Why You Should Not Use Speed Wiring | Back Wiring Is Preferred
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- Опубликовано: 20 июн 2024
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Speed wiring, aka backstabbing or push-in wiring, is commonly called out by professionals as a shortcut and not the best way to wire a receptacle or switch. I am not a licensed electrician and also try to keep the viewpoint of DIYers getting started with small electrical projects around the house. With this in mind, the speed and convenience of speed wiring can be tempting but is also known to be a common source of failures and possibly a fire hazard. Is there another option that combines the speed and convenience of speed wiring and the dependability of side wiring? There actually is and this feature is called back wiring found on most commercial-grade (spec grade) receptacles and other devices like a GFCI receptacle.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:50 What is speed wiring?
4:27 Why speed wiring is used
5:32 Back wiring compared to speed wiring
8:15 Wrap Up
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I have been using the J hook method for 40 years and never had a failure. I tighten all unused screws snugly and perform two extra steps for safety. I loop the wire around the screw in a clockwise direction and then use my needle nose pliers to close the loop around the screw. It takes a few extra seconds but tightening the hook around the screw prevents the wire from coming off even if the screw is loose. Then as a final precaution, I use electric tape to wrap the receptacle or switch. That’s the way my dad taught me and that’s the way I have taught my son. You offer very good advice to your viewers and supply thorough explanations to support your position on a subject. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.👍👍
@@lenbeedle wrapping with tap helps minimize making contact against sides of the box especially if it is a metal box .
Yes “Leno D”, it is an individual preference since the code does not require it. I believe wrapping is especially beneficial when used in multi-gang boxes, when installing GFCI receptacles, when replacing switches and receptacles in older homes with smaller metal boxes and even in plastic boxes where bare ground wires can easily come in contact with the hot wires.
One caveat is that I will only use high quality vinyl electric tape made by 3M. I find it does not dry out or shrink over time and is easy to remove even if it is 10 years old. I know this from my personal experience in my own home.
I am willing to absorb the extra cost and time it takes to wrap every device and connection with high quality tape. It helps me sleep better at night knowing I have gone the extra mile to prevent a possible problem. But remember, that’s my personal opinion.
Yes I wish everyone would run all screws in. I’ve bumped em a few times
I'm a licensed electrical contractor , I was taught 30+ yrs ago not to back stab and I've spent hours troubleshooting bc of it. The real sin is using the device as a splice point. The right way to do receptacles is to splice the feed through wires with a wire nut and leave a tail off the splice , then hook the tail to the screw terminal. The reason for this is so if the receptacle goes bad it doesn't knock out the rest of the circuit. There are plenty of house jockey hackers that have taught their protégé s to do the fastest way possible and continue the back stabbing way. Now think of this if you backstab the first outlet in and out the full load of that circuit is flowing through that little 1/4" connection , then it is being further restricted at every point after that, you get heat from resistance and heat causes further resistance and further damage to a bad connection which I have seen turn into sparks and fires. When you splice the tail only sees what that outlet is drawing and the circuit keeps its integrity for full amperage draw to each device.
I like the way you think.
@@rob1111 there is no good reason to not do quality work, basicly everything you mention is to make money for developers, not provide the safest quality product for the buyers/ end users. I don't care who it's for ill do it the "right way" every time.
@@rob1111 I would also note we don't splice on the finish , it's done on the rough. Enter the wires and splice your tails, on the finish we strip, hook and screw the one hot , neutral and ground or switches. We also use more wafer lights now so measuring , drilling and installing adds time to finishes. But that's why we don't work for developers, I and my boss , both electrical contractors , refuse to cut corners, so like you said it's about money not the final product.
@@arnehelland6015 That's true. I meant to say rough-in, and not finishing. I've corrected that - it was late when I posted that. But, that's how subdivision homes are done. Not wrong, but it all comes down to money and getting awarded the next phase or next site that the builder is doing.
Plugs in my home were back stabbed, I agree this method should not be used, especially when used on a circuit of plugs.
The first plug in a circuit of plugs (I think there is close to 15 plugs on that circuit) in my home failed and shorted out melting the plug and knocking out the rest. Did not start a fire thankfully as it was noticed right away due to smell and arcing sound.
When I noticed how they were wired I redid every receptacle using a splice wire and the side screws.
Personally do not trust the back stab method.
I'm not a professional electrician but I have done work on electrical circuits in my own and my family's homes for many years. I know the electrical codes and my background is in electronics. I have never trusted speed wiring. I just feel it's not solid enough, especially for an outlet which may be flowing close to 15A of current! I have used Leviton parts most times so I'm used to the "J" hook method. That's my fave, though I also like the back wire method Eaton uses. Yes, it took me a few times of doing it wrong before I figured out to put the wire around clockwise which causes it to tighten around the screw as opposed to counter clockwise which causes it to open. Great tip on that, Scott!
Appreciate the feedback Ken!
I used Leviton 20A commercial grade receptacles when I wired my garage, and those have a back-wire feature as well. It's a bit different from the Eaton but it's just as convenient.
Found a serious plier, almost needle nose but not. Strong, easy to do the j joint finally.
I used to replace hundreds of receptacles back in the 80s due to the screw coming or being loose. A loose screw can heat up much more than a "speed wiring" connection because the speed wiring will simply melt away the contact metal. I've seen loose screw connections melt several feet of wire feeding it. I don't think I've seen this with speed wiring connection.
