BEWARE Of These 3 Common Wiring Mistakes On Outlets & Switches
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- Опубликовано: 26 апр 2024
- 90% of homeowners wire outlets wrong, learn how to do it right & AVOID these 3 COMMON ELECTRIC MISTAKES & learn an EASIER way to wire up your outlets with BETTER CONNECTIONS every time.
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Due to factors beyond the control of Silver Cymbal, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Silver Cymbal assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Silver Cymbal recommends safe practices when working on machines and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Silver Cymbal, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Silver Cymbal. 
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Can you use Butt Splice connectors to reconnect the 3 Big severed wires in a Wall or Roof?
You don't need to actually make the hook yourself. The outlets have a tiny plastic tab where the tip of the conductor would rest when the hook is under the screw. Take the stripped wire and place the tip under this tab and you can pull the wire to wrap the rest of the exposed conductor around the screw and form the hook. It hard to explain but the tab holds the tip of the conductor in place while you bend the wire around the screw. It makes a perfectly sized hook that tightly fits the screw.
The easy way to remember how to wire an outlet is WHITE TO WIDE. The wider slot on a polarized outlet is the side the white wire connects to. Something else to note is the back wiring holes have been reduced in size to 14 gauge on new outlets. When they were first introduced they were 12 gauge size. I had to replace an outlet in an old house and the wires in the box were too short to put hooks on and Home Depot, Lowes, etc don't have outlets with 12 gauge back wiring holes. But they do have the ones with the clamps. So for a little more $ I got one of those outlets that could work with the stubby amount of wire the original electrician had left in that box.
I've also been replacing the lousy wire nuts with WAGO 221 series lever nuts everywhere I can. When a connector rated for 20 amps can be run to 60 amps without melting, catching fire, or showing any damage at all, that's a convincing reason to never use a wire nut ever again. They're so much more convenient for installing light fixtures that nearly always have stranded wire, which is a huge PITA to get to stay together with solid wire using wire nuts. A lever nut doesn't care about different wire types since each hole is independent. Lever nuts are also far easier for connecting 3 or more wires because they can be popped in one at a time rather than trying to get 3, 4, or 5 solid wires to all stay together. It always takes multiple attempts with a wire nut before one wire won't fall out.
Something not mentioned, if you hold a outlet (device) front side up and look at a side you'll see a little hook cast in the body to the lower right of the terminal screws. Strip the wire more than normal then place the end in the hook and bend/ wrap the wire counter clockwise around the terminal screw and tighten the terminal. Take needle nose and pinch the wires together to make an eye before cinching down the screw, to be fancy.
Stubby multi Klein. Love it lol
Another tip: always shut down the circuit when wiring outlets and switches. Then, record the circuit number on the back of the plate cover with a sharpie so that next time you know exactly which circuit to shut off.
Good idea on rotating the circuit number!
For sure.
I was an electrician for 35 years..never saw or thought of that. Brilliant! 👍👍👌
@@davew4176 at what point in his comment did he say "rotate the circuit number"?
@@charlieboutin3341 Could not agree with you more. We're never too old to learn new tricks. What a time saver!
One good tip with wiring up outlets: start at ground, then neutral, then hot. And reverse for dismantling outlets. (:
@Zer0Fukz How are you going to trouble shoot with the power off? Get comfortable with working on live circuits
Treat every situation like it's live...no matter if you personally shut the power off. It is good practice to attain muscle memory because no matter the experience there will be always be new and upcoming individuals that have a lack of knowledge. It's not to say their garbage at the trade but are learning like you once we're at.
Experience with the trade is expensive knowledge to earn and comes with sacrifice's that can't be bought with money but with your own dedication and drive. Also with where you want to take it...because this is a trade that is used globally.
What I'm getting down to is that every company is different and can overlook certain procedures...but it is upon you in the line of work to understand and protect yourself. Having that knowledge and being able to train future candidates that aspire for this work can benefit from your own "expensive knowledge". That's what will make you lead some day.
Of course there is a lot more to it should you open your own business but gaining experience starts with what you are interested in.
First to break, last to make.
Yes, start with bare ground for installation ( if it's there, knob and tube may not have it) then white neutral(s), (if there) then red traveler ( also hot), then black hot(s).
