How To Splice Wires Without Any Tools For Simple Repairs

Ask an electrical engineer, automotive repair tech, appliance repair person, or even an electronics hobbyist what is most likely to cause an electrical system to fail, and you'll get the same answer: wire connections. One common situation is also perhaps the simplest one ... connecting two wires together. It's a vexing problem because making trouble-free wire splices is actually pretty easy, but it can be very time-consuming. There's no shortage of tutorials for making mechanically strong splices between two stripped-stranded wires, but the operations feel like tying unfamiliar surgical knots or trying to braid the beard of an angry Viking. There are quicker ways to splice wires with connectors, but they generally have the same shortcoming: They demand that you have and use specialized tools.

YouTube appliance repair guru @bensappliancesandjunk runs down some of the more common tool-less splice connectors, and they all have one thing in common: They require tools. True, there are some tools every homeowner should have, but let's be honest: You're unlikely to splice two wires without at least being able to strip the insulation off of one or both of them. That requires some kind of tool, though a pocket knife or a sharp rock will usually do the trick. The closest connector that is hypothetically tool-free is the 3M Scotchlok connector, but (as Ben notes in his video) mere mortals are unlikely to have the finger strength to make a solid connection without pliers. But if you can manage to strip your wires, Ben has a recommendation that's somewhere in the neighborhood of genius: Posi-Lock splice connectors.

Posi-Lock connectors look, at a glance, like crimp-on butt splicers. Look more closely, though, and you see a connector with none of the problems inherent in butt splicers. They tend to be very weak, especially if installed with the wrong tool. Even though they fail frequently, the connectors themselves aren't reusable. The Posi-Lock concept fixes all that mess with a connector that's easily installed without tools, except that ubiquitous wire stripper. However, keep in mind that even using a wire stripper can be dangerous, so observe every safety measure when doing so. But these connectors are extremely strong and can be re-used indefinitely, as long as they're not mistreated. Let's look at how that can possibly be true.

The basic Posi-Lock connector is an inline splicing device in three parts: a barrel with a metal conductor and two caps through which stripped wires are threaded. When you screw the wired caps into each end of the barrel, an electrical connection is completed. The mechanical connection is strong and often exceeds the rated strength of thinner-gauge wires. And since the caps are screwed in by hand, no tools are necessary.

Posi-Locks can handle AC voltage up to 600 volts ... not quite high voltage by the traditional definition, but enough to handle commercial or industrial voltages, and certainly enough to take standard household line voltage from a receptacle and run with it. Note that Posi-Lock connectors are rated for stranded wire only, and aren't listed for use with electrical wiring like common nonmetallic (NM) cable or Romex.

Posi-Lock connectors come in four, color-coded sizes for different wire gauges -– red connectors ($14 for 9) for 18- to 24-gauge wire; blue ($15.99 for 20) for 14- to 16-gauge wire; yellow ($22.95 for 20) for 10- to 12-gauge wire; and green ($23.95 for 5) for 6- to 8-gauge wire. But the manufacturer, Swenco Products, has a few other posi-tricks up its sleeve. Posi-Twist connectors are the company's take on more secure wire nuts, into which multiple wires are terminated from one side. Posi-Twist is available in three sizes, and the two larger sizes come in two colors, which is handy for keeping positive and neutral wires straight. Posi-Tap connectors tap into an existing wire, allowing a second wire to connect to it securely at a right angle, forming a T-shaped connection. Posi-Taps come in seven sizes. And Posi-Tite connectors work like Posi-Locks but form water-tight connections without tools like crimpers. Posi-Tite connectors use a compression seal to keep water out and are available for 14-, 16-, and 18- to 20-gauge wire.

However, if you're not well-versed in electrical repair, it's best to leave it to the pros. Of course, professional repair techs have strong preferences about how wires connect. They often eschew newfangled ideas like the push-in connectors on the backs of some switches and receptacles, or Wago-style lever nuts. Many don't trust them and you're not going to convince them to. Remember that wire connections are the most common point of failure, and every failure represents an additional service call and a potential customer complaint to a pro. These super-secure, super-strong, super-easy connectors are easy to have confidence in.