@@Bryan-Hensley i agree completely with that statement , but usually a licensed electrician will tighten the screws as much as possible to prevent them from coming loose , most times its caused from inexperienced or poorly trained workers
The most important thing I learned from this video is that there exists a hybrid screwdriver phillips/blade combo. Heading to amazon right now...
Hahaha, I really do like the ECX combo bit. Pretty Handy.
I came to the comments to see if anyone else mentioned it HAHAHAHA Hitting Amazon myself!!
Definitely CTRL+F'd to figure out what kind of screwdriver head that was! hahaha
While I've used J-hooks forever, I've switched to backwiring. It is SO MUCH easier to get right! It has the added benefit of enforcing the use of higher quality recs. I'd never EVER use backstab. Just don't trust it.
This is very similar to my thought process 👍
My home was built in 2004. After the first 2-3 years of being in it, I replaced several receptacles and a few switches. Especially on the receptacles, I noticed failure from heat, and I really believe it was due to the speed wiring. I replaced all of them myself, used the old tried and true j-hook method, and haven't had any issues from them, even though I did not purchase higher end products. I think I will be upgrading to the slightly more cost units from here on however. I like the idea of the back wiring, especially in some of the tighter spaces of some of the boxes in my home. Thank you for these videos, all great content.
Good to know, I've used speed wiring many times. From now on, I won't do it again and any time I have to touch my outlets and I'll change it. Even side wiring is better if the outlets are residential style. Thanks.
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Retired Master Electrician: Back round: Industrial. You are getting better. I have a recommendation, take that wire stripper cut the insulation gently so as not to nick the copper relax your right hand and using your left thumb press on the stripper to remove the insulation. You will be less likely to cause the copper wire to crack when folding it back into the box. That nick can cause a crack. I noticed a number of nicks in your wires. You could get much better. Back wiring works fairly well , but hard wiring works better. I noticed you don't kick back your wire about 3/4 inch down after stripping and then turn to make more of a question mark than an upside down U. Try it it takes no time at all. You will love the results. Remember someday someone will plug an appliance or heater in that outlet. You don't want to see someone die because you taught one of your students something sloppy. If your ever in Maryland give me a heads up I'll be happy to show you a few tricks to make you safer. Mike
Excellent vid. Thanks. I always use the screw and J hook. Slow, sure, but reliable. My house built in ‘75 was done with old style receps and stabbed by the contractor. When I changed everything to white new style receps I used J hook and a closing pinch with needle nose pliers to form a full circle then tighten screw. My new GFCI units have the back wire clamp type so I do use those. Kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor patio receps never had GFCI originally. Feel much better with those installed.
Really good information and presentation! LOVE that you deconstruct the receptacle so it can be visually understood! Keep this channel going! :)
Thanks for the feedback and we don't plan on slowing down 🚀
I learned something today and it's not even noon. Nice job. Much appreciated.
As a DIYer, I've always done side wiring on the El Cheapo outlets and have sometimes had the issues Scott mentioned. In the future, I'm going to not be so cheap and move the commercial grade outlets with the pinch plates. Will make my life so much easier on home repair projects.
Hey David, good to hear. I have been comparing the major commercial grade brands lately and I like alegrando-vos the most followed by Eaton and then Leviton. Still need to dive in and compare Hubbell.
Video: about different types of wiring
Me: Holy crap is that a screwdriver specially designed for the phillips/flathead combo screws?!
Yep It's called ECX :)
Yeah, those are cool! Receptacles now take a Robertson aka "square" #1 driver (old ones in the wall might not though). I can't tell exactly, but it kind of looks like he's using a combo slotted/Robertson (Klein 7314 is one example, but not that's not his) instead of a combo slotted/Phillips. However, I find the square bit is so rock solid I haven't broken down and gone for another tool.
Hahaha, made a whole video on that Milwaukee ECX. Pretty nice! ruclips.net/video/UxJbORlexFU/видео.html
I saw the same thing.
I have a Milwaukee ECX screwdriver. I do a lot of maintenance work and handyman work. That tool is great. It will never slip. Well worth the money if you change many outlets or switches.
Thanks for this video. I’ve done DIY electrical for over 40 years. I never use quick connect. I tried it one time. I stabbed the wire in and pulled on it to see if it was locked in. The wire hesitated a moment then came right out. I never used the stab method after that. I’ve wired a lot of back wire, but prefer to use J-hook method. It’s old school and takes a few seconds more to connect but it’s the best way IMHO.
In my opinion, the NEC should have never approved the "speed wiring" (back-stab) connection method; I believe it is a major reason for requiring AFCIs at the consumer's expense!!!
You could be right, it is probably not a stretch to think businesses like home builders apply a bit of pressure to make sure speed wiring stays approved by NEC.
Follow the money
Exactly, they should have banned speed wire over the AFCI mandate. This is not to say that AFCI is not a good thing but lets face it you need to solve the problem at its source.
Hi Scott, great channel for DIY and more, I'm an electro-mechanic in a big factory, we never use speed wiring (seems so flimsy) and when there's 10-12 wires passing thru the box, it's impossible to fit the receptacle with speed wiring, i know that's not what you'd find in a typical house, but i wouldn't use speed wiring anywhere, also here in Canada (almost same code as U.S) ive never seen a professional electrician use speed wiring in any situation, and here's a little tip that's almost faster than speed wiring, you don't need plier to make a ''J'' hook, strippe all the wires, take the receptacle and face it towards you, use the plastic tabs in the center of the terminals and the screws to make a hook, place the copper wire on the left side of the screw, then twist the receptacle clockwise 180 ° (or the wire counterclockwise) and boom! you got a perfect ''J'' hook. Repeat the process for all the wires before securing them.
