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What kind of wire should I use to pigtail an outlet?

How to wire GFCI outletWhy is the neutral tab broken with only one neutral wire?Backstab outlet with one wire screwed in?Power Outlet -3 Wire Conductor on Tandem Breaker WiringRunning New Electrical LineWhat size and type wire should I use to pigtail to my light switches?Can I connect to a separate neutral (white) wire for my switch/outlet combination?Removing switched outlet and 4 terminal outlet with 2 terminal outlet?Replacing outlet; found one white wire hot. How to connect?Can I strip a neutral wire and use it to pigtail ground wires?

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1

I want to turn my 2 hot and 2 neutral wires into a pigtail for my outlet. Since I don't have any extra wire or black wires, what kind should I purchase? The wires in my receptacle are copper.

electrical receptacle

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

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Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Same as the existing wire. It's probably #14 or #12 solid, but I can't tell from here.
  
  – isherwood
  8 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Any reason why? Outlets generally offer enough screw connectors for your needs.
  
  – isherwood
  8 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @isherwood it's true that some outlets (not GFCI, not tab-broken, not some others) have a feature that allows them to also be used as a splice, pigtailing paints a much clearer picture for novices, so I prefer it.
  
  – Harper
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  But that's not why I pigtail; I pigtail from the ergonomic comfort of my workbench, rather than be up a ladder/in a stress position trying to fidget 5 wires onto a receptacle. Me, 3 wirenut twists and I'm outta there :) And since I use many colors (wire or tape) I pre-color the pigtails for what they'll be joining: in the stress position orange-orange, gray-gray, done.
  
  – Harper
  8 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  How many receptacles are you planning on pigtailing and why are you doing it?
  
  – Jim Stewart
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

I want to turn my 2 hot and 2 neutral wires into a pigtail for my outlet. Since I don't have any extra wire or black wires, what kind should I purchase? The wires in my receptacle are copper.

electrical receptacle

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

53.6k55 gold badges6363 silver badges139139 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

611 bronze badge

New contributor

Joan Leitherland Watson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Same as the existing wire. It's probably #14 or #12 solid, but I can't tell from here.
  
  – isherwood
  8 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Any reason why? Outlets generally offer enough screw connectors for your needs.
  
  – isherwood
  8 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @isherwood it's true that some outlets (not GFCI, not tab-broken, not some others) have a feature that allows them to also be used as a splice, pigtailing paints a much clearer picture for novices, so I prefer it.
  
  – Harper
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  But that's not why I pigtail; I pigtail from the ergonomic comfort of my workbench, rather than be up a ladder/in a stress position trying to fidget 5 wires onto a receptacle. Me, 3 wirenut twists and I'm outta there :) And since I use many colors (wire or tape) I pre-color the pigtails for what they'll be joining: in the stress position orange-orange, gray-gray, done.
  
  – Harper
  8 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  How many receptacles are you planning on pigtailing and why are you doing it?
  
  – Jim Stewart
  6 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I want to turn my 2 hot and 2 neutral wires into a pigtail for my outlet. Since I don't have any extra wire or black wires, what kind should I purchase? The wires in my receptacle are copper.

electrical receptacle

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

53.6k55 gold badges6363 silver badges139139 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

611 bronze badge

New contributor

Joan Leitherland Watson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

53.6k55 gold badges6363 silver badges139139 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

611 bronze badge

New contributor

Joan Leitherland Watson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

53.6k55 gold badges6363 silver badges139139 bronze badges

asked 8 hours ago

Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

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New contributor

Joan Leitherland Watson is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

53.6k55 gold badges6363 silver badges139139 bronze badges

edited 8 hours ago

isherwood

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asked 8 hours ago

Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

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New contributor

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Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

Joan Leitherland WatsonJoan Leitherland Watson

611 bronze badge

2 Answers
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5

Depends.

If you're using "screw-to-clamp" type receptacles

Then your "go-to" is #12 stranded THWN-2. These are sold as individual wires. Also #12 solid bare or green ground wire. (ground wires need to be pigtailed regardless, so you may already have this.)

