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Question:

Copper wires differ? Installing light switch?

So, I purchased a motion sensor light switch to replace the regular switches at my new condo. I have the wires exposed and I've identified the hot wire. My only problem is the hot wire (from inside the wall) is a single thick copper prong, whereas the wire for the motion sensor is split into like 15 different small copper wires.... I don't think the thick, single wire from the wall will work with the twisting wire connectors I purchased.... Am I able to just put the wires together and duct tape them??

Answer:

You need wire nuts, conical plastic pieces with wire helical cones inside them... which sounds like what you have already. (It is not allowed to crimp solid wire - it weakens the wire.) Wire nuts come in different sizes; you will want the orange ones. To use the wire nut, lay the stranded wire alongside the solid wire, both stripped back about 3/8 inch, give the pair a gentle twist with your fingertips, and twist the wire nut on them until it stops or gets pretty hard to twist. Give a test pull on each wire.
No duct tape. Wire nuts will work for stranded and solid wire. Put them together twist the wire nut on then have a beer. Repeat process until you run out of beer or wire.
The twisting cord connectors (aka cord nuts) will artwork fantastic to connect stranded and stable wires, assuming they are the proper length connectors. merely lay the solid and stranded cord in conjunction with one yet another and screw on the cord nut. Double examine your achieved connection by giving the guy conductors a tug.
Well you could twist them together and electrical tape them. But I would recommend you go back to the store and get some butt splices and crimp them to hold one set of wire at each end. Its just safer that way.

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