GFCI Receptacles

GFCI Receptacles

  • I use the back wiring terminals because it is faster or I am Lazy

    Votes: 2 3.8%

  • I use the back wiring terminals because thats how it was designed to work

    Votes: 36 67.9%

  • I loop the wire around the screw because I think its better

    Votes: 13 24.5%

  • I loop the wire around the screws because i thought you had to

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I loop because i like shaking the GFI until the screws fall out

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I dont install GFCI Receps because I work in Arkansas

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • Total voters
    53
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izak

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MO
i would like to see how many different ways people install GFCI receps

mainly, do we use the back-wiring terminals,

or do we turn the recep upside down and shake it until you can loop a wire around a screw?
 
I'm not sure I grasp what you mean by "back wired".
Back wired, to me, means "back stabbed"...I can't say as I recall a GFI with provisions to back stab - I do recall provisions to use the "pressure plate" (in conjunction with the screw) to secure the wiring to the device.

What does back wire mean?
1) Back stab
2) Use of pressure plate
 
I will have to butt in here and say that I find the side pressure plates that are supplied with most of the common grade GFI receptacle outlets to be sort of inferior. I make sure to screw it in really tight and pull the wire to make sure it is seated in there good, but have still had a conductor slip out after tightning it in. As for regular receptacle outlets and switches the side pressure plates on commercial grade receptacles are really good and do not seem to have that same problem. Maybe it is the cheapo gfi's I have been buying. At 12 bucks a pob for residential grade, I don't even want to know what a commercial grade one costs.
 
macmikeman said:
I will have to butt in here and say that I find the side pressure plates that are supplied with most of the common grade GFI receptacle outlets to be sort of inferior. I make sure to screw it in really tight and pull the wire to make sure it is seated in there good, but have still had a conductor slip out after tightning it in.
Click to expand...
Coincidentally, I ran into this just this week. I always use my drill when trimming, and I started to suspect the phillips-tip was skipping out before I got a decent torque on them.

While I always give them a quick tug before moving to the next screw, this time I rotated the receptacle once (as in, turned it ground-side-down to install it), and then stopped and brought it back out and rotated it back for one more tug. The wire came out.
eek.gif


I'll continue to use the back wire, but I'm using my flathead screwdriver to finish tightening the screws from here on out. I had one of those "how many of these have I installed poorly?" moments that sunk my stomach a couple inches. :(

I'll hold comment on some of the other methods until more votes are in. :)
 
I back wire them also but have found as many here, you MUST use your flat hed to tighten them or you will have problems. It seems I only have problems like this with GFCI's other back wire devices seem to be fine.
 
I think you will find that most of the screws on GFCI's actually use a #1 square drive and not a phillips. The same goes for other devices as well.

But I will agree that follow up with a flathead is necessary.
 
It took a while but most mfgs make a GFCI that is backwired, IE holes you put the wires in and tighten down the screws.

Pass and Semour had this before anyone else.
 
i have taken to tightening the screws, (with a standard screwdriver) and twisting the whole receptacle back and forth (or right and left) and then re-tightening the screws before i put it in the box... this seems to keep the wires tighter in the pressure plates....

does anyone disagree with this statement?

receptacles of any type, which have a pressure plate designed to tighten against the wire, should be terminated in that fasion, and should not have the wire looped around the screw.

I am interested in ALL points of view on this subject
 
izak said:
receptacles of any type, which have a pressure plate designed to tighten against the wire, should be terminated in that fasion, and should not have the wire looped around the screw.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I've seen pictures of receptacles failing with the wire looped over the backwire plate.
 
I agree Izak. Personally, I never "back-stab", I've had too many service calls where that was the only problem. The pressure plates on GFIs can work really well but the trick is to tighten, giggle, then tighten again.
 
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