Tried using Wago connectors on a 12 gauge circuit, got a different result than expected

I swapped out a junction box last week in a 1950s house in Portland and used Wago 221s instead of wire nuts for a change. The connections felt solid but after I turned the power back on, the light flickered for about 10 seconds before stabilizing. I'm wondering if it was a bad box or if those connectors just handle older copper differently. Has anyone else seen this with Wagos on old wiring?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron_craig18d ago

You mentioned the flickering stopped after 10 seconds, but that's probably not a Wago issue. Old copper can have some oxidation that causes temporary bad contact, and the 221s actually have a spring that needs to pierce through that layer. I'd check if the wire was fully inserted past the test slot next time, that's usually the culprit on older wiring.

cameron_craig18d ago

1950s copper is basically fickle enough without me adding Wagos to the mix, I've definitely shoved a wire in just barely past the test slot and spent an hour blaming the connector.