# Correct way to wire receptacles in series?



## GrimBeeper (Feb 17, 2017)

So I've always wired series receptacles by putting the hot and neutral into the top of the box, wired into the top of the receptacle, then connecting the next run of wire to the bottom of the receptacle and out of the bottom of the box, no pig-tails unless the ground needed one.

But I've seen a lot of tutorials that want you to only make one connection to the receptacle, and pig-tail all three wires. That seems barbaric to me, but is there a reason to do it that way? Thanks!


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## fatboy (Feb 17, 2017)

Adding an additional connection point, the wire nut, would certainly seem less safe to me, one more point of potential failure. Not saying it would necessarily fail, just why add one more connection?


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## GrimBeeper (Feb 17, 2017)

Yes - my theory is that it's the wire-nut-industrial-complex...


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## Paul Sweet (Feb 17, 2017)

This might be OK for screw terminals, as long as you're not switching one of the receptacles and leaving the other hot.  I'd feel better using pigtails if the receptacles have stab-in connections.


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## GrimBeeper (Feb 17, 2017)

Paul - could you say a little more about that? I'm not sure I understand your logic. Are you saying that pig-tailing makes replacing the receptacles easier at a later date?


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## Francis Vineyard (Feb 17, 2017)

*E3406.11.2 Device connections. *The continuity of a grounded conductor in multiwire branch circuits shall not be dependent on connection to devices such as receptacles and lampholders. The arrangement of grounding connections shall be such that the disconnection or the removal of a receptacle, luminaire or other device fed from the box does not interfere with or interrupt the grounding continuity.


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## GrimBeeper (Feb 17, 2017)

Got it! That's super helpful! Thanks!


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## GrimBeeper (Feb 17, 2017)

So the pigtail is required on the ground, neutral and hot too?


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## Francis Vineyard (Feb 17, 2017)

Here's more detailed illustration


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## GrimBeeper (Feb 17, 2017)

For some reason I get an error clicking on that image, but just to be clear - as long as it's only one connection in and one out, and as long as the ground is pig-tailed, the hot and neutral can use the connector on the receptacle?


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## cda (Feb 17, 2017)

I think it is one wire per screw


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## Francis Vineyard (Feb 17, 2017)

If you have 2 single pole breakers or a single 2 pole breaker and the wiring will have 2 hots (black & red) then you need to pigtail the shared neutral where the red or black wire splits to another branch.


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## Gregg Harris (Mar 14, 2017)

Look at Francis's examples carefully and his explanation. If it is a Multi wire feed, meaning it is two hot conductors  sharing a neutral. The white wire must be wire nutted and pig tailed to the outlet to prevent the circuit from becoming a 220 volt circuit if the neutral is opened when the receptical is disconnected. In a scenario where you only have a hot neutral and ground the hot and neutral can be run directly to the screw terminals for continuation to the next outlet. I prefer to pigtail in all scenarios and tape the wire nuts as apposed to using all four screw terminals


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## ADAguy (Mar 24, 2017)

overload protection and safety, overload protection and safety, say it again.


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## ICE (Mar 26, 2017)

The example that Francis provided is a wiring system done with conduit.  Screw connections are reliable and take up less space.


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