Question about Hubbell HBL8215C plug

[jdtm]

Hi All,

Do Hubbell HBL8215C hospital-grade plugs currently have captive screws where the wires are attached to the prongs? I thought they did, but the last ones I got have screws that will fully unthread and fall out without warning when they are loosened too much. Otherwise the plugs look correct. Companies are always making minor design changes, and maybe there was a cost-cutting revision, but they also could be counterfeit plugs.

 

[Todd0x1]

I don't have any HBL8215C to check but I have a ton of HBL5266C (the non hosptial grade version of the same plug) that came in the other day. Their screws are staked to not come out of the pressure plate. Are you loosening the screws with a drill or other powered device? In the past I have inadvertently backed a screw through the pressure plate when loosening with a power tool, if the screw is spinning fast you don't really notice that you backed it out into the staked portion until its too late. If theyre falling out when loosening by hand, I would bring that up with hubbell and seek to get them replaced.

 

[jdtm]

Are you loosening the screws with a drill or other powered device?

The screws came out with an ordinary screwdriver. There was no noticeable resistance. Hubbell stated that the screws are captive. A bit of extra information that was added was that there is an internal discussion at Hubbell over the proper term to describe the action performed on the threads with "mashed" and "upset" being the choices.

 

[jmellc]

Hubbell has produced a lot of junk in recent years. I had to replace a house full of Hubbell tamper resistant receptacles. After only a few uses, a plug was impossible to insert. I broke a neutral terminal on a Hubbell range receptacle. I've seen numerous Hubbell wall pack lights with burned shades from the halide lamps. Cheap plastic shades instead of glass.