ScotchLoks? On *AC*?

Jay Ashworth

Well-Known Member
Quoted from a facility spec manual:

Connections: Conductors #10 and #12 AWG shall be connected with pre-insulated​
spring connectors incased in a steel shell and rated at not less than 105 degrees C. A
minimum of 3/8 inch skirt shall cover the bare wires. The connector shall meet with UL
approval for fixture and pressure work, and shall be "Scotch Lok" Type Y, R and B
electrical spring connectors as manufactured by the 3M Company or approved equal.​

Scotchloks are for telco/data/LV wiring, right? ...

was what I thought, until I googled it; that's also what they call their wire-nuts.

Who knew? (Not me, and I took electricity in vo-tech.)
 
No, Scotchloks are acceptable per NEC for AC power wiring and are used universally in the building construction and remodel industries. They come in several sizes, denoted by color, and are used for both stranded and solid wires up to (I believe) 8 GA and maybe even 6 GA. Now, having said that, 3M may also make the connectors you're thinking of for smaller wires & lower power applications.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Van
I think they are common in Europe for in box terrminations. I've seen a few YouTubers from over there that use them, or something similar for projects, as opposed to wire nuts over here. Might even be safer than wire nuts in some respects since they latch on to the copper?

I remember using what we called "beanie" connectors to splice low voltage POTS lines when I worked for a telco company in HS. Just jam the wires in and crimp it with the back side of your cutters. The scotchloks look a bit more sophisticated! 😂
 
I like the Wago connectors... decidedly the best/easiest:
I concur, but the specs on this project sadly don't permit them.

As for Scotchloks v wirenuts; both usually have a copper coil in the bottom to engage the conductors, no, Strad?

And yes, these smaller Scotchloks replaced beanies, though the latter are still smaller and easier to pack in a box.

Of course, in these Ethernet days, you not only don't need them as much, you don't *want* them around, as people will -- no joke -- use them on Category ethernet cabling.
 
Scotchloks look like ordinary wire nuts inside, but they had a ratcheting action that took squeezing them with pliers to get them to unscrew. The outer shell was more of a soft vinyl instead of hard plastic. I haven't seen them sold in the US for many years, but they were fairly common in the 70s and early 80s.
 
I googled "scotchloc" and got a dizzying variety of products using that name. My conclusion is that it's a brand, not a product.
 
1671743052986.png


I went back and looked up the videos I was thinking of, and the Wago ones were what I've seen the most of, which @RonaldBeal pointed out. The Youtuber "GreatScott!" has used them a couple of times. They seem to have a mechanical latching which is a bit more robust than your everyday wirenut. That said, I've never used them myself so IDK.
 
I don't think we've used wire nuts here in the UK since the 50s. Wago is popular, as are those jelly crimps. Choc-block will often get you out of a corner.
 
Well, in the UK they may be.

In this Architectural Spec for the new facility, they're they only thing acceptable.

Well, those *specific* wire nuts.
 
The spec probably landed in the architectural firm's collection 40 years ago, and nobody every updated it. It might be the only specific description for a wire nut they could find. The electricians are not going to lose sleep over it, because nobody will hold them to that brand. Spec books contain a lot of boilerplate nonsense that the builders have to wade through, to find the pages that actually matter to the client.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back