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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I'm sorry, but they are junk and I will never install one anywhere.
As far as 12-2....there is a place for 14-2...that is if you use NM. Not too far from me there is no NM used...all EMT.
Don
 
SSE Dave

SSE Dave

We don't back-stab at all. First we use stranded wire so our receptacles are designed to clamp on the wire, (cannot wrap stranded wire around a screw) and have you ever tested back stabbing stranded wire? It goes in easy and comes back out just as easy. Prior to getting into commercial I got a call to trouble shoot a private home that lost power to two bedrooms. I plugged in my tester until I found a hot receptacle, when I pulled it out I found the wires back stabbed and everything looked fine. I then tested the bad receptacles again and now they worked. So I assumed the connection at the last hot receptacle lost continuity so I changed all to connect under the screws. I did not want a call back that my repair was temporary. I never got that call.
SSE Dave
 
As most of what I do/did is comm...back wired receptacles. Most if not all are/were spec grade. If not back wired, then under the screws.

As mentioned, stranded in EMT, solid with MC, all #12. Only #14 was occasional control wiring.
As to resi, found a few bad back-stabs here and there.

As an AHJ I still find on occasion the back-stab #12 into the #14 rated device, and yes, some stranded..
 
I've never seen a Tract home that wasn't back stabbed. If you are competing for a job and you know your competition back stabs, then back stabbing is your only reasonable option, assuming you care about profit.

For spec homes, I offer to upgrade the connection to side screws at an additional cost.

For #12 AWG wire, I use the side screws with no exceptions.

For T&M service work, I terminate to the side screws as a standard operating procedure regardless of wire size.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Arendt
As an AHJ I still find on occasion the back-stab #12 into the #14 rated device, and yes, some stranded..

How is it possible to backstab solid #12 into a #14 rated device? What do they do, whittle it down?
Attachment 908

No, he/they just pushed real hard I guess. It's amazing how much effort is expended by some so called professionals to do things wrong!
 
iwire said:
Actually they could site 110.3(B) as in the UL white book you will find that UL has not tested the use of both the back stabs and the screws at the same time.
Click to expand...

I think they Have

Click here for original UL link

Quote:

Single and duplex receptacles rated 15 and 20 A that are provided with more than one set of terminals for the connection of line and neutral conductors have been investigated to feed branch-circuit conductors connected to other outlets on a multi-outlet branch circuit, as follows:
  • Back wire (screw actuated clamp type) terminations with multiple wire access holes used concurrently to terminate more than one conductor
  • Side wire (binding screw) terminals used concurrently with their respective push-in (screwless) terminations to terminate more than one conductor
 
John Arendt said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Arendt
As an AHJ I still find on occasion the back-stab #12 into the #14 rated device, and yes, some stranded..

How is it possible to backstab solid #12 into a #14 rated device? What do they do, whittle it down?
Attachment 908

No, he/they just pushed real hard I guess. It's amazing how much effort is expended by some so called professionals to do things wrong!
Click to expand...


Actually it was legal a short time ago.
 
The kicker with this whole thing is if you are any good it does not take much more time to use the terminals.
 
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