I’m convinced this is a myth or only happens when people don’t actually push it in far enough. For me, it’s always been a pain in the ass to remove them. Which is why I hate it.
Definitely not a myth. They are notoriously failure prone. Repeated expansion and contraction and just age can cause the contacts to loosen, which increases resistance, which increases heat generated at the point of connection, which increases the amount of expansion and contraction, etc.
A lot of people don’t even realize they have a problem until they plug in something high wattage like a space heater or hair dryer and the outlet gets nice and hot.
I’ve never used the holes. But on more than one occasion I’ve had to pull a socket from the wall because it was intermittent, and someone used the holes, and it was the problem. I wrapped it around the terminal properly and it was fine.
I’ve got a bit of rewiring to do in my home soon and have been doing some research. Apparently this is called backstabbing and is generally considered lower quality work. The connection simply isn’t as secure as the screw tightened half loops on the side - but if you spend all day everyday wiring receptacles it’s much faster to backstab. Backstabbing is to code, but if you’re wiring a few receptacles, best to take the few extra minutes to do it the more secure way.
The contact area of the terminals on the wires is much higher if you use the screws rather than the dinky little spring prongs in the stabby-holes. A small contact area means more heat is produced at the junction, which leads to premature failure, which leads to annoyance, which leads to the dark side.
Backstabbing is to code but really shouldn’t be. They can cause fires as the connection gets looser over time as the device is used and isn’t nearly as secure.
No one uses holes. They have a high fail rate, the Unless they are the high-end outlets where the screw also clamps the wire in the hole. And still, no one uses holes.
No pun intended, but why not stick the wires into the appropriate holes? Why did you choose to wrap them around the screws?
Probably 99% of electricians will tell you to never use the back stab holes.
They don’t hold well, at all, are easy to pull out when pulling an outlet/switch out, and can break the casing when trying to push the fixture in.
I don’t understand how they ever got approved, they’re flat out dangerous.
Never use the backstabbing holes on electrical receptacles.
They come loose over time, faster if they’re not fastened properly or if the house is prone to settling.
I’m convinced this is a myth or only happens when people don’t actually push it in far enough. For me, it’s always been a pain in the ass to remove them. Which is why I hate it.
Definitely not a myth. They are notoriously failure prone. Repeated expansion and contraction and just age can cause the contacts to loosen, which increases resistance, which increases heat generated at the point of connection, which increases the amount of expansion and contraction, etc.
A lot of people don’t even realize they have a problem until they plug in something high wattage like a space heater or hair dryer and the outlet gets nice and hot.
I don’t like the holes. I don’t trust em. With the screws I can definitely see what’s going on.
I’ve never used the holes. But on more than one occasion I’ve had to pull a socket from the wall because it was intermittent, and someone used the holes, and it was the problem. I wrapped it around the terminal properly and it was fine.
I’ve got a bit of rewiring to do in my home soon and have been doing some research. Apparently this is called backstabbing and is generally considered lower quality work. The connection simply isn’t as secure as the screw tightened half loops on the side - but if you spend all day everyday wiring receptacles it’s much faster to backstab. Backstabbing is to code, but if you’re wiring a few receptacles, best to take the few extra minutes to do it the more secure way.
The contact area of the terminals on the wires is much higher if you use the screws rather than the dinky little spring prongs in the stabby-holes. A small contact area means more heat is produced at the junction, which leads to premature failure, which leads to annoyance, which leads to the dark side.
The only outlet I witnessed fail due to heat was backstabbed.
Backstabbing is to code but really shouldn’t be. They can cause fires as the connection gets looser over time as the device is used and isn’t nearly as secure.
Is THAT what the holes are for?!?
I honestly never knew.
You press the wire directly into the round hole. To remove, you need to stick a small screwdriver into the rectangular hole next to it.
No one uses holes. They have a high fail rate, the Unless they are the high-end outlets where the screw also clamps the wire in the hole. And still, no one uses holes.
I use the holes, they’re just easier. Never had one fail.
Most old work I take apart also uses the holes.
Entirely anecdotal, but I’ve come across failed hole installations.
Can’t tell which those are but
“back stab” where it is held by friction, common to consumer receptacles, have a poor reputation for failing. Don’t use them
“back clamp” (don’t remember what they’re called), common to “pro” receptacles is clamped down by tightening the screw. Much more reliable