How to Join Electric Wires

Joining electrical wires only takes a few seconds, but must be done correctly to ensure safety. Wires are color-coded to make the job fairly easy for anyone to do. Follow these steps to ensure the joined electric wires function properly.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wire strippers
• Pliers
• Wire nuts

1. Leave 6 to 8 inches hanging out of the junction box where you wish to join two or more wires.

2. Ensure the power is off to the area by turning off the breaker.

3. Start with the ground wires first as a safety precaution.

4. Bend them so they all end at the same point. Grasp their ends with a pair of pliers and twist in a clockwise motion for three full rotations.

5. Cover the end with a wire nut, it will twist on then click. Once the wire nut clicks, it is fully in place.

6. Strip 1 inch of insulation off each white wire in the box then repeat Steps 4 and 5. Join any remaining wires that are the same color and gauge in this same fashion.

Tips & Warnings

• Yellow wire nuts are good for connecting two wires. Use a red wire nut to join three or more wires.
• Don't work on a hot circuit or you can be shocked.
• It is best to leave electrical work to licensed professionals if you are unsure of what to do. Electricity is very dangerous and you can be burned, shocked or killed by even a small mistake.