| Tip of the Day: Making Perfect Connections |
From "Complete Fix-It"
episode CFI-105 |
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Tip: Place the wire around the screw as shown; then when you tighten the screw, the clockwise motion will draw the wire onto the terminal.
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Note: Illustration A, Illustration B, Illustration C available using  Poor connections can cause lights to flicker and dim, and electric motors to run hotter and die sooner. They have even been known to overheat wiring and start fires. A switch may have wire leads that are connected to the house wiring with wire caps, or wires may connect to the switch at screw terminals. To create a hook for connecting a wire to a screw terminal, first strip about 1/2 inch of insulation from the wire end. Using long-nose pliers, make a right-angle bend (illustration A, click above to view). Move the pliers' jaw tips about halfway along the stripped wire end, and bend it about 45 degrees in the opposite direction (illustration B, click above to view). With the tips of the pliers, bend the wire to a C-shape, leaving the loop open to fit around the screw (illustration C, click above to view). Making Tight Splices When splicing wires, strip off about 1 inch of insulation from the ends of the wires to be joined -- more than actually seems necessary. Hold the wires side by side with one hand, grip the bare ends with a pair of lineman's pliers, and twist them together clockwise until the turns are tight and uniform. Test the connection with a slight tug. Clip about 1/2 to 3/4 inch off the splice with diagonal-cutting pliers, snipping an angle to create a distinct point at the spliced wire ends. Tighten the cap down clockwise until no copper shows. Wrap electrical tape around the base of the cap to make sure that everything stays put. Note: To order the new HGTV's Complete Fix-It book, see Resources, below. Illustrations (Copyright) Time-Life Books 2000.
RESOURCES :
HGTV's Complete Fix-It
Author: HGTV
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