If this confused you, call an electrician.
One good tip is to call an Electrician
been wiring for 55 years. it never stops til i die. joy of the job means never needing to stop doing it. you video is aces in my book. keep on doing what you do
Electrical apprentice here. I was totally not aware of that little measuring guide on the back of the outlet. Good rundown on how to wire up correctly.
Most pros would charge a few hundred bucks for what you give away for free. Thanks for being the neighbor I wish I had. Appreciate you.👍🏾
Thanks 👍
Aunt Barbara adores you!
It's not free though. YOU and YOUR information that's being sold is what's making money from advertisements.
As an industry professional myself, knowledge deserves to be free. There will always be DIY, which is a very good thing; if someone is going to do DIY, then it'll be better for everyone if they at least do it right!
Not free
You should add a big red X over the parts where you show the incorrect wiring. Many people are visual or may be multi-tasking. They might miss that you're showing the wrong way sometimes, the right way other times. Thanks much for this helpful information! This teacher just likes clarity. LOL
Some good points. Showing watchers how to properly fit all the wires and the new outlet back into the electrical box to avoid possible damage or hazards, would be great addition to finish off the job. Cheers!
I am a retired electrician and this an outstanding instructional video, one of the best I have seen. I NEVER used those back wiring holes. I did not trust them for longevity. I totally agree with you on every point because that is exactly how I wired up my receptacles! Good Job!
The electrician that wired my house left loose outlets, loose switches, and used stab connections in everything.. I had to go through and fix all of it.. half of my light switches you'd go an flip them and literally hear discharge from the switch due to poor connection from the way he wired em.. switched to the screws and never had issues. Laziness is all ill say.
Ever use wago’s?
I'm an electrician too and the quick connections at the back are indeed shit, the amount of times i've pulled out an outlet and had a wire pull out of them...
@@freakofnatur101 check their work before you work their check.
@@alexmoran2859 they are getting spec'ed for jobs lately in construction, I hate them.
Followed you when I needed help fixing my lawn, but I stayed for all the other amazing advice you provide. Seriously get something from each video you post. Love that they are short and to the point.
Pro Tip: That little hole by the green ground screw…place your “un-hooked” ground wire there, then back wrap it clockwise around the screw for a secure connection! 👍
I try to teach that to new guys all the time. For some reason, they never seem to want to use it. I don't get it. So much easier
Pigtails period
@@michaelleonard1491 So, you’re saying buy a pigtail, then have to splice it onto the incoming romex, then take out the existing green screw and then attach the new pigtail???
I’m saying there’s many ways to do things. There cheap ones and then there’s using the extra 1900 box hole however you please weather needed or not that is if your going to get that technical about a secure extra piece of grounding connection. You know for the fire inspectors and gc’s when instead of save money wanna break balls. Just saying to each is own. Lol
@@michaelleonard1491 Thanks for telling everybody about the ‘most time consuming’ way to do this job! LOL!!!
With manual wire strippers (The Klein ones I've been using in foundations anyways) there's a hole either side of the jaws for making the hooks super easily and quick
I am in Canada . We are shown and taught to hook up the green ground wire first. If somehow the circuit does become hot you will not get much of a shock for very long before it trips out but if the green is off you could die.
This is a fallacy, instantaneous trip circuit breakers are not intended to save human life and will do nothing to help you if you become energized while making wiring connections. The resistance of the human body is to great to cause the breaker to trip. The best thing to do is use GFCI circuit breakers if your concerned with human interaction such as residential wiring systems.
I could build a whole house just by watching all your videos, this was super helpful! Thanks
You missed one other tip. Those screws on the side don't really fit a phillips very well as the hole in the center is more of a "Roberts" bit. Milwaukee makes an "ECX" bit and insulated screwdriver that is a combination square/flat bit and fits electrical screws perfectly.
Good point, though it's crazy how many electricians stick with flatheads alone. I guess if it works.
Klein makes a combination bit as well that works great for these.
The square bit is called a Robertson, and it is much better than either slot or Phillips. It isn't popular in the U.S. due to licensing issues.
