Backstabbing at your home

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I used to be a backstabber until arc faults came into play. I was getting some nuisance tripping calls and decided to start placing the wires tightly under the screws and the calls went away. I do however use a lot of Wagos in every house I do and have never traced a problem back to them.
 
A/A Fuel GTX said:
I used to be a backstabber until arc faults came into play. I was getting some nuisance tripping calls and decided to start placing the wires tightly under the screws and the calls went away. I do however use a lot of Wagos in every house I do and have never traced a problem back to them.
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More evidence back stabs are imperfect.
 
A/A Fuel GTX said:
I used to be a backstabber until arc faults came into play. I was getting some nuisance tripping calls and decided to start placing the wires tightly under the screws and the calls went away. I do however use a lot of Wagos in every house I do and have never traced a problem back to them.
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If you're using the Wagos for small lighting loads I would imagine that they will hold up. I've never heard of anyone using them for receptacle loads so there's probably no history of them failing.
 
goldstar said:
If you're using the Wagos for small lighting loads I would imagine that they will hold up. I've never heard of anyone using them for receptacle loads so there's probably no history of them failing.
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I would hope that UL tests what they list to the maximum and in this case it would be 20 amps. I have used Wagos when running a MWBC to the kitchen countertop receptacles with no issue yet. We are still on the 2011 so no arc faults in the kitchen yet.
 
goldstar said:
If you're using the Wagos for small lighting loads I would imagine that they will hold up. I've never heard of anyone using them for receptacle loads so there's probably no history of them failing.
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I've used them on both, but none of the installations have been there long enough to really know just what they can take. I still believe these are a different animal then the push in connections on a switch or receptacle. I think they have better designed spring to provide contact pressure, they typically do not have strain on the termination that comes from pushing the attached device into the wall box, and they don't have additional heat that may be introduced by the plug to receptacle connection when time comes for that to start to fail.
 
Cletis said:
If you personally wired your own house, would you backstab 15 and 20 amp devices ?

Be Truthful
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Sure would and did. Back stabbed in 1989 and on when 12's fit. Never a problem (knocking on wood).

Must mention though in the years, work I have done at home I would wrap.
 
A/A Fuel GTX said:
I would hope that UL tests what they list to the maximum and in this case it would be 20 amps. I have used Wagos when running a MWBC to the kitchen countertop receptacles with no issue yet. We are still on the 2011 so no arc faults in the kitchen yet.
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You show a lot of confidence in using Wagos for an MWBC. If either of the phase legs should happen to come loose at that splice point somewhere down the line - no big deal. However, if the neutral should happen to come loose you could end up toasting a few appliances that use the neutral for digital displays. I might consider using them for a normal run of receptacles or a splice but I think twisted wire and a wire nut are better connectors for an MWBC. Just my opinion.
 
kwired said:
I've used them on both, but none of the installations have been there long enough to really know just what they can take. I still believe these are a different animal then the push in connections on a switch or receptacle. I think they have better designed spring to provide contact pressure, they typically do not have strain on the termination that comes from pushing the attached device into the wall box, and they don't have additional heat that may be introduced by the plug to receptacle connection when time comes for that to start to fail.
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I agree, Wagos are very different than the mechanical stabs for receptacles and a good point on the plug to receptacle heat. Only time will tell if they fail.
 
John Evorik said:
Never stab in back of a device. You will have problems later. always wrap wire around screw. just john
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I have back stabbed devices form the 70's that haven't caused me any problems to date but I appreciate the concern. :cool:


Roger
 
I did and i would never do it again

I did and i would never do it again

I did it on my house 18 years ago, four have burnt up since and they were 15 amp circuits. But given they were homedepot ones, when HD first opened in our area, and didn't know better.
 
Teaspoon said:
Don't use back stab, have made a lot of money repairing them.
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Though I am generally against using the back stab, I can't claim they have made me a lot of money repairing them. I've probably made way more $$$ finding and resetting tripped protection devices of about any type then I have fixing failed backstabs.
 
I did a real quick calculation on how many and how much i've made repairing burnt backstab receptacles. I came up with around 1500 devices and $350,000 in service work over a 10 yr period and that's being conservative. I based that on 2-3 per week over last 10yrs which seems about right
 
Cletis said:
I did a real quick calculation on how many and how much i've made repairing burnt backstab receptacles. I came up with around 1500 devices and $350,000 in service work over a 10 yr period and that's being conservative. I based that on 2-3 per week over last 10yrs which seems about right
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I bet I only fixed 25 or so in 10 years.
 
Never! Bought a trailer house before I was a first year. Lost 1/3 of the house circuit took me forever it seemed like to find and fix the problem (about 4 hours). All receptacles were in series and it ended up behind a bed. Scarry deal when you just start in the trade and aren't 100% sure how to find the problem.

IMO Most residential wiremen that build these quick fab homes only have to have two years experience to get their licence. Granted thats all they can do. But they do they get the chance to troubleshooting their installations after their warranty is over and the devices fail? If it's a UL listed device and installed correctly should it be such an issue?
 
Cletis said:
I did a real quick calculation on how many and how much i've made repairing burnt backstab receptacles. I came up with around 1500 devices and $350,000 in service work over a 10 yr period and that's being conservative. I based that on 2-3 per week over last 10yrs which seems about right
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You charge $233.00 to change a receptacle ???
 
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