Leviton Lev-Lok Receptacles

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Engineer1984

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Hi everybody! New here, first post. I’m a building engineer in downtown Seattle. Figured my first post ought to be about something I've been dealing with ever since I started at this building; The Leviton Lev-Lok Receptacle. Didn’t know these existed til I came to this property. Garbage, garbage, garbage. Total and complete junk. Been here a month and already I’ve had 3 calls with these being the culprit. Each one was either the hot or neutral popped out of the twist lock, or was in the process of doing so. EVEN IF these weren’t defective in that fashion, using push-in wire connectors for your pigtails??? Come on! I even cringe seeing people use them on ballasts. I’d immediately fire any contractor I saw roll on to the jobsite with these. Complete junk.
Anyone else had experience with these?
 
I'd never heard of them before: http://www.leviton.com/en/products/electrical-wiring-devices/levlok-modular-devices

That said, push-on connectors like Wagos are fine. I still use cheap, fast wire nuts mostly, but I keep Wagos around and they are worth their weight in gold sometimes.

41jfqcNxdFL._AC_UL115_.jpg


Wirenuts and Wagos can both be used properly or improperly.
 
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Engineer1984 said:
Hi everybody! New here, first post. I’m a building engineer in downtown Seattle. Figured my first post ought to be about something I've been dealing with ever since I started at this building; The Leviton Lev-Lok Receptacle. Didn’t know these existed til I came to this property. Garbage, garbage, garbage. Total and complete junk. Been here a month and already I’ve had 3 calls with these being the culprit. Each one was either the hot or neutral popped out of the twist lock, or was in the process of doing so. EVEN IF these weren’t defective in that fashion, using push-in wire connectors for your pigtails??? Come on! I even cringe seeing people use them on ballasts. I’d immediately fire any contractor I saw roll on to the jobsite with these. Complete junk.
Anyone else had experience with these?
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Now before these approved products get bashed, are you sure they were installed correctly to begin with?:D
Virtually every type of product ever used in this trade has failed at some point somewhere b/c of substandard installation.

About the rec- are you talking about the one that has that separately sold push, twist, and lock module that gets jabbed on to the back of the device? If you are, I don't install those and am not familiar with the track record of it- seems to be kind of a thing for commercial stuff- maybe some of those guys will pop in. The design does see like it would make things go quicker on pop in time

As for the push in type connectors, I don't care for those and prefer wire nuts.
 
user 100 said:
Now before these approved products get bashed...

...

...The design does see like it would make things go quicker on pop in time...
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Faster than backstabbing? After all, that's approved! :lol: :ashamed:

I, too, would like to hear from more users. If reliable, that would speed up trim-out immensely. So far we have one, and it's a resounding no, it seems.
 
MAC702 said:
Faster than backstabbing? After all, that's approved! :lol: .
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I've said my 2 cents here before about that bane of tract home wiring known as backstabbing- I hate it with a passion. But I accept the fact that there are literally billions of backstab connections in use and only a very small fraction of them will ever become problematic. We could and should use the screws, but remember, sidewired devices, like anything else, are only as good as the installer.:)
 
user 100 said:
I've said my 2 cents here before about that bane of tract home wiring known as backstabbing- I hate it with a passion. But I accept the fact that there are literally billions of backstab connections in use and only a very small fraction of them will ever become problematic. We could and should use the screws, but remember, sidewired devices, like anything else, are only as good as the installer.:)
Click to expand...

x2. Fully agree on everything said here.
 
user 100 said:
I've said my 2 cents here before about that bane of tract home wiring known as backstabbing- I hate it with a passion. But I accept the fact that there are literally billions of backstab connections in use and only a very small fraction of them will ever become problematic. We could and should use the screws, but remember, sidewired devices, like anything else, are only as good as the installer.:)
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donselectric said:
job security...
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Coppersmith said:
Every service call for "the outlets in my bedroom aren't working" is a couple of hundred $ in my pocket.
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I've alluded to that before in one of the many backstab threads- hate 'em, but amittedly they do give us work.:happyyes:

mbrooke said:
x2. Fully agree on everything said here.
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Great:thumbsup:

Now guys, it was not my intention to, and nor do I want to, hijack the ops thread with another song and dance about the merits or lack thereof, of backstabbing, sidewiring, pigtailing vs going thru the device......just drawing a parallel for the op about approved products/poor application/actual vs.perceived failure rate.:)

With that said, the op needs to know if anyone here has installed the device in this link below posted by MAC702, and if they have, what was their opinion of it-

MAC702 said:
http://www.leviton.com/en/products/electrical-wiring-devices/levlok-modular-devices.
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The op also would like some opinions about push in wire connectors, and lastly I just now noticed he's a new guy here,
so I'm gonna go first and say:

Welcome to the forum:cool:
 
curt swartz said:
This is the first time I have seen the Leviton version. If the connector doesn't lock well I could see how it could rotate when the device is installed in the box.