Nice tip, I am going to try that out tonight! 👍
One thing about backstab wiring that you did not mention is that the method relies on the spring inside the receptacle retaining tension over time in order to keep the wire in contact. Those springs wear out over time and cause loose connections inside the receptacle. BAck- and side-wiring don't have that problem. The screws aren't going to back themselves out over time.
Good call 👍
This happened in my barn. The tension loosened over time and the outlet lost power due to the arcing and corrosion caused by this.
I'd suggest that the backstab has less contact area for thermal dissipation as well, which would cause increased heat build-up under high load, such as lots of 12A vacuuming, which would cause further degradation of contact spring. It's like a lose-lose: higher contact resistance with lower thermal dissipation.
Screw connections constantly adjust with temperature. UK electrician, I do electrical condition reports. Before testing I check screw connections that greatly improves test results. In commercial jobs I would always use wago terminals spring loaded as they are maintenance free.
Strange this pops up right after replaced everything already lol. I replaced all my standard light switches to rocker switches and installed usb and lighted receptacles randomly through the home to increase home value for selling. I used speed wiring for single pole and back wiring for power receptacles and 3 way switches. After watching this it really made me think about always using back wire method instead of speed wiring. Thanks for the informative video!
Thanks for this! You see these types of terminals on other devices but until your channel I didn't even know commercial grade receptacles were better!
Thanks for the support Andy!
i find that in general commercial grade anything is better receptacles, switches, laptops, Ethernet gear, software etc
Excellent video Scott! I will never use the shortcut speed wiring method as I have seen too many times that it has failed in a circuit. I personally had switch and an outlet that was originally speed wired by the electrician 12 years ago when the house was built new and the speed wire method created a stress crack point on the devices and the devices failed because it was cracked apart and wire was hanging loose in the electrical box. An electrician friend also told me that the speed wire method creates and internal higher resistance and when using a high amperage/heavy draw appliance such as an iron or vacuum, you are more likely to see the lights in the room go down when the appliance is turned “on” because of the higher resistance. He always makes a “pig tail” connection with the in and out wires with a wire to the device to make a low resistance, solid electrical connection that will not fail.
This back wiring technique is a gamechanger for me. I have more than a few outlets to replace. And with solid copper wires, the side wiring is tedious to say the least. I agree with your recommendations completely. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I've learned so much from your videos!!! I am just buying replacement receptacles and before paying online I re-watched this video - huge help, thank you!
Hey Erin, so glad you are getting value and thanks for your support 👍
Appreciate your thoughtful analysis. I learn something everytime I watch🙂
Thanks for the support Eric 👍
Side wire only!
I’ve been an electrician for over 20 years and there is never a problem with a side wire.
Also I would never buy or install anything less then a commercial grade receptacle for anyone’s house let alone my own home!
Another really good video Scott! I have always used the terminals, but after watching this video, you made it clear to me about the actual ‘surface area’ when using back wiring. The wire is getting held in place securely, by the screw terminal, soz I am replacing a few this weekend, and Ima give it a go. Leviton duplexes. I was going to try Eaton, but I was in The Depot, and I just put them on my Pro Xtra card. I went with what is already in the house. (Gotta please the Wife!). May I offer heartfelt Congratulations on 100,000 !!! 🎈🎂👏🏻👍👍👍👍👍😁✌🏻🇺🇸
Thanks Scott for the very revealing video on the Speed Wire electrical connection. I'm not an electrician but, have been working with house wiring since 1968. I am a retired electrical engineer that designed electronic equipment for aircraft, an environment where electrical connections are taken very seriously. I have seen numerous speed wire outlets fail over the years, resulting in open circuits, cooked wiring/outlets, and fires. Seeing the internals with the outlet you opened, I find the connection to be a joke. The assumption is that the inserted wire will always be clean copper, perfectly straight, inserted once, and have no wire forming afterward to cram the outlet into the box. Even after every requirement is perfectly met, the connection will still fail. Obviously designed to be super low cost, using a brass spring finger to apply force against the wire to hold it up against some parts of the brass connection, doesn't guarantee a reliable connection. When the brass heats up, the spring finger will reduce the amount of spring force at a time you need it most. I recommend limiting outlet current to 3 amps if the Speed Wire connection is used.
The Back Wire connection is a huge improvement, as screw tension is clamping the wire between 2 contact surfaces. Of course, the Side Wire connection, where the wire is wrapped around the screw, is by far the best connection, giving the most contact surface area.
Really good information. I know enough for moderate skill wiring but it was nice to see the detailed differences between the lower-cost receptacles and the commercial grade
The commercial grade receptacles usually are rated to pass 20 amps so you can safely use them on a 20 amp circuit (but you must have 2 or more receptacles on the circuit to be compliant with the electrical code). If you look at the link connecting the two terminals on a commercial grade receptacle you will see that it is much heavier than the one on a residential grade receptacle.
I have worked for 5 different electrical contractors. None of them used the backstabbers.
Two of them would twist all of the necessary wires together with a pig tail to the device. One of them would use the device as the “input” and “output”. Meaning they would use one screw terminal for the cable coming into the box, and the second terminal to the cable leaving the box. The other three contractors, well it was whatever was in there in the first place. We were mostly service calls rather than new construction.
I'm not an electrician but i'm comfortable with diy electrical. I just bought 20amp commerical grade back wired receptacle for $3.99 at the local big box store. so for $3.49 more per outlet the peace of mind is a no brainer for me vs the el cheapo deluxe $0.50 speed wired version. I guess if I was wiring 50 houses per year that might be a decent chunk of change but as a homeowner I'd gladly pay the increase to an electrician wiring up a whole house.
