Backstabbing Receptacles

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Dell3c

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petersonra said:
I no longer buy hard bound or paperback books for the most part. I wanted in PDF or Kindle format or some other electronic format
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Oh I bought few "CD's" in the mix also, courtesy of Mr. Holt's Enterprise.
*But Covid related, been sitting @ desk now about 14 months, so it comes in handy. (something to occupy the mind)..I haven't been working..
 
James L

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
romex jockey said:
yeah it costs jmeelc, but there was a time when this mans trade had finesse, had class and craftsmanship

not all this 'quicker is better' baloney that's marketed these days

~RJ~
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I've always told guys there needs to be more finesse in this trade. It's not a brute trade. Make it neat and professional. Most guys don't think they have enough time to do that.

Funny thing, I'm quicker than those other guys, too.
 
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paulengr

Senior Member
jmellc said:
I have to disagree on stabbing. I’ve seen too many problems. True, not every stab gives trouble but many of the issues I’ve seen were with stabs, from the late 1970’s to today. I’ve seen a lot fewer problems with screw terminals or clamps. I like stranded wire, it pulls easier & packs better into a box. A bit harder to terminate without a clamp device. Agreed on splices, they need to be done well. I prefer 4 wires max, 3 is better. As far as UL, their emblem is nothing more than a costly trademark. I have seen a lot of junk with their labels.
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UL is really two companies. There is UL the standards writer (UL.org) and UL the testing lab (UL.com). One of the evil things UL.com dies is they only test to UL.org standards and all assemblies must be UL components.. So manufacturers are strong armed by this last tactic. If you need say a toaster ETL or CSA will be much cheaper but if you are making say building wire if you want to sell to UZZl l
 
K8MHZ

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
romex jockey said:
yeah it costs jmeelc, but there was a time when this mans trade had finesse, had class and craftsmanship

not all this 'quicker is better' baloney that's marketed these days

~RJ~
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When I first got into the trade as an apprentice, one of my first journeyman explained to me the importance of doing a good, and good looking job.

"It ain't a race"

I still hear his voice in my head after all these years. He was one of the best journeyman I had coming up through the trade. RIP Dale. :(
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
K8MHZ said:
When I first got into the trade as an apprentice, one of my first journeyman explained to me the importance of doing a good, and good looking job.

"It ain't a race"

I still hear his voice in my head after all these years. He was one of the best journeyman I had coming up through the trade. RIP Dale. :(
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It ain't a race, yet we still have a deadline to be done is the way it usually goes though.
 
R

rc/retired

Senior Member
Location
Bellvue, Colorado
Occupation
Master Electrician/Inspector retired
On a job I once said "Good enough for the girls I go with"
My helper was quick to add, "Trouble with that Ron, is I've seen the girls you go with"
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
K8MHZ said:
Can't blame any of these on backstabbing
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More I think about it, that is what I see most of when it comes to overheated receptacles, either meltdown originating at screw terminal or at plug contact. Most "backstab" connection failures I have encountered simply just quit working with minimal or no obvious heat damage.
 
James L

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
kwired said:
More I think about it, that is what I see most of when it comes to overheated receptacles, either meltdown originating at screw terminal or at plug contact. Most "backstab" connection failures I have encountered simply just quit working with minimal or no obvious heat damage.
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Most burnt receptacles I've seen have been overheated from the front. Most seem to have been caused by damage. Probably people yanking or tripping on cords

I've occasionally seen a backstabbed receptacle with severe heat damage to the conductors. Just this past week I went troubleshooting and almost knew what I'd be looking for before I showed up. Loose backstabbed neutrals. It does happen, for sure. But I think you're probably right overall.

Honestly, I think we have a bigger responsibility, which is to inform the public of the importance of maintenance. Whether it's screw terminals, backstabs, cord damage, or whatever, I'm not gonna bash any receptacle that's held up for 30 years or more. It's past time to start thinking about mass replacement of devices.
 
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