Article: Making connections: the right wire connector, used correctly, can help DIYers take on electrical jobs--safely.(HOME JOURNAL /// ELECTRICAL BASICS)

"I thought you called and programmed the thermostat to turn on the heat," my neighbor Helen Joy said to her husband, Dave, when they arrived at their Catskill vacation home after a 4-hour drive. "I did," Dave insisted. "So why is it chilly?" Helen asked. The problem: A loose connection in the switch box for the furnace's oil burner had melted a wire connector and shorted out the burner circuit. It was frustrating--but not that unusual. As an electrician and mechanical contractor, I see this all the time. The situation could have been prevented with a properly applied wire connector. In most cases, a connector is nothing more than a plastic cap with a spring inside. When ...

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