Exactly and I am fairly confident the brands don't even want to produce the $0.50 receptacles but for the home builders if the brand doesn't offer el cheapo they will jump ship. For us DIYers it is worth every penny for the upgrade to Commercial grade.
Great video, very well explained, thank you for sharing, keep safe and enjoy life
Thanks - I didn't know about the back wire option available on higher grade receptacles
I am a fan 👍
I did not realize that back stab connections are only rated for #14 wire. Since I always use #12 on outlets, that is another reason to not use them.
Me too!
@Douglas Canfield. I just replaced an outlet that wouldn't hold anything in tight. Fire hazard for sure! 30 year old house we're renting while we build. I knew it would be #12 wires in it since it was fed by a 20 amp breaker. But I wasn't expecting them to be back stabbed! And with zero slack! So I guess you can or used to could get #12 holes on 20 amp outlets. I had hell getting the 4 conductors to release to save precious slack! So I J hooked everything back down on the new outlet and am back in business! Yes I've always despised going behind back stabbers 😬
in 1986 or so it changed to 14...before that it was good for 12 solid.....if you find an older recep youll see this....
@@paulverstraete9157 Oh ok, makes sense! Thanks Paul!
I always j hooked side wiring like what you mentioned at the end. I was tought that by my father years ago. I hear his voice in my head every time telling me that's the correct method. Little more work but if he were to inspect it, he'd approve
You made a great point about how much better surface area contact you get using the terminals over speed wiring, but you failed to mention the biggest difference. Using the back terminals you get a far more solid connection because the wire is under pressure from the screw connection. Speed wires can loosen up but a properly tightened terminal is far less likely to come loose.
Good information on how much surface area of the wire is in contact with different types of installations.
Good info on the different types of connection. My thought is most outlets do not pose a problem with the wire coming loose unless the outlet was defective from the get go. If I am doing an install in a location that sees a lot of movement i.e. vibration I defiantly use a higher grade outlet in the location. It all depends on what the circumstances are, seems to me the the NEC or UL would not approve of a device such as these if they truly posed a danger to the end user.
I just bought a house built in 1960, remodeled in 05. Home inspector noted some flaws in the main panel and a few receptacles were inop. When I went to check the receptacles, I noticed they were back stabbed. So I bought all new devices and plates, currently in the process of re-doing it all with the J hooks. Half of the switches had no ground either due to wiring style in 1960.
Curious if grounding was added in the '05 remodel, as I'm almost certain 1960 homes were all two-prong outlets. And if it wasn't added in '05, did you add ground? Thanks.
Not an electrician, however been a electronic technician for many years. I think where the problem lies is simply greed. For some contractors their focus is "Time is money" and miss the confidence of doing a professional ensuring you are not only meeting code, but exceeding it.
People need to take pride in their work. Who wants to watch a news story saying family of 5 dies in house fire, and realize it was a home your worked on as an electrician. I always strive to over-engineer and that way have a good safety buffer. Your illustration of the contact area of back-wiring is a good one. In current flow, mass and conductivity are two of the major components... more contact area is always better! Resistance causes heat... small contact areas cause resistance... a person does not have to be a genius! Excellent video!
You only once have to spend the better part of a day tracing a dead outlet and finding that in fact, _every_ outlet on the circuit has failed backstabs and has to be replaced, to never use them again. That's right, every one had an issue. Some were visibly overheated, some were loose, and on the one that killed the circuit the hot wire was melted in half.
I did some painting in one of my kids' brand new house and while I had the wall plates off I was glad to see everything was side-wired. The house has a one year warranty for everything so that could have something to do with it.
Thanks for the feedback and I am glad to hear a new build had the receptacles side wired. That is not common in our area but does depend on the builder and installer.
Hey congrats on 100K! Silver Play Button status achieved! 🙂
Hey Marc, thanks buddy! Onward and Upward 🚀.
I've seen the back hole style receptacles give me many fits. Damp environments, such as my shed, came wired like this from the storage building guys. The rear hole T-taps can corrode creating a problem. I always side screw wire my receptacles in. Use a wire nut for 3 or 4 ways is better than the rear hole method. Also an electric heater or compressor over time can melt that back connection. Happened at a friend's house & they lost their bedroom power. I haven't seen any videos on dryer hookups, so let's go over this. Most new dryers use 4-prong plugs. Old dryers had 3 with a ground wire going to the dryer shell, & then to a cold water pipe. Is it better to swap cords to keep the 3-prong? Or change out the dryer receptacle to a 4-prong?
Years ago at my previous home, I was reading in bed when the lamp on my nightstand went out. The breaker had blown, and when I investigated I found the old NM (60°C) cable backstabbed into the receptacle, with the hot-wire insulation melted back to where the copper had come in contact with the bare ground wire. I probably should have cut the receptacle apart to see exactly what had happened; but being more lazy than curious I just replaced it with a back-wired commercial-grade one, so I still don't know for sure. But evidently the contact inside had somehow been compromised enough that the couple of amps to a 150W bulb and a clock/radio were enough to melt the insulation.
I took the pledge that night never, EVER to have anything to do with either speed wiring or residential-grade switches and receptacles. When we sold the house some years later, the inspector's certificate indicating that we had replaced ALL the receptacles and switches with back-wired commercial grade (at a paltry cost of a few hundred dollars and a Sunday afternoon's work) proved a worthwhile selling point for a savvy buyer.
