this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2024
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No pun intended, but why not stick the wires into the appropriate holes? Why did you choose to wrap them around the screws?
I don't like the holes. I don't trust em. With the screws I can definitely see what's going on.
I've got a bit of rewiring to do in my home soon and have been doing some research. Apparently this is called backstabbing and is generally considered lower quality work. The connection simply isn't as secure as the screw tightened half loops on the side - but if you spend all day everyday wiring receptacles it's much faster to backstab. Backstabbing is to code, but if you're wiring a few receptacles, best to take the few extra minutes to do it the more secure way.
The contact area of the terminals on the wires is much higher if you use the screws rather than the dinky little spring prongs in the stabby-holes. A small contact area means more heat is produced at the junction, which leads to premature failure, which leads to annoyance, which leads to the dark side.
The only outlet I witnessed fail due to heat was backstabbed.
Backstabbing is to code but really shouldn’t be. They can cause fires as the connection gets looser over time as the device is used and isn’t nearly as secure.
I hate backstabbing because trying to get it off when you need to work on the receptacle is usually a big pain in the ass. I actually broke part of an outlet once. I was replacing it anyway, but damn.
Never use the backstabbing holes on electrical receptacles.
They come loose over time, faster if they’re not fastened properly or if the house is prone to settling.
I'm convinced this is a myth or only happens when people don't actually push it in far enough. For me, it's always been a pain in the ass to remove them. Which is why I hate it.
Definitely not a myth. They are notoriously failure prone. Repeated expansion and contraction and just age can cause the contacts to loosen, which increases resistance, which increases heat generated at the point of connection, which increases the amount of expansion and contraction, etc.
A lot of people don't even realize they have a problem until they plug in something high wattage like a space heater or hair dryer and the outlet gets nice and hot.
I’ve pulled out receptacles where the wire popped right out and stayed in the box. It could have been installation error by the previous homeowner or poor quality receptacles. All I know is that’s what my electrician friend who was helping me told me.
Never seen a loose one either, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I bet some manufacturer had a bad batch.
I've seen them be loose every time I've encountered them. And some of them were my own doing before I discovered they work loose, and just suck in general (and are disliked by electricians).
Is THAT what the holes are for?!?
I honestly never knew.
You press the wire directly into the round hole. To remove, you need to stick a small screwdriver into the rectangular hole next to it.
No one uses holes. They have a high fail rate, the Unless they are the high-end outlets where the screw also clamps the wire in the hole. And still, no one uses holes.
I use the holes, they're just easier. Never had one fail.
Most old work I take apart also uses the holes.
Lol yeah I did in the past, too. Then I learned why they suck and why we should not use them. And to be honest with you, using the screws isn't hard. You're just being lazy.
I do. They work fine.*
It has nothing to do with how hard you smash the switch. It's the spring retainer mechanism. Over time, the spring weakens and won't retain the wire in place as well, making it prone to a poor electrical connection. Also, the location of the light switch can play a big role. A light switch by the front door of the house on an outside wall is significantly more prone to vibrations from the door opening and closing and temperature fluctuations. This, in turn, accelerates the spring loosing it's strength.
Especially with the heating of current passing through.
I'd like to ask the developer of these things what happens to a spring that is repeatedly heated and cooled...
Probably 99% of electricians will tell you to never use the back stab holes.
They don't hold well, at all, are easy to pull out when pulling an outlet/switch out, and can break the casing when trying to push the fixture in.
I don't understand how they ever got approved, they're flat out dangerous.
Can’t tell which those are but
“back stab” where it is held by friction, common to consumer receptacles, have a poor reputation for failing. Don’t use them
“back clamp” (don’t remember what they’re called), common to “pro” receptacles is clamped down by tightening the screw. Much more reliable
I'm not a professional electrician by any stretch of the imagination, but I have done plenty of home remodeling and I've literally never seen the backstabbing holes used. Though most of the houses I've worked on were built before ~2006