Hi all,
I am new to the forum. If this is the wrong place to ask I apologize in advance.
I need to connect two pieces of wires together. I would like to replace the receptacle in my apt from a two-pronged to a GFCI, but the wires are so short that I would need to put in an extension for it to connect to the new receptacle. I think I will use a lever nut to do so. My question is, do the two pieces of wire need to have the same gauge?
Thank you.
Never heard of a lever nut (I’m familiar with the term wire nut though) - had to google it:
http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/wagowirenuts.pdf
The answer is no, they do not need to be the same gauge…
They don’t need to be the same gauge, however they MUST be at least large enough for the overcurrent protection on the circuit (normally 14AWG for a 15A fuse/breaker, 12AWG for a 20A). You can not use 14AWG on a 20A circuit, even for pigtails.
/mike
sounds like OP is a rank novice in AC power wiring.
DON’T DO IT! Get someone with knowledge and experience, then watch.