Wago Connectors
Discussion
Anyone used Wago connectors before? Looking for a way to remove 2 sockets from a ring main and avoid pulling up the floor in 2 rooms to completely removing a sections of cable and rejoin to another socket to close the ring again. Someone has suggested joining the cable with Wago connectors and boxes, can they be plastered into a wall and forgotten about or would just would it be easier to drop them below the floor?
Edited by Nickyboy on Monday 19th October 22:41
Probably not great practice to have buried live wires in a wall with no ‘outlet’ to indicate their presence or to create the vertical and horizontal safe zones required. What I mean is that at the moment you know not to drill vertically or horizontally from the plug socket because its visible and you know where the safe zones are. But without a plug socket you wouldn’t know there were live wires running to it as its now hidden.
To answer your question though; the Wago connectors are great. Terminate them in a Wago box and they’ll be fine - I think they can actually be made inaccessible as well as technically they don’t require servicing, unlike a normal junction box.
To answer your question though; the Wago connectors are great. Terminate them in a Wago box and they’ll be fine - I think they can actually be made inaccessible as well as technically they don’t require servicing, unlike a normal junction box.
I've used Wagos a fair bit. They're pretty good and with a Wagobox, maintenance free.
Not sure I'd want to plaster them into the wall though. As others have said, the location of the socket will tell you where the safe zones are. If you're going to do this I'd do it properly and lift the floor.
Not sure I'd want to plaster them into the wall though. As others have said, the location of the socket will tell you where the safe zones are. If you're going to do this I'd do it properly and lift the floor.
Nickyboy said:
Thinking about it the cables all come from below the floor boards (1st floor) so would be no need to hide them in the wall, just terminating them in the Wago box under the floorboards would be the ideal option.
do this. Cables should not be in walls without something to indicate their presence.
Pothole said:
What other kinds of socket do people have in their houses? Kinds which might be confused, in this context, with electrical sockets?
Sorry, was talking about electrical sockets.Forgot that the cables were all coming from under the floor so no need to hide in the wall (Came from 17 years living in a flat where everything was chased in the wall)
Jambo85 said:
They’re great, so are the Wagoboxes, although they’d be even better if they made a shallow one to nicely fit a 50mm service void!
They do - the Wagobox 'light' is only 39mm x 29mm x 95mm. Edited by MJNewton on Tuesday 20th October 12:27
I used some Wago 222 connectors last week, wanted to move a socket and the ring cables were too short so removed them from the socket and terminated using the connectors then ran a new cable from there to the new socket, all straightforward and neatly hidden in a Wago box which has been placed on the floor within the stud wall.
MJNewton said:
Jambo85 said:
They’re great, so are the Wagoboxes, although they’d be even better if they made a shallow one to nicely fit a 50mm service void!
They do - the Wagobox 'light' is only 39mm x 29mm x 95mm. Incidentally, I see there are a couple of new (to me at least) alternatives out there.
I've used these a lot:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/2-way-push-wire-connect...
Wago themselves seem to have released these - main difference seems to be 50% more expensive and rated at 24A, ones above being 20A IIRC:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-2-way-push-wire-co...
And a knock-off here, significantly cheaper and rated for 32A:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/ideal-in-sure-2-port-pu...
This is an interesting review of some Wago knock-offs that are a design that's quite interesting. I've ordered some and they're currently on a slow boat from China so it'll be interesting to see what they're like!
https://youtu.be/OP86SxqP7I8
https://youtu.be/OP86SxqP7I8
Jambo85 said:
Right you are - it doesn't retain the connectors the same though. Probably being fussy!
Incidentally, I see there are a couple of new (to me at least) alternatives out there.
I've used these a lot:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/2-way-push-wire-connect...
Wago themselves seem to have released these - main difference seems to be 50% more expensive and rated at 24A, ones above being 20A IIRC:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-2-way-push-wire-co...
And a knock-off here, significantly cheaper and rated for 32A:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/ideal-in-sure-2-port-pu...
Surely the Wago Box Light wouldn't be MF compliant if used for extending a ring main as it doesn't secure the terminals, as you say. Wago do a 32A rated connector of course but it's even more expensive than the 24A push fit ones:Incidentally, I see there are a couple of new (to me at least) alternatives out there.
I've used these a lot:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/2-way-push-wire-connect...
Wago themselves seem to have released these - main difference seems to be 50% more expensive and rated at 24A, ones above being 20A IIRC:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-2-way-push-wire-co...
And a knock-off here, significantly cheaper and rated for 32A:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/ideal-in-sure-2-port-pu...
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-2-way-lever-connec...
So what rating connector should be used for ring main work? 20A, 24A or 32A? I beleive Wago say the 20A ones are compliant with the regs.
Jambo85 said:
Right you are - it doesn't retain the connectors the same though. Probably being fussy!
No, although it does still have the cord grip and I sometimes find the connector retainers a bit awkward if I'm short of space.Jambo85 said:
Incidentally, I see there are a couple of new (to me at least) alternatives out there.
I've used these a lot:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/2-way-push-wire-connect...
I'm not quite so keen on the push-wire variety, even for solid core conductors. Not sure exactly what it is, perhaps just the positive action of the spring lever type that I prefer (and they're easier to dismantle of course).I've used these a lot:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/2-way-push-wire-connect...
Edited by MJNewton on Tuesday 20th October 12:24
Mr Pointy said:
Surely the Wago Box Light wouldn't be MF compliant if used for extending a ring main as it doesn't secure the terminals, as you say.
You're right but the standard Wagobox (non XL) would and whilst it's a bit bigger than the Light it'd still just about fit within the 50mm service void mentioned as it is 39mm x 44mm x 108mm.Mr Pointy said:
So what rating connector should be used for ring main work? 20A, 24A or 32A? I beleive Wago say the 20A ones are compliant with the regs.
For MF applications the 222 and newer 221 series connectors must be derated from 32A to 20A so when it comes to inaccessible ring work which might serve high loads I only ever use the 773-173 push connectors which are derated from 41A to 32A.All that said, I can't help but think that the whole Maintenance Free requirements are somewhat overblown as they imply that accessible connections are regularly maintained - which I think we would all agree is rarely the case. Furthermore, I'd sooner trust a sprung Wago connector to create and maintain a reliable connection over time than a screw terminal and so would likely trust any of the Wago connectors in any of their boxes to provide a safe connection even in inaccessible places (whatever that actually means, but I wouldn't go as far as burying anything in plaster).
Edited by MJNewton on Tuesday 20th October 12:31
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