Wiring Building Question

I had new siding installed on my house a few weeks ago. In the process, 2 outside outlets needed spaced out 1-1/2". The extension boxes were installed. However, the wires are too short.

Is it against code to use multi strand copper wire of the proper size to make a 4" extension for these outlets? It would make it easier to push the wires back into the outlet box. When we tried using solid strand wire, the wire twist nuts come loose and the lights flicker so it will someday cause a fire. They are on GFI breaker and GFI outdoors outlets.

This is in rural Indiana.

It is legal to use the right size stranded wire in these boxes, however typically it is harder to get stranded wire to stay under the wire nut than 2 solid wires. If you twist the solid wires together before using the wire nut it will improve your chances of it working. Glad to see you are trying to do it the right way.

after i use the twist nuts ,i always use electrical tape also never had a problem.

all your connections should be in a junction box

Stranded copper wire (improved flexibility and vibration resistance) of sufficient ampacity (like 12 Gauge if thats what you have) is okay to use and, of course, any splices need to be inside a junction box in an accessbile location. If you use a metallic box (covered, and use romex clamps or other appropriate entrance and exit), be sure to also ground the box itself to the equipment GroundING Conductor (the bare or green wire). They make those short copper ground jumper wires with the green grounding screw attached that works to ground the boxes. Or use a blue plastic box no grounding required.

I agree with the posts below, when using wire nuts on sold wire a few good tight twists of the still insulated portions of the wire just outside the nuts better secures the wires inside. I like the heavier solid plastic wire nuts versus the thinner flexible type in locations where strength is important, if they are tightened down and the wires well twisted outside the nut, that makes for a secure connection.

GFCI is required for outdoor locations which could be a GFCI outlet itself or if its fed by a GFCI upstream or a GFCI breaker etc.

Piece of cake and not expensive, best wishes..

John T

Like the other posts have stated your best bet is to use the same sized soild wire and twist the two together before applying the wire nut. If you want an even better connection twist them together, make the connection solid with a low melting temp solder, and then wire nut. That's really all you need, but like another reply stated, I always wrap mine with tape for added insurance. I usually mae about two wraps around the wire itself and then carry the wrap onto the wire nut. Doing it like this insures the nut doesn't back off. I've gone back on wires I did like that 20 years ago and the joint is just as good as it was when I first made it.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I was always told electricity is conducted better through stranded wire than solid wire. The wire is harder to connect with wire nuts but I usually solder the connection before applying a wire nut.

What type of siding did you use? Just curious, if you used vinyl siding you could get the J boxes that go around the outlets.

If you are using a GFI breaker, there is no issue to use wire nuts and a splice. I wouldn't use braded wire. It doesn't like wire nuts and solid wire and braded wire doesn't like to be put under a screw on a recpt. Go with solid wire, as others said, twist the solid wire before using a wire nut. If you are worried about the nut comming lose, there are wire nuts used on appliances that crimp on. Should be no issue, any current leak because of a splice comming loose, should trip GFI.

However if you are using a GFCI recept, hope you have enough cubic inches to use wire nuts. The GFCI's take up a lot of room.

In Indiana, the only thing the building inspector looks at is your ruff wiring. As long as that looks good, they sign off.

The way I look at it is if your splices are inside an approved box, you are good to go.

I've yet to see a NEC cop snooping around my place or here of an NEC cop handing out a ticket. So if this is an add on recpt and no inspector, you are good to go.

My advice is only worth what you are paying for it. LOL

George

AS I RECALL ????? The conductivity is basically a function of the cross sectional area of the wire and the wire property itself, they use fine stranded especialy in welding cable applications due to its flexibility and vibration problem resistance. Stranded wire conductivity is the sum of all the net cross sectional areas buttttttttttttttt (and what you may have heard) at higher frequencies an electrical property called the "skin effect" causes the majority of current to concentrate around the outer perimiter of the wire i.e. theres much less current flow in the wires center core area, but at low frequency 60 HZ thats not really an issue (again as I recall).

I's recalling this stuff from wayyyyyyyy back in the late sixties at Purdue so NO WARRANTY Ive spept since then and probably slept through it then also lol as RF and skin effect werent my cup o tea

Gettin OLDDDD John T

If your wire nuts aren't staying on, try a different brand and make sure you're using an appropriate size for the gauge and number of conductors. Wire nuts are not all the same, and there are some brands that are garbage.

As long as the splice is in the box but you have to use receptacles approved for stranded wire to use stranded wire. Good wire nuts should work with either. The suggestion to pre twist the wire and use electrical tape is a good one. Just don't over twist the wire and make sure you are using the proper size wire nut.