"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...
I'm here to say that the conventional wisdom that one gets here--that
"backstabbed" wiring is bad, evil, and always leads to failure--may not be
correct.

[To the perplexed, "backstabbed" means that instead of using screw
terminals to connect wires to devices such as outlets and switches, the
stripped (solid) wire is pushed into a connector that grabs the wire
inside the device. Very commonly used "in the field".]

The opinion one reads here most often is that this is an inferior wiring
method that must always be suspected when there are electrical problems,
that it should be avoided and that it should be corrected if found.

I'm not sure that's correct.

First of all, it is an approved, UL/CSA tested, and, most importantly,
code-approved (US building code) wiring method. If it was as all-fired bad
as folks here claim, why would it still be allowed? After all, the
building codes tend to err on the side of caution.

My own experience, as limited as it might be, has not shown backstabbed
connections to be the source of any trouble. I recently worked on a house
built in the 1960s in which all devices were backstabbed. I was called to
add a circuit, not to correct any problems. There was no current problem
with any device that I could see, nor was there any history of any such
problems.

I'd like to see some more evidence for the badness of backstabbed
connections. Everything I read here is either based on anecdotal evidence,
or just speculation and personal preference.

I will say that I personally don't like backstabbed connections; as
tempting as they are (a lot faster than
stripping/bending/screwing/crimping using screw connections), I prefer the
"old-school" method. But I do think they've gotten an unfairly bad rap.
Furthermore, I refrain from automatically correcting them (replacing
backstabbed connections with screwed ones) when I see them, on the theory
of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I suggest this to others.
Especially newbies and DIYers; I think it's bad advice to automatically
suspect backstabbed connections as the source of a fault, and to imply
that they should all be ripped out and redone.

Let the brawling commence.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism


Turning a wire on a screw provides more surface area and more pressure on
the connection. An installer can see how well the connection is made, unlike
the blind connection of a backstab. I personally have used backstabs
thousands of times without any issues. I have the experience to feel when
the conductor is not fitting correctly in the blind clamp and needs to be
redone. The bulk of my business is electrical repair, and a large number of
open circuit problems turn out to be backstabbed outlets. I think some
manufacturers make better backstab connections than others, as there have
been times when I unscrew an outlet and pull it out of the box, leaving four
wires, unattached in the box