Legrand has had a similar plug in device for many years but it uses a different connector.
https://www.legrand.us/passandseymour/plugtail.aspx
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The Leviton ones appear to have been around for a decade or so. That P&S uses a different connector means one thing when the receptacle gets replaced: the Lev-Lok or P&S wiring module will be removed from the wirenuts and standard pigtails installed to a standard receptacle - I dont see any electrician carrying even more specialty receptacles and switches on the truck.

Only use to me would be a new facility wired exclusively with either brand and maintenance would have replacements on hand to swap out. That said, swapping out a defective/damaged switch or receptacle still needs to be done de-energized* imho; a wire could pop out or burn out of the harness creating a danger to an installer who doesn't secure power, especially with 277V.

*From Leviton:

"The benefits continue after the building is finished. In environments requiring frequent change out of wiring devices, Lev-Lok devices can be changed out quickly and safely without shutting down power to the circuit."

I beg to differ.

Welcome Engineer1984. Tho many share your disdain of push-in (as well as lever-lock, not to be confused with Lev-Lok) style connectors, if installed correctly they are as reliable as other methods. And unless required by job spec to use wirenuts or standard receptacles, I doubt you'd successfully fire any contractor using the products you mention.

eta: on most jobs, istm the biggest problem would be digging your plug-in harness out of a mount of drywall mud or having to deal with paint overspray on the contacts. I also only found Leviton literature for them; it doesnt appear ANYONE actually carries the devices in stock.

Dollars to donuts, I bet the decreased install time is sacked by increased product cost: who do you want to pay, Leviton or your crew?
 
JFletcher said:
the biggest problem would be digging your plug-in harness out of a mount of drywall mud or having to deal with paint overspray on the contacts.
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I completely agree with this assumption. I will typically put painters tape on modular connectors if there will be painters/mudders coming in after me.

The Wego connectors come standard in some of the Juno housings I buy from my supplier. I have never had an issue with a Wego connector since they started selling that model at least a decade ago. Thermal protectors on the other hand, I can't say the same about

Rob
 
My only experience is light fixtures that incorporated similar twist lock mechanism, bulb were notorious for not making solid connections. If the locking spring connection are as weak on the receptacle as they were on the bulbs I've experienced I'd be cautious of any thing that would cause a high demand, fear of arc heating on the connector.
That said if the prove to be reliable, I could definitely see this saving a lot of time for installation, everything done on rough in. And appears would be safer in box, can't tell you how many times I've been back after a painter removed to "not get paint on the receptacle or switch" only to short out side screw against box or ground, and called "light don't work" or "plug don't work". Just need to keep the drywaller with his rotozip away from the connector.
It seems to be another take on their new panel design that has all terminations done at rough in, not seen here yet would be interested in the cost, for residential it always seem to be about the extra 5 to 50 cents. Sometimes they don't see if I can get in and out quicker the next trade can do likewise and the whole project is completed sooner.
 
Fred B said:
...It seems to be another take on their new panel design that has all terminations done at rough in, not seen here yet would be interested in the cost...
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I've seen these at the supply houses but I'm not inclined to guinea pig my customers. I'll be happy to wait a few more years and see how the industry likes them. By and large I do prefer Leviton devices to many others.

Not a reflection of the product but I saw a rep "trying to sell" the new Leviton panels at a supply house. He then proceeded to tell me that "everyone knows that AFCIs don't do anything" and he had gone through his new house after inspection and pulled them all out [eye roll]. Why fight that fight? I just can't see eye to eye on that argument.

Rob
 
marmathsen said:
I've seen these at the supply houses but I'm not inclined to guinea pig my customers. I'll be happy to wait a few more years and see how the industry likes them. By and large I do prefer Leviton devices to many others.

Not a reflection of the product but I saw a rep "trying to sell" the new Leviton panels at a supply house. He then proceeded to tell me that "everyone knows that AFCIs don't do anything" and he had gone through his new house after inspection and pulled them all out [eye roll]. Why fight that fight? I just can't see eye to eye on that argument.

Rob
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I too not really wanting to be the Guinea pig but am intrigued, afa the AFCIs I see alot of negative comments even in this forum. I agree the early version were questionable, but the ones I've been using SD or Eaton haven't had any issues with. Had one faulty replaced with another and NP. The only ones I've ever had call in about was always a result of a GC doing Installation and wire terminations improperly tightened or carpenter damaged wire, 3.5 inch screw into it.
 
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