this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2024
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No pun intended, but why not stick the wires into the appropriate holes? Why did you choose to wrap them around the screws?
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.
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.
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.
I hate backstabbing because trying to get it off when you need to work on the receptacle is usually a big pain in the ass. I actually broke part of an outlet once. I was replacing it anyway, but damn.