I’m curious - what size screwdriver tip fits those screws? I’m replacing all the outlets in my sister’s house, so such a tool would make that job easier.
I found a set of Milwaukee ECX hex bits at Ace Hardware that has both a No. 1 and a No. 2, but the only insulated screwdriver I’ve found is the smaller No. 1. My guess is that a No. 2 would fit better, but I’m having trouble locating one of those. What do you think?
I’d rather have the insulated screwdriver instead of just the hex bits to use with my uninsulated driver.
Thanks!
@@David_K_pi ECX #1 fits outlet, switch and breaker screws. I use my Milwaukee insulated ECX screwdriver for everything. It is P/N 48-22-2241 and is ECX #1.
I’ve been an electrician for 25 plus years and I still wrap the screw with the wire even if it’s like the last one. Old habits are hard to break. I also usually wrap all screws with electric tape especially if it going in a metal outlet box.
I do the same. I don't use tape in nonmetallic boxes but always in metal boxes
3M super 33+
I'm not an electrician, but if you strip the wire 3/4" and wrap it around the screw and tighten properly then I don't see how it has any less contact than that channel method. In fact he clipped the wire a little less than 3/4" then inserted into the channel.
@@eldnah2 I can’t argue that point other than I’ve had to replace several outlets that were melted because of bad contact points on these outlets wired in that fashion. With an outlet screw wrapped with the wire in the correct way you will usually never have any issues. Again just my experience over the years.
Some of those gfci outlets leave almost no clearance with a standard 1-gang box.. I don’t usually tape but have several times when upgrading old ungrounded wiring to gfci outlets in old houses. The difference between modern and old electrical is crazy.
Great video, I’m advising a young family on electrical in their old home and this kind of video really helps everyone
One thing that should be mentioned is to not pull or kink wires. When you kink wires or have them bend in a really small radius they generate alot of heat and can actually reduce flow and in rare incidents cause fire. Also be sure your wire nutz are the right size and are tight. I just recently fixed some electrical that was pulsing at the outlet(charger light was turning on and off). I went in the attic to see where the wires were going and the outlet that was pulsing was piggy backed off of a porch light. Where they had a junction box in the attic jumping power, one of the wire nutz was loose and arcing. It was black and melted and I believe the next step would have been fire. The pulsing in the outlet was from the wires arcing
As an Electrician for 10yrs I can say wrapping the screws is #1 and only way a professional installs recs. Unless it's a GFCI rec or what you show with the side clamps. As for all those extra hook up spots...... All I can say is make a pigtail because it's cleaner and better connection for touchy arc- fault breakers. Good video
Its less of a failure point to have 4 solid clamp connections at the recip than a huge pigtail in the box which adds another point of failure
Never done prefab, eh?
As I am a retired Master Electrician. You did a good clean and proper video for the receptacles. Keep them coming for the DIY people.
Best plug video I've seen yet. You're very knowledgeable and explain to the fullest degree thanks
I use electrical stripers that have a little hole to make the hook. Makes the perfect size hook easily and consistently.
I mean shouldn't everyone common knowledge atleast to me
I agree with everything here. Only thing I would add is make the loop a little bit longer and pinch the hook closed around the screw with strippers or needlenose
It wasn't anything new, but I watched it out of curiosity. This is an EXCELLENT video for someone inexperienced in electrical wiring. Thank you.........
As an electrician seeing people use the push in wire connections makes me want to scream. I’ve seen more fires caused by those that they should absolutely stop making them. DANGER!!!! Good video, thanks.
Why do they put the holes there if they shouldn't be used?
@@dannydaw59 wire a receptacle using the stab in holes, plug a space heater in and you’ll eventually see.
@@dannydaw59 I've seen a few fires caused by this. What happens, wires heat up thus causing expansion and when the wire cool down they contract over time they become loose in the socket/hole and it will create an arc causing an extreme amount of heat.
@@Pkkct Ya, but why do they put the holes there?
Are holes ok to use on switches?
A little clarification on terminology.:
Backstab -- wire is inserted into a 14 gauge hole on the back of the outlet/switch and is held in place via an internal spring. The wire will stay in place without tightening the screw. The video incorrectly calls this "backwire".