• The stranded wire is much easier to work with (push the pigtails into the back of the box and the receptacle will slide in like a dream), but its downside is it's difficult to attach to screw terminals without a lot of practice, and catastrophically dangerous to use on backstabs. I actually saw this fail once.


• Stranded wire wire-nuts just fine to solid wire. No pre-twisting, just line them up evenly and twist like the dickens.


• #12 is the "universal donor" that will work on both 15A and 20A circuits. It's a little stiffer -- oh wait, it's stranded!

If you're using screw terminal type receptacles

In that case, ditto ditto ditto solid wire. Which will be stiffer, but cake to put on screws.

However, if you want to buy all of them in one single SKU, buy "#12 Romex" aka NM-B type cable. Buy 2' lengths at a time and cut into three 8" long sections (or four 6" sections), then carefully exacto-knife off the sheath by cutting directly down the ground wire (so you don't nick the insulation on hot or neutral). Voilá, pigtails.

• The disadvantage of NM-B is it's not legal outdoors. For that, slicing up UF cable is challenging, so I'd go back to THWN-2 wires.


• The individual wires are not marked, so you cannot use them for conduit runs.

Don't ever buy #14 for pigtails, because at best you have an "orphan" you can only use on 15A circuits, and at worst you accidentally use one on a 20A circuit and have a problem.

If you're using backstabs

Stop. They are unreliable and cause most dead-circuit problems.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

add a comment | 

1

For outlets I would go with 12awg even if on a 15 amp circuit it is ok to use a larger wire size. But if you purchase 14 and it is on a 20 amp circuit that would be a code violation. These are the 2 sizes for standard 120v outlets or receptacles used in the U.S.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

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5

Depends.

If you're using "screw-to-clamp" type receptacles

Then your "go-to" is #12 stranded THWN-2. These are sold as individual wires. Also #12 solid bare or green ground wire. (ground wires need to be pigtailed regardless, so you may already have this.)

• The stranded wire is much easier to work with (push the pigtails into the back of the box and the receptacle will slide in like a dream), but its downside is it's difficult to attach to screw terminals without a lot of practice, and catastrophically dangerous to use on backstabs. I actually saw this fail once.


• Stranded wire wire-nuts just fine to solid wire. No pre-twisting, just line them up evenly and twist like the dickens.


• #12 is the "universal donor" that will work on both 15A and 20A circuits. It's a little stiffer -- oh wait, it's stranded!

If you're using screw terminal type receptacles

In that case, ditto ditto ditto solid wire. Which will be stiffer, but cake to put on screws.

However, if you want to buy all of them in one single SKU, buy "#12 Romex" aka NM-B type cable. Buy 2' lengths at a time and cut into three 8" long sections (or four 6" sections), then carefully exacto-knife off the sheath by cutting directly down the ground wire (so you don't nick the insulation on hot or neutral). Voilá, pigtails.

• The disadvantage of NM-B is it's not legal outdoors. For that, slicing up UF cable is challenging, so I'd go back to THWN-2 wires.


• The individual wires are not marked, so you cannot use them for conduit runs.

Don't ever buy #14 for pigtails, because at best you have an "orphan" you can only use on 15A circuits, and at worst you accidentally use one on a 20A circuit and have a problem.

If you're using backstabs

Stop. They are unreliable and cause most dead-circuit problems.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

add a comment | 

5

Depends.

If you're using "screw-to-clamp" type receptacles

Then your "go-to" is #12 stranded THWN-2. These are sold as individual wires. Also #12 solid bare or green ground wire. (ground wires need to be pigtailed regardless, so you may already have this.)

• The stranded wire is much easier to work with (push the pigtails into the back of the box and the receptacle will slide in like a dream), but its downside is it's difficult to attach to screw terminals without a lot of practice, and catastrophically dangerous to use on backstabs. I actually saw this fail once.


• Stranded wire wire-nuts just fine to solid wire. No pre-twisting, just line them up evenly and twist like the dickens.