I installed four outlets in series in my basement over 25 years ago.
I went to use one of the outlets two years ago, and it was dead. I checked to see if the breaker was tripped, but it wasn't. Thinking that the breaker was bad, I replaced it. Still no power to the series of outlets. I backstabbed the wiring and after years of use, the first outlet in the series finally loosened up the connection and stop completing the circuit.
What made it worse was that the original connection would intermittently cut out and then complete again on its own. This happened 3-4 times before I got around to investigating it.
After saving myself 60 seconds on each outlet [4 minutes total] it cost me three hours in the long run.
I won't backstab anymore.
They were wired in parallel. Nomenclature important.
You should use pigtails on all the outlets. If one goes bad, the rest will work. Required by code in some areas.
@@tedlahm5740 - You beat me to it.
@@tedlahm5740 Thanks for letting me know what I did.
When were you in my basement?
SERIES
@@stans5270 Too funny! And his comment got 2 likes. Go figure.
Great help for DIY thanks
Awesome video, thank you. I don't think you mentioned this but it seems to me like you also get MUCH more clamping force on the connection with screws than with the little spring-loaded tab in the speed wire connection.
I'm not an electrician. I do a lot of different things and basic electrical is one of those.
I've worked on two relatively new houses (one maybe 5 years old) that had outlet failures directly attributable to speed wiring. In both cases, my starting place for diagnosis was burned outlets. I'm not going to blame speed wiring for that since I wasn't there to see how the outlets were used. But in one case, the reason I focused on one outlet is that I could see sparks illuminating the cover plate when something was plugged in. Draw your own conclusion.
In both those cases, it wasn't just a single outlet failure, but downstream outlets also were not working.
If I was having a new house built for me, I would do my best to make sure that better receptacles were used and that speed wiring not be used.
That said, just this past week I became familiar with backwiring in an older home that had some outlet replacements done at some point. Looks like a good compromise.
That said, the reason I became familiar is bad. There seems to be a two-phase short circuit in the kitchen wiring. I'm ready to hand this off to a pro because I don't know how to deal with it.
I like to think that speed wiring has even less contact area than what you're seeing, which I feel is the best case scenario. I think it's less because the conductor is only pressed against the contact area where the retaining stinger is. So if the conductor isn't perfectly straight, you will have less contact area.
Back wiring also does not have this problem.
As you point out, conductor/wire contact area is critical. The shortcoming of speed wiring is that there is neither the clamping force over the majority of the contact area nor is their significant resistance to rotation of the conductor. Any slight bend, nick, or other surface damage of the conductor will significantly degrade the conductor's contact with the terminal thereby increasing the potential for arcing and overheating. Both back wiring and side terminals apply clamping force every the entirety of the contact area ensuring a stable connection reducing risk of arcing and overheating within the outlet.
Yeah, agreed the variability in back wiring can reduce the contact area further than what I showed in the video. Combined with not using pigtails this can definitely lead to failures as it did in my friends 2 year old house.
I agree that side-wiring (i.e., J-hooking the wire-ends and attaching them to the screw terminals) can be problematic; two things I do for better screw-terminal connections are:
(1) squeezing the ends of the J-hook together with needle-nose pliers after hooking it around the screw (here's where stripping a bit more insulation than the "bare minimum" is good, since you can make a slightly longer "leg" on the hook that can then be grasped with the pliers), so that the wire-loop will more-closely sit against the screw-shank (if necessary, the wire-loop can be "held shut" with the pliers while you tighten the screw, so that the wire will not slide out from underneath the screw as it is clamped down on the wire), and
(2) using switches/outlets that have screw-terminals fitted with "three-sided-box" retainer-clips which "corral" the wire-hooks and thus prevent them from uncurling as the screws are tightened down on them; I remove the terminal-screws completely from the copper contact-pads, insert the screw-shanks back into the clips and hook the looped wires over the screw-shanks, and then re-insert the screws into their threaded pads and tighten them up.
Really enjoy the discussion that happens here in addition to the great and thought provoking videos. I can’t help but wonder if the risk in using the back stabbing method is over stated for someone like me. I am not a professional. I have definitely had to replace a cheap outlet where the retainer for the push in connection failed. It wasn’t a big deal. That being said, I do like the back wiring options and plan on looking for the commercial grade receptacles next time. Perhaps if I did this for a living I would be more concerned because no one wants to get called back out to a job because of something easy to avoid like this.
Not too related but have you guys seen the Deako Smart Switches? The wires do not connect directly into the smart switch, instead they connect onto the back of a receiving adapter where the smart switch clips in. I think that’s a brilliant idea that should’ve been made a standard so that when technologies evolve, we can swap out the switch without messing with the wires. In my head bending solid wires more than a few times cannot be a good idea not to mention that is a hassle.
I work as a designer of industrial electrical cabinets and have a background in high current conductors and all types of wiring. I am constantly trying to convince people not to use screw connectors, they are to as good as what are called spring connectors (back connector on the video). I can’t speak to every design, but if the socket has a UL listing I would always prefer the back connector over the screw connector in every case. I have had some success in eliminating screw connectors in some industrial plants and everyone has been happy with the results.
I'd agree with this, mostly. There is a difference in quality though. If you looked at these cheapo receptacles the spring clamps were made of brass, whereas the industrial terminals like those from Wago use spring steel for the mechanism, and are less prone to failure. Most failure being caused by user error in these applications commonly after removing the wire and bending the mechanism out of shape in the case of the brass at least.
