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I have the following pack of wire nuts: enter image description here

On the back of the package is information on the types of wire combinations it can be used with: enter image description here

The range is also specified at https://ecat.eleknet.com/PIM_Docs/Docs/STEP_ASSETS_PDF/13049461.pdf: enter image description here

How do I interpret these ranges? I can understand if it says min. (2) x #16, max (4) x #16. This means I can have 2 to 4 16 AWG wires in the nut. But when different wire gauges and types are mixed into the range, I'm not sure what to make of it.

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    the top of chart shows wire size and count ... it says min 4 wires, 2 #16 and 2 #18
    – jsotola
    Oct 30, 2020 at 3:06
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    @jsotola, what about 2 #14? What about 2 #12 or 3 #12? The chart doesn't address those even though they are likely to be the most common use. I agree that the chart is at minimum confusing, or maybe outright lame... or perhaps there is some esoteric secret knowledge that make mystical electricians able to interpret...
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Oct 30, 2020 at 5:03
  • I was thinking that, in which case it's more of a list of wire groupings than a range. Since it's drawn as a line, I was thinking electricians somehow intuit the values between the column tracks. I guess not, thanks!
    – cornflakes24
    Oct 30, 2020 at 5:15
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    looking at the chart again ... i see an inconsistency at 1#14w/4#12
    – jsotola
    Oct 30, 2020 at 7:17

1 Answer 1

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You are not wrong. While Ideal makes great wire nuts, I have to agree those graphs are just junk. It's not really information that lends itself to a bar graph.

This document is available for US models and gives you the exact info you need:

https://www.idealind.com/content/dam/electrical/assets/WireTermination/WireConnectors/TwistOn/WireNut/UL%20ListedWireCombinations.pdf

Other brands have similar reference materials. Here is the section for the US equivalent, model 76B:

Ideal76B

That's more like it, right? But it's a lot to put on a label.

The picture in the question is a Canadian version of the wire nut (or would that be a marrette?) and I can't find an equivalent document for their Canadian product numbers. Ideal's web site was updated a while ago and is half useless.

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    That is a lot to put on a label, but on a label it is on all three boxen of wire nuts I have in the garage. I've had 'em there long enough that I could read it easily when I bought 'em and now need my "old man" glasses to make it out.
    – FreeMan
    Oct 30, 2020 at 11:31
  • That document is annoying. The wire nuts are color-coded, but they don't even bother listing colors?
    – jamesdlin
    Nov 25, 2020 at 0:48
  • Also, that document says things like "1 #8 w/1 or 3 #16". Am I supposed to interpret "1 or 3" to mean "1 through 3", or does it mean 1 #8 w/2 #16" is somehow not an acceptable combination?
    – jamesdlin
    Nov 28, 2020 at 8:53

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