Wall plates

[karn]

I Recently purchased a couple wall plates, I noticed the unbreakable ones were a little cheaper, and a lot harder to find,, what are those old brittle hard plates made out of anyway, and why would anyone want those instead of the unbreakable ones?

 

[hbiss]

The unbreakable ones are nylon. The others are phenolic. Nylon plates are more flexible and I find that if your device ears are not supported or tightened down the nylon plate can't be tightened up enough to keep the device from moving. Of course the opposite is true of phenolic. If you tighten them too much they crack.

-Hal

 

[marmathsen]

In addition to what Hal said, the glossy nylon plates show scratches really easily as well as the fact that they warp as you tighten them which doesn't look very good.

I prefer the phenolic.

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[Knuckle Dragger]

I prefer and use the unbreakable P&S satin finish a lot. You can find them at any give electrical supply house that carries P&S and also at Lowes.
Leviton has and unbreakable glossy plate.You can find them at any give electrical supply house that carries Leviton and also at Home Depot.

 

[Coppersmith]

I prefer and use the unbreakable P&S satin finish a lot. You can find them at any give electrical supply house that carries P&S and also at Lowes.
Leviton has and unbreakable glossy plate.You can find them at any give electrical supply house that carries Leviton and also at Home Depot.

The Leviton nylon plates are available only in mid-size (at HD). If you require standard size nylon plates, get the P&S at Lowes.

 

[JFletcher]

I Recently purchased a couple wall plates, I noticed the unbreakable ones were a little cheaper, and a lot harder to find,, what are those old brittle hard plates made out of anyway, and why would anyone want those instead of the unbreakable ones?

The unbreakable ones were more expensive until recently.

The breakable ones dont deform at all when tightened down. Some are made better than others and can withstand a *bit* of punishment, but in an environment where they are subject to heavy use/abuse, like a hotel room entry door light switch, you'd want unbreakable plates.

The phenolic plates seem to become brittle with age and tend to crack at the screw holes, especially the receptacle plates with just the one hole. If the switches/receptacles are not mounted correctly, and the device is recessed, twisted side to side, or cocked vertically, the phenolic plates will crack when tightened down.

 

[jeff48356]

The unbreakable ones are nylon. The others are phenolic. Nylon plates are more flexible and I find that if your device ears are not supported or tightened down the nylon plate can't be tightened up enough to keep the device from moving. Of course the opposite is true of phenolic. If you tighten them too much they crack.

-Hal

This is why I normally use Mulberry-brand metal wallplates. They solve both problems. I like the 76-series the best (smooth white, Princess style). The cost difference is negligible. Single-gang ones cost less than a dollar each at Home Depot.