In the machines I work with the spring clamps are FAR more reliable than the screw terminals. They don't loosen over time(due to vibration, thermal cycles, etc), they are far faster to install, and are sized appropriately for a given gage/load. Surface contact area could be a concern in some High current, or otherwise impedence sensitive applications, but for those, I would generally recommend crimp or solder connections, not screw clamp...
Great explanation, thanks.
An intense DIYer, here... I always prefer the better outlets since they last longer. They also have a better feel when plugging and unplugging devices. Of course, your average homeowner wouldn't notice this unless you gave them a side-by-side comparison test.
I agree with tightening those terminal screws! Don't leave them hanging out in the breeze fully extended. Why take the time and effort? Simply, you decrease points of possible failure.
As for the speed wiring... I'll back-wire if it's available. But, I don't lose a lot of sleep over speed wiring if that's my only choice. Hell, Wago speed wiring nuts only have the thin little one-way metal tang to do all the power transmission. If they were a *huge* problem, we'd know it by now.
As with everything, there's more than one way to do it. Use the equipment and processes which allow one to sleep at night.
If your stripped wire is slightly curved and you use the speed wiring, you would get very little surface area which equals bad connection. I was using speed wiring for a while, but my 12 gauge wire kept me from using it on most projects. My hf spot welder is rated for 15 amps, but draws 26 amps and trips the 20 amp breaker during longer uses. This would destroy a speed wiring job. Great video. Thanks
In the training I got and in some government contracts it is required to tape wire nuts closed to keep out moisture and insects.
I've got to say that the back stab mechanism looks a lot similar to the Wago mechanism. You know, they do make screw down wire connectors that I'm sure are just as good as wire nuts if you prefer that form factor. As for me, I wouldn't trust push-in or lever securing connectors with high current loads or pig tailing with receptacles since they have to carry the maximum load. I don't want to lose my home to a dodgy connector.
If increased surface area of the contact is good, doesn't a side wire/j-hook have more contact than a backwire?
An excellent video. Thank you!
Thanks Harold 👍
Thanks for sharing. You just answered the question that I had.
This was a very good video and very well thought out. Only thing I would add is that the speed wiring or back stabbing really became a problem with the NEC requirements of AFCI circuit breakers. Because the surface area of contact is so small this wiring method has the potential to create the most problems. Heat, vibrations, poor workmanship is a bad combination. I say poor workmanship because most new construction guys that I have seen do not follow the strip gauge on the back of the device. I often see wires that were stripped too long and had more than a quarter inch of bare copper sticking out the back which can easily cause problems. Also I have seen guys us impact drivers do tighten screw terminals and that is an absolute no go in my opinion. Ive seen a lot of cracked and broken receptacles because of this.
Great feedback Joel, thanks for the help 👍
I always thought backstabbing was dodgy at best. I don't wire in receptacles with 14 gauge anyway so I couldn't use this feature if I wanted to. The only place I have wired a receptacle with 14 gauge wire was on the ceiling of my garage, and the receptacle is specific for LED shop lights. I've only back-wired or used shepherd's hooks for everything.
I noticed the Milwaukee Screwdriver with the funny tip. Does look like it offers better grip on those hybrid screws. I googled and seems like these are called ECX? Never seen them before.
Thank you for your awesome videos. Can stranded wires be used the same way for back wiring as the solid wires?
Yeah. ! Your right about contact of the connection ! I’ve done many many things with wiring ! Cone te ting wires heater in wires not connected securely and with the best contact ! With wiring a cord just twisted together it tenths to have areas where sparking occurs inside and produces heat which is most likely I feel the reason fires start in homes! I solder all mine now ! The solder connections never really got hot but the just twisted together wiring did ! I pay attention to things like this ! ! Don’t want to have any fires that could burn up our house or family !! The more contact andstronger the contact and connecting working the better the chance of not starting an electrical short or creating any heat up and possible fires !
I don't know how I was able to figure this out. But since I was a kid I thought that those speed wire connection holes were suspect. And then as I got older I had to remove one of those things that had wires coming into it and then going back out.
All four holes were speed wired, those wires are hell to get loose from those things and sometimes you end up having to break the Outlet to get them out. Not to mention I've heard from other commenters that those can be a fire hazard. And they only take 14 gauge wires (not 12 guage) anyway, so they just ultimately suck. I'm glad you've done a video talking about this because I know you have mentioned this type of thing in several of your other videos.
I can't believe that they still make Outlets with those connections. And I didn't know that they were also called backstabbing, that doesn't sound very nice😀.
😂 yeah the backstabbing name probably came from a group that was a little less than a fan of speed wiring
You don’t remove them, you snip off the wire where it enters the receptacle. It’s damaged beyond the ability to reuse the exposed end.
@@declanfarber What you're saying makes sense but at the same time it shortens the wires. And it seems from what I've noticed that the wires are sometimes already short when it comes to these type of setups. But I do understand a you can pigtail the wires. It's just annoying though.
@@REXXSEVEN It’s just something we have to deal with. It’s also one reason why code dictates that we have to have a certain minimum length of wire in the box.
What a great video. Thank you!!
Thank you, i did not know about this.
Happy to help!
