Unusual Electrical Connections

To join a stranded wire to a terminal, strip the wire end and twist the strands together. Use your fingers to form a loop. Wrap the bare wire clockwise around the terminal screw. You may need to push the wire into place as you tighten the screw to make sure no strands slip out.

Never attach two wires to a single terminal. Instead, make a pigtail. Cut a piece of wire about 6 inches long and strip both ends. Splice one end to the two wires you need to connect, screw on a wire nut, and attach the other end to the terminal.

In service panels, 240-volt receptacles, and other high-voltage connections, you find setscrew terminals. Loosen the setscrew, push the stripped wire end into the terminal hole, and tighten the setscrew.