Backwire -- wire is inserted into a slightly larger hole (which will accept 12ga), but the screw needs to be tightened to prevent the wire from falling out. Instead of a hole, some manufacturers accomplish the same thing using a square "washer" under which the wire is clamped. The video calls these "small channels".
Sidewire -- wire is formed into a hook and tightened directly under the screw.
was coming down to see if someone had already mentioned this. BACKSTAB = bad (what he called 'backwiring'), BACKWIRE = good (solidly clamped by the screw
Why does the backstab exist if it is such a horrible connection?
@@wizardman1313 "Lookit our fancy new easy install outlet! If you buy from our competitors, you'll be wasting time on your install like a schmuck!"
@@Phoen1x883 It's easy money for electricians. I know a few and a lot of their service calls are related to backstabs that burned up.
Somebody's boss got anal about their terminologies
Very cool. Thank you! While I was switching out all my old 100 year old outlets for new ones, I found that those little blue triangles are notched to nicely form the wire hooks for the outlet screws. Always turn off electric breakers before working on any electrical. Plug in a loud radio so you can hear when that circuit is switched off and safe.
Buy a 20 dollar multimeter and forget that nonsense. I guess that trick could work if you don't know which breaker is which, but goddamn that advice is going to get someone killed if they follow it.
Thank you for helping me correct mistakes I've made. Always love learning best practices
I can't believe I haven't realized before now the proper way to line up the loop on the outlet screw! I always get so frustrated when it pops out when it's looped in the wrong way. Thank you!
Super. 💙 T.E.N. Edit: Any time you use a spring to make a wire connection, you lose. The springs ALWAYS lose tension over time.
This is gonna help A LOT of people thanks for the vid I just watch these
Contact area, something no one ever mentions but ends up being the main reason for electrical noise because of arcing especially in outlets dealing with high loads. THANK YOU for mentioning the contact area!!!
Bravo!! Excellent video! All the other videos gloss over this and I struggled for two hours trying to connect wires securely
The old school outlet you started with also has a built in strippers. It's the little area below the removable squares on all four corners.
I would not recommend stripping with anything but correctly sized strippers that will not nick or score the wire. Anyone without a good set of strippers should not be installing outlets...
@@stevefrawley9756 Right….. but they are there just the same…Kind of an FYI moment.
@@stevefrawley9756 ...not building watches
@@lostcause1206 Not a cosmetic thing like a watch, but a safety thing. Nicks on wires are mechanical stress points and if deep enough, can also cause the wire to overheat.
@@stevefrawley9756 He means the precision of a watch is highly important it's not a saying about aesthetics. A tiny nick on a wire isn't going to matter. Lots of people use side cutters if you have the right touch you can strip with them no problem
This is great, especially the tip about using a simple plug-in type circuit tester to be sure wiring has been connected to the proper terminals. Back in the 1980’s I purchased a circuit tester to check the house current at whatever venue my band was playing to determine how safe or noisy the electric current was for our expensive amplifiers for both the PA system and instruments. One particular venue was an older building, a country club on the north shore of Long Island where I was born. As soon as we set up and turned on our amplifiers a horrible loud buzzing sound came buzzing through our speakers. We tried switching the polarity switch on the amps: useless. I next tried rolling off the frequency of the buzz on the graphic equalizer with little success. Just for s#$TS and giggles, I plugged my new gadget, a circuit tester similar to the one in this video. HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL! The illuminated LEDS indicated “HOT WIRED TO GROUND”(!). I immediately sought out the manager in charge of the building and asked him if he was aware of the problem. He had a look of disgust and disdain as he told me to mind my own business but in not a friendly tone. Nevertheless I asked him if any other bands had problems with the buzzing sounds in their amplifiers and he said maybe but no one ever gave him the information that I did. I even went on to suggest he have an electrician come in and check out the possibly of a dangerous condition. He walked away and that was the end of the conversation.
Fast forward to a few years later; I noticed an article in a local newspaper about how this very same historic and funky but charming old building had burned to the ground in the middle of the night. No cause was reported but I just had a feeling, ya know? I always wondered if that weird wiring could have caused a short and a subsequent fire in that old wooden building; guess we’ll never know.
