Back stabbed devices

[izak]

thats the FOURTH time ive seen a Buchannan wirenut fail on stranded wire!!!

I watched one just straight up catch on fire in new construction right after it was installed by a -to all appearances- competent Journeyman.

I really think the Brits have got it going with screw terminals instead of wirenuts. at least on stranded wire. given the option, I wont use a wirenut on anything larger than 2 #10 stranded. from there on I prefer split bolts

by the way, the big difference between Wagos and back stab devices is the fact that the Wagos DONT use a Bi-metal tab that bends away from the wire as it heats up.
According to the manufacturer anyway

 

[kwired]

..a Bi-metal tab that bends away from the wire as it heats up..

That sounds like a thermal cut out to me.

If they would make them in a manual reset version, maybe the fire risk would be lower:grin:

 

[Benton]

money is made by me for replacing stablocks. I'm all for them.

me too!

 

[kwired]

Money is made by me for replacing stablocks. I'm all for them.

me too!

Do you replace with inexpensive device and back stab it also?

Or do you replace with $15.00 hospital grade receptacles? Need to add a stainless steel plate too

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Wish I had some pics from a house I worked on some years ago, had the best of the worst...backwired receps, AL wire, Wadsworth panel. What a mess.

 

[stew]

well i gotta tell you there are sure a bunch of othe problems with that 4 square. at least the unclosed openings let the smoke out and the fact that it seems to floating in air air and supported only by the conduits allowed the bad connection and over fill to breatha bit!

 

[jmellc]

OK, here is a picture of a possible fire starting due to a wirenut, should we also ban wirenuts?

Faiure of wirenuts is not nearly as common as failure of backstabs. Anything can go wrong sometimes. Stabs go wrong a lot more than sometimes.

BTW, this is why I no longer buy these B2 wirenuts. They used to be among the best. They are now among the worst. They come apart or crack much too easily. I mostly buy 3M now, either red/tan or red w/yellow skirt. I buy Ideal wingnuts also.

 

[jmellc]

I backwire all receptacles and switches on 15 amp circuits and have never had a call back in 27 years. I always pigtail and never depend on the device for feed through. Most of the failures I have seen have been side wired devices. Pigtailing has been pretty much standard in my area even for the track guys.

I like pigtailing too, & do it along with sidescrew connections. Your pigtailing reduces the load on the devices. Backstabbing without pigtailing loads each device with every load downline, as well as its own. The tiny connection inside where stabbed is usually not going to carry a heavy load without failing. Granted, it never becomes an issue on some ckts with lighter loads. A few lamps or clocks may never cause a problem.

 

[jmellc]

thats the FOURTH time ive seen a Buchannan wirenut fail on stranded wire!!!

I watched one just straight up catch on fire in new construction right after it was installed by a -to all appearances- competent Journeyman.

I really think the Brits have got it going with screw terminals instead of wirenuts. at least on stranded wire. given the option, I wont use a wirenut on anything larger than 2 #10 stranded. from there on I prefer split bolts

by the way, the big difference between Wagos and back stab devices is the fact that the Wagos DONT use a Bi-metal tab that bends away from the wire as it heats up.
According to the manufacturer anyway

I've seen Buchanan wirenuts fail repeatedly on stranded or solid wire in recent years, which is why I no longer buy them.

 

[jmellc]

John, there is quite a bit of difference in the amount of contact area in the Wago or Ideal push-in than the backstab. The Ideal uses a flat contact area that touches the entire stripped length of the conductor vs an edge meeting the rounded surface of the conductor. I suspect this has a lot to deal with the ability to be more reliable.

I've noticed this too & asked an Ideal rep about it. He said they worked on this connector a long time & tested it repeatedly before marketing it. Agreed, I've never seen them or Wegos fail. I didn't trust them at first, but never had a callback on one.

 

[G._S._Ohm]

With wirenuts the mating surface between conductors is larger and the pressure forcing the two conductors together is higher, both of which reduce contact impedance. And with a wirenut there's no "spring temper" that can degrade over time.