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Hey Electricians Out There, How About Some Help?
I mistakenly bought a fricken case of these abortions. I thought one could side wire these with a loop on the end of some 12ga wire, you know like a regular 20a outlet. No way, the screw does not back out enough to slip a 12ga wire underneath. Indeed, if you try, it just strips the screw.
And if you backwire these babies, the directions say to tighten firmly. Well, the screws strip out and $2.88 is in the trash. There is a fine line between tight enough to grip the wire, and stripping them out.
So far, I have trashed out better than 1 in 3, and with a whole fricken case, the learning curve better be quicker. Any tips on using these 20a backwire outlets?
Thanks in advance.
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Hey Bob Villa,
If you and I are talking about the same thing [not the cheapo backstab type of receptacles] then these are the way to go. You mean the kind where you strip off 1/2" of insulation, stick it in a hole in the back and then tighten the screw? I haven't had any problems with these. At least not the screw stripping out. How big are your muscles?
As for the clearance to get a loop in there, try doing it with 10 guage wire and then #12 wire is easy. The end of the screw is deliberately mangled so you can't easily remove it. But if you do, then rethread it with a 10-32 die.
They make 100,000 of these things and never field test 'em.
-Peter
*I've stripped out the screw on these babies. If you avoid doing that, the connection is quite good -- not the cheapo spring-loaded back connections; on these 20A units, tightening the screw tightens a clamp that captures the wire. The trick is to develop a "touch" to not overdo it. What you want to do is tighten enough to just barely compress the copper in the wire, in order to get a "gas-tight" connection that'll stay secure even as the wire heats up and cools down with changes in current. In other words, get them snug, but not too much more. It's only a little #10 screw. I wonder if Leviton publishes torque values on their website.
*Hmm never had a prob with them. Just did a wiring job using leviton devices and 12 gage wire. I did have open the screws up as far as they would go then using a little "force" with the wire bent force it into place and then rebend the wire if necessary then tighten the screw.
*These Leviton Backwire devices are interesting. I like them, but hate them.I like them because wiring them takes about 1/4 of the time that the standard screw and loop ones take. The standard models sometimes require a needle nose plier,in addition to the 5 other tools necessary to wire up a box, so my work area and/or pouch gets croweded. But the Backwire devices only need a stripping tool. Just cut the wire to length, strip exactly to the length in the guage on the outlet, insert into the hole, and tighten the side screw. I can install one in about 1 minute. The standards would take up to five minutes.I hate them because they are twice as expensive as the standard ones, and yes, they strip out constantly. The good news is that there are four screws for each side, so if you strip one out (fairly common), don't throw it away yet, use one of the other screws. I also dislike them because there color is slightly off that of the standard beige of the outlet covers. I notice it, but so far no one else has.
*Without the warm and fuzzy of being able to loop the 12 gauge around the screw, at first I was tentative about using them. Without the loop to hold the wire on the screw's post, I carefully crank down pretty hard when tightening the screw. I haven't stripped one out yet.Opinions wanted:Do you guys still run a pigtail to these outlets, or do you use the ability to connect 2 wires per screw to not pigtail?
*Always pigtail -- the device may be replaced with another that shouldn't be used that way.-- J.S.
*Yea always pig tail but I always connect to the screw not the back wire holes.
*Making straight connections takes 1/2 the time. Run the Romex in one outlet, run a jumper to the second outlet and out the to the 2nd Romex run. Wow, it is quick. Pigtailing is always better, run all the neutrals and hots and grounds together, and separate wires for each outlet. No jumper. But it adds about 10 minutes to each box. And, if the first outlet fails, the second one will still work, if pigtailed.I can not for the life of me connect the wires to the screw. No. 12ga just doesn't fit, and there are some nubs in the plastic housing that makes it impossible to slip a curled wire in the opening. I figure Leviton made these and assume they are safe, unlike the spring loaded ones of 10 years ago, so I use the back connection.You know, most 220 plugs use a similar set up where the wire is not looped or curled into the device, and are instead straight cut and slipped into a pocket where a similar screw and plate holds it in place. Leviton seems to have replicated this design for outlets.
*Robert, you could try using a crimp on end (U-shaped)to slide under the terminal screws, just make sure they are sized for no. 12 and rated for 20 amps. Might add a little time and add a couple of bucks but should increase your rate of success.Bigdoglineman
*Can't get the 12 ga wires under the screw ? What the ? Ideal wire strippers strip the insulation and then the pliers on the same tool bend a 180 turn. With the screw backed completely out, the wire snaps right into place around the screw and then with the same tool you just close the loop. I have never, in 16 years, met an electrician that will back wire a device. I guess the stories of a loose hot lead shorting on a ground really get around.
*Pigtails are the only acceptable method. The other pair of screws are not for junction points, they're for having half the receptacle hot and half switched when you break the tab. While backwired receptacles are used more when you have stranded wire, I'd still use the back rather than the side. Tighten the conductors down and tug test them, when you can't pull them back out, they're tight enough.Tim,by backwiring we're not talking about pushing the wires into the cheapo slots.Better quality devices always come with backwiring ability because wrapping stranded around the screw REALLY sucks.
*I think the ones I been using are Eagle, I haven't ever stripped a screw on one of those.
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Hey Electricians Out There, How About Some Help?
I mistakenly bought a fricken case of these abortions. I thought one could side wire these with a loop on the end of some 12ga wire, you know like a regular 20a outlet. No way, the screw does not back out enough to slip a 12ga wire underneath. Indeed, if you try, it just strips the screw.
And if you backwire these babies, the directions say to tighten firmly. Well, the screws strip out and $2.88 is in the trash. There is a fine line between tight enough to grip the wire, and stripping them out.
So far, I have trashed out better than 1 in 3, and with a whole fricken case, the learning curve better be quicker. Any tips on using these 20a backwire outlets?
Thanks in advance.