Receptacle stabs

[goldstar]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Keith,

That's why inspectors keep red stickers handy. Unfortunately for this EC he'll be on that inspector's _ _ _ _ list until he can prove himself.

 

[amptech]

Re: Receptacle stabs

UL eliminated backstabbing #12 with the reduced hole size. My town went a step beyond that when they passed an ordinance making #12 the smallest conductor allowed for new construction and remodels. I have used BR receptacles for years. The pressure plate is, in my opinion, the best connection for receptacles and switches. BR devices may cost more per unit but they install quicker and with less margin for error. Theyare also a more substantial device of better quality than the 39 cent sidewired variety.

 

[jbfan74]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Another point to my story is: I thought you could not use 14 on a 20 amp circuit!!Unless I looked at the swithes wrong, all of them were back stabbed. That rules out #12 to me. Any thoughts on that?

 

[iwire]

Re: Receptacle stabs

You are correct 2002 NEC 240.4(D) directs us to use 15 amp breakers with 14 AWG for most circuits, there are exceptions to this but not for switches in dwellings.

A couple of things you said are not violations.

The screws do not have to be run in and while there is a minimum of insulation required in the box there is no maximum.

When you say the meter was not in do you mean the meter socket or the meter.

You will not get a meter until after inspection and the inspector tells the POCO to power up the service. The POCO owns and supplies the meter.

 

[curt swartz]

Re: Receptacle stabs

UL no longer permits the quickwire holes on receptacles to accept #12 but switches are still permitted to accept #12.

I personally think the issue is not only with the quickwire holes but using the device as a feed thru device instead of installing pigtails. I have only seen a couple quickwired devices fail that were not used as a feed thru devices but have seen a number of receptacles fail the were side wired but used as a feed thru device. When we wire residential projects we will use the quickwire holes for the receptacles but we always pigtail and we have never had a call back. In my area installing pigtails is pretty much the standard for all EC's including the tight budget tract home company's.

 

[roger]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Curt, I haven't back stabbed a device in years except for my own home. With that said, I must agree with you

I personally think the issue is not only with the quickwire holes but using the device as a feed thru device

.

With the exception of mobile homes, I can not remember any problems with a dead end connection in a back stabbed device in a residential installation.

Roger

 

[iwire]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Back stabs are bad enough, how about circuits full of these.

:roll:

 

[curt swartz]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Roger, I think using receptacles as feed thru devices has caused much of the problem with AL wiring. During the early 70's you wouldn't believe how many single family homes, town homes and apartments were built in my area and they all have AL wiring. I have not heard of one fire caused by the wiring in these homes but all of the receptacles were pigtailed. They were not all pigtailed with CU although many were and the wirenuts used were not listed for AL wiring since none were made back then.

 

[curt swartz]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Bob, Those connectors are great for ballast changes, connecting fixtures or other low current uses but I would never use them in the middle of a branch circuit. The strange thing is Wago seems to be marketing now them like they are a new thing. I worked on a restaurant in San Francisco about 18 years ago that was wired with these connectors. Every time you opened up a junction box at least one would come off a set of wires. We ended up replacing all of the Wago connectors with wirenuts in every box we touched.

 

[iwire]

Re: Receptacle stabs

Curt, I feel the same way about these, great for low current applications like ballast leads.

Now I am finding them used for everything, I do not know why they are being advertised as new, I have seen them for a while (or ones like these) for factory connections in light fixtures.

I will be interested to know how they last with a continuous 16 amps running through them or running loads with high inrush currents, like AC units etc.

 

[jbfan74]

Re: Receptacle stabs

What I meant to sya was the meter can and disconnect where not installed. The AHJ was there for final to allow POCO to hook up for 30 temp to complete the inside. Sorry about the misunderstanding on that issue!