Back-stabbing devices

Back-stabbing devices

  • I back-stab because it?s my choice to.

    Votes: 15 13.2%

  • I back-stab, but I?d rather not. The person signing my paycheck says to.

    Votes: 3 2.6%

  • I back-stab on occasion.

    Votes: 21 18.4%

  • I don?t back-stab. Period. And it's my choice not to.

    Votes: 73 64.0%

  • I don?t back-stab because the boss tells me so.

    Votes: 2 1.8%
  • Total voters
    114
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andinator said:
I figured out that you are never going to get the torque required installing these with a #2 phillips. I only use a flathead and then tighten the snot out of them and the it is "problem solved".
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What makes you think a flathead achieves the proper torque speced on the device?

Over-torqued can be just as bad as under-torqued .(Generally speaking)

I say: problem NOT solved...just a different problem created ;)
 
andinator said:
I figured out that you are never going to get the torque required installing these with a #2 phillips.
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Sounds like it's time to break down and buy new philips head screw drivers.
 
e57 said:
Do strictly service work for a while, and you'll never back-stab again IMO.
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If nobody back stabs then we will be out of work someday. Look at all the money we make from those darn back stabbers. You just have to trust that they are looking out for he good of the industry. :D

BTW-- I never back stab unless it is someone I don't like. :D
 
Although I quit back stabbing back in the early '70's, when I first started out as an apprentice we back stabbed exclusively. I was with that shop for 3.5 years and we never had a call-back. None of those houses burned down. We even stabbed #12's back then. The receptacles were rated for #12's. To do it with AL. is asinine.
 
yanici said:
when I first started out as an apprentice we back stabbed exclusively. I was with that shop for 3.5 years and we never had a call-back. None of those houses burned down.
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That's because it took more than 3.5 years for the issue to arise. The more often a receptacle was plugged into the more likely that recep. back wire was going to be an issue.

No one ever said it would burn down a home.
 
I was taught by my great electrical guru to never, ever backstab-except on GFI's. I hold to what he taught me on most things, this in particular. The small amount of time saved is not worth the potential future problems on my own installations.
 
electriciangirl said:
I was taught by my great electrical guru to never, ever back stab-except on GFI's.
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The type found on GFCIs are the pressure plate type and many times are referred to as 'back wired' which is different from 'back stabbed'.

Most of the receptacles I install are of the back wired type and that is how I wire them. :smile:
 
iwire said:
The type found on GFCIs are the pressure plate type and many times are referred to as 'back wired' which is different from 'back stabbed'.

Most of the receptacles I install are of the back wired type and that is how I wire them. :smile:
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This is my understanding as well. If you just strip-n-stick, it's a back-stab. But if there's three steps, (strip, stick and spin), then it's back-wired.
 
I do not back stab and am not in favor of that wiring method..Yet how ever I do Back wire the recpt's when it is available..I am to under the understanding that Back wired is a pressure connection made by a screw terminal..were back stabed is striped and just inserted into a hole provided with a spring style pressure device..which the pressure weakens with tempeature and time..
 
cschmid said:
....were back stabed is striped and just inserted into a hole provided with a spring style pressure device..which the pressure weakens with tempeature and time..
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...and yet, still UL approved.
 
oh yea man you know politics..ouch The ul listing does not state that temp and time thing..that is my personal observation from in the field experience..Joe Home owner overloading a recept and the back stab fail faster..
 
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okay done with meetings...lets see you can use a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit which would have a 20 amp breaker..so at 16 amps you are now over the maximum rating of the outlet (which is back stabbed)by 6-1/2% now if you go to 18 amps you are almost 20% over the rating of the outlet and yet you have not reached the trip point of the circuit breaker..But the spring loaded holding mechanism is now 20% over its rating and now starts deterioration..Now you can see why it does not use the OCPD..
 
Not only will I not back-stab, I won't even use a receptacle that accepts back-stabbing. I have never seen a "quality" receptacle that will accept back-stabbing. The only ones that do are the cheapest ones at the bottom of the quality ladder.
Don
 
cschmid said:
lets see you can use a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit which would have a 20 amp breaker.
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#12 will not back stab on a 15 Amp rated device so you are useing the wrong breaker. Only a 15 Amp plug will fit into the 15 Amp. rated device.


I don't back stab because I think it's a poor connection but it is legal and many contractors in the area use them. If everything is wired to code I don't think you can overload the circuit without tripping the OCPD.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
Not only will I not back-stab, I won't even use a receptacle that accepts back-stabbing. I have never seen a "quality" receptacle that will accept back-stabbing. The only ones that do are the cheapest ones at the bottom of the quality ladder.
Don
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You mostly work commercial/industrial, right? I agree, a residential grade receptacle has no place in those environments.

But for us residential guys, it doesn't make much sense to be installing CR-20's, 5362's, etc in a spec house. ;)
 
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