I have seen speed wiring fail. When it did it was intermittent and took days to track down. Worse thing is that it could have begun arcing. This was an older house without arc fault breakers to. I never, ever, not ever use "backstab" wiring. I put the wire around the screws (side wiring)
I been doing electrical on side 30 years or more. I used to do the back stab 15, 20 years ago some but had some wires pull loose from outlet couple times and my dad said he don't trust it. So I been doing like in video here when I can or else hook it on side screw. Need deeper boxes it seems like when you back stab. Harder to push outlet and wires back in box. Maybe that's just me though. I rarely connect an outlet to 14ga so the hook on screw is often the route I take. I only use 14 for switch to lights or lights only circuits. Electrical is the 1 thing you don't get cheap with. Above and beyond code spare no expense is my motto. Everything I do is overkill. But you know what? 30 years no one's got shocked or killed by my work and nothing ever burned down. So is yours and your families lives and home worth an extra $1 an outlet?
Not a professional electrician, but I am an aircraft mechanic with a very sold understanding of electricity.
My answer is it depends. With any wiring job I do, I take the ease of installation and use of the end product into consideration. Human error is a big reason for a lot of failures.
Is the outlet in a very difficult place to work, or were the wires cut too short in the past? I'll speed wire it, because I'm more likely to mess up a J hook given the limited working area.
Is the outlet going to regularly have a high amperage load, or is it in paralleled output to other outlets? I'll take my time and make sure to J hook it.
Same goes for various automotive/RV 12V DC repairs. I always prefer to solder when splicing wires together. However, if it's a tight space or the repair is done outside in a windy environment, I'll choose to crimp butt splices. One thing I don't skimp on is the quality of my tools and connectors. Cheap crimps are almost guaranteed to fail.
In my house we had 2 TV's die that were plugged into an electrical outlet. As I was replacing outlets I found that, that particular oulet was speed wired with 6 cables. Im wondering if the speed wire electrical outlet actually damaged the TVs. The house purchased in the early 90's so those outlets could be at least 30 years old if not 40 or 50.
Today I bought a box of 10 Leviton low-cost outlets before I saw this video, and they did not have back stab holes in them. It seems maybe Leviton has recognized that back stab connections are overly susceptible to poor connection and perhaps other risks like too much heat through too small of a connection.
The more metal surface on a connection and the more pressure put on the wire, the better. Speed wire connections only have tiny metal tangs pushing on the wire.
Only time I used the back terminals is when I had 3 wires to connect or the leads were short. In 50 years I have only run into 1 outlet that failed. It was at a sloppy commercial shop where the outlet was overused and when something was plugged in it sometimes would not work. The manager didn’t have any idea what was wrong. N any of my personal homes, never had any regular outlet failures. GFCI, different story, they seem to fail after about 5 to 10 years use in a kitchen, none in washrooms. Jim
PS.....how about a video on GFCI construction vs. cost.
I used to do wiring repair back in the early 80s. Back then I used to replace hundreds of receptacles due to loose wiring screws. The heating and cooling of the terminal would losen the screws. "Speed wiring" seemed to end this. I've not seen near as much issues with "speed wiring" as with screws. Jmo.
As a pro I never backstab, I j-hook or back wire. I've have seen some real scary diy wiring though. My favorite was the microwave circuit run off a basement pull chain light. Burned off the wiring and melted the plastic lamp holder. This had to have been done by the previous homeowner. They were lucky the house didn't go up in smoke.
Folks hire a professional to run a new circuit if you decide to take out a stove fan hood and put in a microwave.
Correct me if I am wrong, but 14 gage wire has a diameter of 0.064 inches. This translates to a cross-sectional area of 0.003 square inches. Your excellent cut-away of the receptacle showed that the contact area of the gripping surfaces was many times greater than the cross-sectional area of the wire. I guess I don't understand the concern.
When I worked as an electrician, nobody ever used those quick connects/back stabs and you would get yelled at if you did. lol. In a couple homes I've lived in, the previous owner/real estate company/whatever did some electrical work and used the quick connects and the recep had a bad/intermittent connection-- I also noticed that when people use the quick connects they almost never tighten the terminal screws (not sure if you are supposed to, but it just aggravates me for some reason. lol) Edit: Always used the J-hook/side terminals on receptacles since we typically didn't have receps with plate/clamp-style terminals where back-wiring would work.
Yes, you should tighten the screws that aren't used, regardless of how the rec is wired. That way they are less likely to make contact with the metal box.
@@s6g2k Yep. Although most homes I've seen use plastic or phenolic boxes -- at least in the southeastern US. So potentially a reason why people don't feel the need to tighten them.
When swapping out some switches in my house, I found the original speed wiring very hard to "unlatch". Maybe the clip digs in or fuses over time, I have no idea how old the light switches were. It seemed like I was close to ripping the switch out of the wall. Back-wiring is great because you can actually see the contacts being made, not just hoping everything goes right when you stick the wire into the hole.
if removing a switch . I clip the switch side and then spin the device and pull the wire will slip out
My entire home (new construction) built 14 years ago is entirely done using the speed wiring method AND using the cheapest quaility materials. Little by little I've been changing out all the outlets and switches and replacing them with better quality units. I'm also old school and looping all leads around the screw terminals.
Builder grade EVERYTHING in new
construction is very common.
Buyer not paying attention.
Good luck.
Question: when installing a commercial backwire outlet in a shallow box, there is so little room I find it difficult if not impossible to pigtail, so I use both insertion points on a backwire terminal to bind the circuit instead of pigtailing. I'd like to know your opinion on this. Thanks for the excellent presentation.
I also am a DIY'er. I think it's worth mentioning that if/when you go to uninstall a speedwire outlet, it is a hassle to get the wire to release. I usually end up just cutting it off.
Our home is less than one yr old. Was built by a large local building company.