Wow! Good story! Good thing no one died 😳
They also used bronze or worse instead of copper in those days which was a huge number one issue
On a bad termination energy is dispersed in the form of heat. The continual heating and cooling (expansion and contraction) will loosen a terminal screw causing sparks a short then a fire.
you should’ve told at least someone who was a high public official in the area about it… or at least a tip to check it out. I wouldn’t be able to live with that guilt, knowing something happened with a fire and ppl got injured or even worse. great job 👏
The #1 reason for fires in restaurants, venues inns et cetera is the fire insurance policy and losses. The owner/leaser burns the place down and collect the insurance payout.
Nice job explaining this…I sent this to our daughter who is learning.👍🏼
Great job on the video. I have been teaching this to all my helpers. Never used the stab in tabs and always frowned on the electricians that bragged about using them. The down size to working in a right to work state. Anytime I find my hands on a plug that has been stabbed I always change it. Changed every receptacle in my house. The worst applications were the receptacles by my central vac system plug and the outlets on the down side of the kitchen gfi's where we plug in appliances. It does not take that much time to do it correctly
I was sure the number 1 mistake by people, especially non-professionals, was going to be forgetting to cut the power and verifying it was off.
It’s not included as these people are no longer around to complain
The #1 mistake made by people is not having enough money to hire an “over-paid” electrician to do their electrical work.
@@juana.2745 i love guys like you , i always have to come by and fix your screw ups cause you didnt want to hire the overpaid electrician ! yet you'll pay a mechanic over a hundred dollars an hour to work on your car
Na, we pros wire them hot, adds a spark to our day
@@62Cristoforo It really doesn't hurt much, just makes your muscles tense up a bit. It's like the "pinch" feeling from one of those hand held tasers anyone can buy. The ones that have that big spark that jumps across the electrodes, goes SNAP SNAP SNAP
Bonus tip for your viewers. I see people (including my past self) trimming back the spare slack within the outlet box. Code calls for 6"+ of wire slack in many places. The extra wire comes in handy! So don't cut it all off when having issues stuffing everything back in. (There is a technique for this as well).
In an add-on bedroom of my house, that is exactly what they did. Cut the wires short. I can barely attach a new outlet in them. Had do do it a number of times on upgrades. If it was just a hair shorter, I would have to pigtail.
@@KameraShy I like using the orange wago connectors to piggy back with. Silver cymbal has featured the wagos in a few past videos. Pricey per unit but very nice.
Thank you so much for your tips. Being a watchmaker who needs to change the inner battery what a great video. Thanks
the phrase i always use to remember is "Black to Brass, White to Bright, Green to Ground"
Not sure if mentioned by others, but you've used wire strippers so if you're going to make the hook, use the strippers to bend the wire more securely around the screw before tightening.
Or use needle nose Vise Grips.
Thank you for answering my question about the clamp style on newer outlets and the amount of surface area in contact. I've seen them recently, but still did the tried and true loop method haha! But then again, I still use the tried and true method of twisting wires together when working on car audio or home electronics installs. I'd probably use the clamp on the outlet if I had to pull a new wire to a particular outlet and the screws already had wires attached at them. Then it seems logical.
The back stab ins are handy if you're in a tight box, and don't want to add a second pig tail for example. He shows this towards the end.
@@ZacharyMelo Yeah for sure hadn't thought about that. Been a while since I've came across a box that was a tight fit. Thanks!
😳😬30 minutes ago I had a outlet blow. Instantly burned my charger cube and the outlet. Melted the plastic too.
About 1-2 months ago I had two very large plugs explode right at my feet. I have no idea how I didn’t get shocked or burned. The second I ?heard? it, I jumped across the room and managed landing, sitting on the kitchen island.
Scared the heck outa me.
Thank you so much for this. Electrical fires are terrifying. It’s hell-fire!
Electrician as well and it's nice to see a video that is actually correct and not a bunch of dangerous "hacks". Everything is this video is solid.
I'm an electrician in Australia, and I have to say by comparison to the outlets we use, these seem very dangerous. In our outlets, there aren't any exposed conductive parts like that. They are all recessed into the equipment. If you opened this up without isolating it correctly you may accidentally touch those conductive parts and shock yourself.
