from each wire.

It was easy to fit three Wago 221s — one each for the neutral, hot and ground wires — in my small outlet boxes. For extra security, I wrapped each lever nut in color-coordinated electrical tape so I can see what’s what if I open any outlet box. That’s not necessary, but it was easy and felt right.

Where to Buy Wago Lever Nuts

Via Amazon.com

At $18 for a 50-count box, Wago lever nuts are more expensive than regular twist-on wire nuts. And they’re worth it. That’s why they’re Family Handyman Approved. Wago lever nuts are available at hardware stores and home centers.

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Glenn Hansen, Deputy Editor, is magazine editor and writer by trade, Glenn gained experience in home repair when he bought his first old home while working side jobs in construction to supplement his starving-writer salary. He has built several furniture projects from the pages of Family Handyman magazine and worked through countless fix-it-up projects at home to save a few bucks.

When focusing on projects in your home, there are countless factors you need to consider. Those factors are directly influenced by the location of a given project, the tool and accessories needed, the degree of difficulty, and your personal experience and education, to name a few. This is why electrical projects are some of the most sensitive you could work on and typically require the most research and preparation. This is why, when it comes to the electrical wiring in your home, you want to make sure everything is not only to code, but utilizing the best parts, pieces, and tools available.

One area around electrical wiring where there seems to be a great debate on which way one should lean is with the use of wago nuts or wire nuts. Wago connector nuts provide a number of benefits including the slimmer profile and transparent housing. Yet are these features alone enough to swag favor in their direction? Let's take a look at some of these advantages you could find with Wago Nuts.

 

Wago 222 Series 3 connector terminal block

 vs. 

Wago 221 Series 3 connector terminal block 

The first thing to understand is- What is a Wago Nut and how does it differ from a Wire Nut? Well, there are a few differences, each focused on improving performance and efficiency. With the original wago 222 series, electricians found the following benefits:

• Approved to work with a wide variety of wire sizes and types, including solid, stranded, and flexible conductors,

• Has a built-in visual guide for required size of strip before inserting, and

• Lever design that allows for reusability,

• Include a test nut access probe.

More recently, the wago 221 series was released which includes not just the features mentioned above, but also upgrades including:

• 40% smaller size and design,

• Less force required for leaver opening and closing,

• Transparent housing to ensure proper connection, and

• 2 test nut access ports.

These features allow for use not only across multiple applications, but multiple industries alike. It’s reasons like this that more and more individuals are moving to the use of Wago wire connectors in their homes.

If you have ever replaced wires or installed new wires in your home, you know the frustration that comes with not being certain if there is a clear connection with your wire nut. You might undo or redo wiring multiple times or, worse than that, need to go back and redo a connection when you realize it doesn’t work. The transparent body of the Wago 221 series eliminates that concern.

Furthermore, you may experience issues when trying to connect different types or sizes of copper wires. The 221 series allows for connections of all wire types and, because of that, are capable of connecting different conductor sizes and types.

You can probably tell by now the reason individuals are shifting to these wago nuts is the combination of ease and functionality. One of the most direct benefits individuals are seeing from this is organization. You now have the ability to ensure organization within your junction box and it creates a more succinct process of removing and replacing old or existing wires.

One area of this ease with replacing connections is seamlessly being able to remove the wago nut (or a wire from the nut) and not have to worry about the wires being twisted together like with a wire nut. This approach not only helps from an ease and functionality standpoint, but also with the state of your bare wire strip over time by removing the possibility of regularly wrapped wires.

While talking about the benefits of these Wago nuts and why individuals are making the switch, it’s also important to speak to their specifications, so you can be sure they would work for you. Wago connector nuts are rated to a nominal voltage of 450V, a surge voltage of 4kV, and a current of 41 Amps. The maximum surrounding air temperature is 85 degrees with a continuous operating temperature of 105 degrees. Depending on where you are getting yours from as well, you can get 1 individual connector up to multiple boxes! It all depends on your needs.

In conclusion, it’s easy to see why more and more people, electricians, and businesses are making the switch from wire nut connectors to wago nut connectors. Ease, organization, simplicity, security, reliability, and efficiency are just some of the reasons why. So, as you plan your re-wiring, building, expansion, or any other project on the horizon, look to help yourself by opting to go with Wago nuts.