• #12 is the "universal donor" that will work on both 15A and 20A circuits. It's a little stiffer -- oh wait, it's stranded!

If you're using screw terminal type receptacles

In that case, ditto ditto ditto solid wire. Which will be stiffer, but cake to put on screws.

However, if you want to buy all of them in one single SKU, buy "#12 Romex" aka NM-B type cable. Buy 2' lengths at a time and cut into three 8" long sections (or four 6" sections), then carefully exacto-knife off the sheath by cutting directly down the ground wire (so you don't nick the insulation on hot or neutral). Voilá, pigtails.

• The disadvantage of NM-B is it's not legal outdoors. For that, slicing up UF cable is challenging, so I'd go back to THWN-2 wires.


• The individual wires are not marked, so you cannot use them for conduit runs.

Don't ever buy #14 for pigtails, because at best you have an "orphan" you can only use on 15A circuits, and at worst you accidentally use one on a 20A circuit and have a problem.

If you're using backstabs

Stop. They are unreliable and cause most dead-circuit problems.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

add a comment | 

Depends.

If you're using "screw-to-clamp" type receptacles

Then your "go-to" is #12 stranded THWN-2. These are sold as individual wires. Also #12 solid bare or green ground wire. (ground wires need to be pigtailed regardless, so you may already have this.)

• The stranded wire is much easier to work with (push the pigtails into the back of the box and the receptacle will slide in like a dream), but its downside is it's difficult to attach to screw terminals without a lot of practice, and catastrophically dangerous to use on backstabs. I actually saw this fail once.


• Stranded wire wire-nuts just fine to solid wire. No pre-twisting, just line them up evenly and twist like the dickens.


• #12 is the "universal donor" that will work on both 15A and 20A circuits. It's a little stiffer -- oh wait, it's stranded!

If you're using screw terminal type receptacles

In that case, ditto ditto ditto solid wire. Which will be stiffer, but cake to put on screws.

However, if you want to buy all of them in one single SKU, buy "#12 Romex" aka NM-B type cable. Buy 2' lengths at a time and cut into three 8" long sections (or four 6" sections), then carefully exacto-knife off the sheath by cutting directly down the ground wire (so you don't nick the insulation on hot or neutral). Voilá, pigtails.

• The disadvantage of NM-B is it's not legal outdoors. For that, slicing up UF cable is challenging, so I'd go back to THWN-2 wires.


• The individual wires are not marked, so you cannot use them for conduit runs.

Don't ever buy #14 for pigtails, because at best you have an "orphan" you can only use on 15A circuits, and at worst you accidentally use one on a 20A circuit and have a problem.

If you're using backstabs

Stop. They are unreliable and cause most dead-circuit problems.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

HarperHarper

83.9k55 gold badges6161 silver badges172172 bronze badges

1

For outlets I would go with 12awg even if on a 15 amp circuit it is ok to use a larger wire size. But if you purchase 14 and it is on a 20 amp circuit that would be a code violation. These are the 2 sizes for standard 120v outlets or receptacles used in the U.S.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

36.3k11 gold badge2424 silver badges5050 bronze badges

add a comment | 

1

For outlets I would go with 12awg even if on a 15 amp circuit it is ok to use a larger wire size. But if you purchase 14 and it is on a 20 amp circuit that would be a code violation. These are the 2 sizes for standard 120v outlets or receptacles used in the U.S.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

36.3k11 gold badge2424 silver badges5050 bronze badges

add a comment | 

For outlets I would go with 12awg even if on a 15 amp circuit it is ok to use a larger wire size. But if you purchase 14 and it is on a 20 amp circuit that would be a code violation. These are the 2 sizes for standard 120v outlets or receptacles used in the U.S.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

36.3k11 gold badge2424 silver badges5050 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

36.3k11 gold badge2424 silver badges5050 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

36.3k11 gold badge2424 silver badges5050 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

Ed BealEd Beal

36.3k11 gold badge2424 silver badges5050 bronze badges