Problems with TR receptacles

[sfav8r]

We have now had two occasions where clients have complained about TR receptacles being too difficult to plug things into. On the first cmplaint I assumed they wer just not pushing evenly into the receptacle. As it turned out, they were actually just really hard to plug in. We swapped out 4 of the receptacles and everything was OK. Now we have a complaint from another client that says they have tried random locations throughout the house and all but a few are very hard to plug into. This latest batch is Cooper and the first onew were Hubble.

Have any of you had similar problems?

 

[ptonsparky]

Yes, I had to replace one at my own house. I do not remember the brand. I could not get anything into it.

 

[Little Bill]

I have, and the Cooper seems to be the worst. P&S seems to work ok.
Let me add, the Cooper in a GFCI was the worst, might have been a bad batch.

 

[mbednarik]

i use p and s and leviton and they seem to be uniform. I explain to the customer about them and how to make sure to be even and square when you are plugging stuff in, i have never had to change one yet.

 

[jaylectricity]

No call-backs here either. Of course I stick my tester in every one that I install, top and bottom, so maybe I'm just loosening up the mechanism to get it started for them.

 

[renosteinke]

Gee, and I remember all the manufacturers and other 'experts' telling us how these new TR receptacles were perfect, plug insertion would be easy, and that even old folks with arthritis had no problems.

How about ..... we drop the TR requirement. I'm willing to accept limiting it to specific locations, such as places normally accessible to children in child-care centers. Applying the requirement to a single receptacle on the ceiling of the garage is beyond silly.

 

[iwire]

How about ..... we drop the TR requirement. I'm willing to accept limiting it to specific locations, such as places normally accessible to children in child-care centers. Applying the requirement to a single receptacle on the ceiling of the garage is beyond silly.

How about not? TRs are a good idea and add little to costs.

As noted some brands are better than others.

 

[pfalcon]

How about not? TRs are a good idea and add little to costs.

As noted some brands are better than others.

How about they get the design right before putting them on the market? When they eventually hit my rental property those folk aren't gonna be slowed by "hard to insert". They'll just bust the thing. Then it'll be worse than without a TR.

 

[JDB3]

I was told that the locking mechanism on them, at times breaks, so that you can not plug into them. Sure they will replace them, but we are out of a trip back.

 

[renosteinke]

"TRs are a good idea"

Just because something is a good idea does not mean it ought to become a matter of law. Let the market decide.

Case in point: There's no law that says gas stations must have public restrooms. Yet, it's a good idea. Ordinary market forces had resulted not only in nearly every gas station having a public restroom, but they often compete in the quality of their facilities.

Free markets work every time they're allowed to operate.

 

[iwire]

"TRs are a good idea"

Just because something is a good idea does not mean it ought to become a matter of law. Let the market decide.

And just because you do not agree with the added safety they provide does not make it wrong.

Let the market decide, we could apply that to every rule in every code standard or law.

You know that is not how it works.

Case in point: There's no law that says gas stations must have public restrooms. Yet, it's a good idea. Ordinary market forces had resulted not only in nearly every gas station having a public restroom, but they often compete in the quality of their facilities.

Newly constructed stores in my area require a bathroom for the public including the handicapped. If the gas station sells food and drinks there is a bathroom.

Free markets work every time they're allowed to operate.

Now that is just plain funny.

I am for free markets to a large extent but they do not 'always work'.

 

[MarkyMarkNC]

"TRs are a good idea"

Just because something is a good idea does not mean it ought to become a matter of law. Let the market decide.

Case in point: There's no law that says gas stations must have public restrooms. Yet, it's a good idea. Ordinary market forces had resulted not only in nearly every gas station having a public restroom, but they often compete in the quality of their facilities.

Free markets work every time they're allowed to operate.

Terrible analogy. If it were up to market forces, hardly any gas stations would have bathrooms. The extra labor and upkeep it takes to clean them, and stock paper towels/toilet paper/hand soap etc., make it hardly worthwhile to have a bathroom in the hopes that a few more customers may stop there.

Most local codes require them in public places that serve any kind of food. That is why they have them.

 

[Strathead]

When I was a kid the receptacles in my Grandparents house were "Tamper discouraging" kind of similar to how our stove was guarded from wandering hands because it was HOT! I only tampered with a receptacle once.

 

[iwire]

When I was a kid the receptacles in my Grandparents house were "Tamper discouraging" kind of similar to how our stove was guarded from wandering hands because it was HOT! I only tampered with a receptacle once.

Yeah, and we did not wear seat belts and we all played Evil Kenevil on our bikes without helmets. They also used to play football without pads and race cars with open tops.

But the statistics used to get this rule passed are what changed my mind, there is a staggering number of emergency room visits caused by receptacle shocks. Now this new rule is certainly not going to stop all of these accidents but there is a good change it will cut them down.

At least it promises to be less costly and more productive than AFCIs.

 

[Hendrix]

Applying the requirement to a single receptacle on the ceiling of the garage is beyond silly.

That went away in 2011. It's below 5.5' now. At least I thought it did. I can't seem to find it now. Here it is 406.12 exception 1.

 

[Sierrasparky]

How about they get the design right before putting them on the market? When they eventually hit my rental property those folk aren't gonna be slowed by "hard to insert". They'll just bust the thing. Then it'll be worse than without a TR.

Here here , ,what is up with mandates prior to proper trials and improvements of a product.