insert wire terminals

[ItsHot]

What is your opinions on the "push" insert conductor terminals( connectors) ?? I use them on "multi-assembly outlets" and in a lot of lighting fixtures. Because they are a space saver!They have a UL listing and are rated to 600 volts. But in a j- box with numerous taps they seem a little "iffy"?? A good grade of wire connector is hard to beat. They seem to work based on the "wedge" method?? Thanks!

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I have never been a fan of the push in connectors. They remind me of the back stab receptacles and I don't trust those connections.

The Halo H7ICT NB comes with those connectors in the jb attached to the fixture. I do use those and I have yet to have a problem with them. Time will tell.

 

[coulter]

I don't have an opinion. However I remember going with my dad into a supply house in the late 50s and hearing the guys talk about how they didn't trust romex or wire nuts. Soldered was the only safe way to wire.

Could this be what we are dealing with?

Keep in mind I wired my own house with Fed spec back wired receptacles.

carl

 

[peter d]

The only time I've used them so far is to make up EGC's. I have to say they are a huge time saver for doing that, especially with multiple EGC's that exceed the capacity of a wire nut. (a mutigang switch box of a 12x12 splice can). One of these days I'll get brave enough and use them for the CCC's.

 

[480sparky]

Four years ago I did a house with over 100 recessed cans. I bought some Halos that had the Wagos in them. "What a time-saver!" I thought as I installed them.

When I turned things on, I ended up spending two fulls days pulling cans out of the ceilings and soffits trying to find all the bad connections.

Unless Wagos have been redesigned since then and are now 'new and improved', I'll stick to the 'old and lousy' wire nuts. I can actually count ONE failure (that I know of) in 15 years with them.

 

[iwire]

Could this be what we are dealing with?

It could be that, I think most of us are conservative with the use of new products.

Keep in mind I wired my own house with Fed spec back wired receptacles.

Back wired is a far cry from back stabbed receptacles.

I think all of us have seen more failures of back stabbed receptacles then any other method of connection.

 

[480sparky]

I think all of us have seen more failures of back stabbed receptacles then any other method of connection.

I have at least one or two service calls a month because of them.

 

[eric stromberg]

I have at least one or two service calls a month because of them.

I don't like back-stabbed receptacles either. Does UL ever pull listings for items that turn out to not be as adequate as they thought they were? Especially as the characteristics might change as the product ages?

 

[brian john]

I do not like or use back stabbed, back wired are NICE.

When I was doing residential I had two baffling no power circuits one was a back stabbed located behind a built in oven, the other was a back stabbed receptacle located in a closet (not a walk in) about 4' high. I swore them off from that day.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Does UL ever pull listings for items that turn out to not be as adequate as they thought they were? Especially as the characteristics might change as the product ages?

The question here begs whether the problem is the device or the installation performance.

I think, remember I think that UL tests these devices to a minimum standard [most likely under what we would consider ideal conditions] and the devices pass.

Now out in the field, some installer may not perform up to the minimum standard and the device fails.
Also [again my opinion], some of the UL minimum standards may not leave too much "wiggle room" for the installation procedure, therefore more failures on those type devices

 

[tallguy]

I don't like back-stabbed receptacles either. Does UL ever pull listings for items that turn out to not be as adequate as they thought they were? Especially as the characteristics might change as the product ages?

We had another thread about this recently. It appears that UL is no longer listing backstabs for 14/12 combo, now it is 14 only. I don't believe anyone has posted any documentation to verify the date/circumstances behind it, but the 14/12 backstab combos are not available anymore.

 

[ItsHot]

I have never liked the "back-stab" receptacles. Where they were ever used it seems I have had a lot of service trouble calls and they ended up being the problem. My original question was about the wire connectors (wagos) that work on the design of inserting/wedging the wire in. It is interesting how many compared or went right to talking about the stab-locks. I had never compared the two, but it is a good point! Since each of them work on the "wedge" method. Maybe this is a good reason to avoid them???

 

[JohnJ0906]

Judging by the posts here on the forum, the jury is still out on them, although some swear by them.

 

[walkerj]

We use halo cans H7ICTNB with wagos. What a time saver, if wires are stripped to proper length and stuck in all the way they work fine. But, about 50% of them come with a loose wire from the factory. I always give em a quitug to make sure all is well. I am not a big fan of back wired receptacles. Stabbing uses a pressure like /|\ where the back wired ones use ]|[. I can't pull the wire straight out of the stabbed but can pull it out pretty easily on the latter

 

[realolman]

Yeah but you can put a whole bunch more pressure on the back wired with da screw.:smile:

 

[LarryFine]

I can't pull the wire straight out of the stabbed but can pull it out pretty easily on the latter

Yeah but you can put a whole bunch more pressure on the back wired with da screw.:smile:

There's a screw??? :wink:

 

[480sparky]

There's a screw??? :wink:

I think he's talking about screw pressure plates.From the P&S site:

 

[Dennis Alwon]

There's a screw??? :wink:

Actually there are four. :grin:

 

[chris kennedy]

Actually there are four. :grin:

Mabey five.

 

[LarryFine]

I know, I know. I really thought the

:wink:

would have given it away.


What I like best about back-wired devices is not having to pigtail when there are more than two wires per side or when split-wiring.