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I’m installing pendant lights. There are two 12 gauge solid wires that my contractor already pretwisted. I need to connect them with 18 gauge stranded from light fixture. I lead with 1/8” stranded but never get the stranded wire to twist with the solids above wire nut. It passes pull test of each wire. I have another light still to add. I am wondering if connection would be more secure between the three if I cut off pretwist of two 12s and start fresh with no pretwisting.

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    I’ve come to prefer Wago connectors, having had too many wire nuts not do the right thing. Commented Nov 28 at 18:26
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    The way you did things before is fine. If the pendant wire will not pull out it is good. You may be overthinking the whole thing. Commented 2 days ago

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A wire nut's effectiveness does not depend on whether the wires outside it are twisted together. It's often said that you should tighten the nut until the wires twist, but that's mostly so you have an indication that it's tight enough. What really matters is that the nut, specifically the threaded metal internal sleeve, has firm, positive engagement with all conductors.

While twisted wire groups can provide some stability for the connection when manipulating the wires, such as to tuck them into a box, it's usually not necessary. It can also cause problems:

  • Twisted sets of wires are more rigid, so tucking is actually more difficult.

  • Adding wires to a pre-twisted set may require untwisting for best result. This leaves it kinked up and harder to work with.

  • Twisting creates fairly harsh bends in a conductor, which, if later work must be performed, can accumulate to weaken the conductor.

At some point this becomes a matter of personal preference and the nuances of the situation. If you can achieve a good connection that is retained after the wires are put in their final positions, it just doesn't matter.

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    This is false. Twisting is necessary for a solid mechanical as well as electrical connection. The nut is really just for insulation. While it's true that the manufacturer does not require pre-twisting, and opinions vary on whether it's necessary, twisting the wires together is required, and the manufacturer's instructions for every twist nut clearly says this. You're supposed to keep twisting until the wires are twisted several turns past the nut. Commented 20 hours ago
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    If you don't want to twist, use a Wago 221 lever nut. There are pros and cons to each type of wire connector. But twist nuts always require twisting the wires tightly together, whether or not you choose to pre-twist or do when the nut is installed. Commented 20 hours ago
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The best solution is to use Wago 221 series lever nuts.

These are the most reliable and idiot-proof, and they excel at splicing small stranded wires with thicker solid wires. They work with a wide range of sizes up to 12 gauge, and you can visually verify that each wire is fully inserted and stripped to the right length.

No twisting is required, and once the wires are prepped (stripped & trimmed to the proper length, and straightened out if necessary), you can easily install them one handed.

There are knockoff of these connectors, including by Ideal and Harbor freight, but the Wago brand are the best in my opinion. And now they're available at Home Depot as well as Amazon.

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