While the electrical is “to code” it is not top notch. So we have hired a local electrical company who’s master electricians are replacing the “50 cent” versions of outlets abs switches with commercial grade. We would have gladly paid the builder to upgrade everything from the start had we known what they were doing.
And while the replacement is going on, they are also correcting some issues that again meet code but could/should have been done differently and better.
I only use back wiring. When I have to replace a receptacle the old wire is often work hardened so it’s easier to straighten the loop or restrip to do back wiring. I’ve seen melted recep’s because of speed wiring.
Here’s my experience: I once moved into a new home and bought a reconditioned washing machine from a dealer. It was set up in the place prepared for a washer, but it wouldn’t start. A technician came over and checked voltages everywhere inside the unit. All ok, but it wouldn’t run. He went away puzzled. I thought about it and decided to check the receptacle. It was wired with push-in connections. I moved the wires to the side screws and that fixed the problem. The quick connections were high resistance. That did not affect the voltage readings on a high-impedance voltmeter, but prevented the motor from starting. True story.
I did wire one receptacle recently using push-in connections. I added the receptacle to an existing junction box which already had several wires in it. I used the push-in connections because it was easier to get the receptacle into the box, and because the receptacle was to be dedicated to a CO detector, a low-power device. I would never wire a general-purpose outlet that way, let alone an appliance circuit.
I am not an electrician, just DIY for simple things.
Good commmon sense explanation.
Thanks!
Thanks for your information and video 📹 I appreciate you 🙏
My pleasure!
Thanks for the information, didn’t understand the stab wiring had such a small connect.
Nice explanation👍.
Thanks!
The contact is really just a line along the circumference of the wire with the back stab or the back wiring. So two lines of very small area regardless of the length of the line. Remember a true line has zero area. I like to smash the wire under the screw. Not only does it provide a tight contact, but turning the screw scrapes the wire under the screw head to get through any little bit of oxidation on the wire. Dad and I always wrapped the J to be a P around the screw.
I live in France and a lot of modern sockets & switches here are now of the 'speed wire' type with no screws at all. They are designed to accept 1.5 mm2 or 2.5 mm2 wiring (I don't know the equivalent AWG), and can carry 16 amps at 230 volts. I don't particularly like them, but they're easier to wire if space is tight, or the wires are short. So far, I've had no problem, but I prefer the 'traditional' screw terminals. They just feel more 'positive'.
There is no problems with these as long they're designed correct, like a Wago. Problem with some of these we use in Europe in my opinion is that there often is no visual inspection or close/open function. A wago is easy to see if you installed it correct something that gives you confidence.
Contraction and expansion is also a problem with this type of termination, especially old aluminum wiring.
Clever argument and decision 👍👏
Thanks!
5:47 Where can you get that special screwdriver with the combo slotted and Phillips tip?
P.S. Is that Milwaukee's ECX Screwdriver? Maybe this is similar to the Klein combination-tip screwdrivers?
I prefer the straight in type of side wiring where I can see the wire is between the two plates and there is less of a possibility of the wire going behind the plate in the back wiring approach. This isn't much of an issue beyond being annoying for having to tilt the outlet to get the wire to go in correctly. I prefer to SEE what I am doing with the side wire approach. Still, with some side-wire outlets I find the lack of a little raised lip to make it real easy to push in the wire on the side without first lifting it up with my third non-existing hand is annoying. I don't recall my favorite brand some some of the side wire outlets seem just right. I also like outlets that are not easy to break, as I find many outlets with the part below the ground to be broken off but the better outlets are so durable they don't even break when I beat them with a hammer -- unless I use a sledge hammer, LOL. Also, the straight type of side wiring allows for easy J hooks for anyone who prefers this or just wants to stick with previous J-hooks being this is a replacement outlet. Also, in inspecting an outlet by just removing the cover, one can eyeball the side wires and make sure they are in OK and are tight, but in back wiring it is harder to get access to the wires to see if they remain tight and to be sure the insulation is not burnt yet. In general, I just don't like back writing or speed wiring. I do'n't mind taking a little longer to install outlets when they are good quality. Some of the outlets I install get a lot of use. Have you addressed this issue of longer term reliability with heavy use, meaning not just something being turned on often but the plug being used to plug something into it and removed many times ? Are there any ratings that deal with numbers of insertions before failure or is this just a matter of buying commercial type grade units which is mostly all I buy, I think.
Hospital grade receptacles have to go through a few different tests which don't exactly test heavy repetitive plugging and unplugging but do result in a more durable receptacle. A few people have called out installing a couple hospital grade receptacles in their shop where they will get daily use from a number of power tools. www.leviton.com/en/products/industry-solutions/health-care/hospital-grade
Push ins are are always trouble sooner or later in my 40 years experience. In so many burned and damaged by heat ones I have replaced, the "push in" was the cause. Often also because stress from pushing the receptacle into the box caused it to crack leading to trouble.
One main concern is
In and out wiring. So if one fails all others fail down the line.
We splice out and tail out to electric devices. Parallel circuit instead of series
Always informative
good review
Just replaced another outlet yesterday stabbed in. Wire hot & fell out when removing. Oxygen generator going on & off. Not just irritating, but dangerous
Yikes, that does sound dangerous 😬
Gregg, oddly enough, I had to do the same thing yesterday in one of my houses. The receptacle in question, kept on losing power for no apparent reason. When I disassembled the receptacle , one of the wires which was "stabbed" into the back of it showed signs of overheating. The copper wire easily dislodged itself from the receptacle which indicates to me that a high resistive connection existed which caused the overheating. I just don't trust the stab-in feature on these receptacles.