Im an electrician in texas, america its normal and no one really cares about safety
Home wiring is shit in America. Use some some uncovered conductors like that in industry and you’ll go home jobless. I could only guess it’s to kill enough people so the survivors feel the need to call an electrician. Hell, I worked at an old plant that had these 120 outlets and switches inside metal boxes and let the new guys tKe them out to replace so when they took them out and inevitably shorted it against the side, would learn to tape the shitty thing up before replacing it with another shit switch or outlet.
It’s not that hard to not touch the metal parts. I mean it’s still not great but just don’t be stupid
Not sure why in the states they make the connections like this as you say its dangerous and there is no need, I'm a UK electrician same wiring connection types as OZ
@@robertkerr7675 Backwards compatibility to Edison 110 volt DC from 1890
Your vids are the best. I've known this about outlets for YEARS, but for those who don't, nice job for them.👍
Excellent and straightfoward video. Thanks for putting it out there for your viewers
It was epic when I did my house wiring. The electrician was wiring up the outlet wrong. I had to show him the proper way with my high-school shop class training.
I was taught that you always hook up you grounds (green) first - Neutrals (white) next - the hot wire (or, wires) is always connected last. This is a safety "best practice".
What went unmentioned was the use of the most effective tightening tool. While the screws on our US outlets will technically accept a flat and/or Phillips driver, the most effective driver(provides the most torque) would be a square,Robertson, bit.
If you can't get the screws tight with a Phillips screwdriver, you should start eating some beef everyday instead of that soy stuff!
@@melvinrexwinkle1510 A real worker worth their salt uses power drivers, or at least use a screwdriver with a properly sized bit that won't cam out or strip the screws. You gotta work smart, not hard.
Also it's the year of our lord 2022, that soy myth has long been debunked. Get with the times son.
I'm sorry but if you're using a square/Robertson screwdriver, you've lost all my respect. use an ECX screwdriver or go home.
@@Felamine Soy is heavy on plant estrogen.
@@Felamine Soy boy
Thanks for such an informative video! I have to replace a GFCI outlet in my bathroom, and now I will not only know how to wire it up correctly, I will also know to look for a replacement outlet that has those nice full contact connections in the back. Thanks a million! 😎👍👍
EXCELLENT video! One thing I could never understand is WHY folks install receptacle with ground hole UP. I was always taught down in case ground end on a plug breaks off, it wouldnt fall down & could connect with white/black part of receptacle. Your tester printing is right side up with ground at bottom, backs my statement. 🤔😉
I'm not a fan of the clamp style unless your putting two wires in. When only putting one in, it creates uneven pressure on the screw. I've had them strip because they tend to kick sideways when tightening them. I always make a hook whenever possible.
It's funny because I think electrician U says he only likes one. I'm with you on just a hook
UL 498 only requires 12-14 inch-pounds of torque on outlet screws, which should not cause them to kick sideways.
I will not use them. Also issues with old wires that are bent will not seat correctly. The old hook works fine, and if you going to have 8 wires use a freaking jumper.
I definitely do not recommend using the push in holes on the back. I had a neighbor ask me to look at his outlets that were visibly arcing, enough that you could see the cover back lit as it arc’d. Pulling outlet from the box all the connection were made using the holes in the back. They were all showing signs of melting and needed to be replaced immediately before a fire was started. I reinstalled all the new outlets using the screw terminals. How does this happen.....well the contractor was into the time savings instead of doing it right.
How can you say it is not right when the manufacturer clearly gives that as an option and doesn't state any reason not to use them ?
@@caseymoore9737 because they are convenient and still meets the bare minimum electrical code. but that doesn't mean you should use them when the screw terminals offer a superior mechanical connection.
@@caseymoore9737 I honestly don't know how they can legally provide that connection method. I've fixed tons of family members outlets and switches that have intermittent connections or have partially melted because of a poor connection from those stupid push in style connectors.
@@CondoreComputing for sure without a doubt from your memory what was the wire gauge that you fixed for those backstabbed receptacles?
@@vel5724 I believe they were usually 12 Guage. But they were mostly houses built in the 80's, and it's been awhile so there could have been some 14 Guage. I do know that in a lot of cases the copper was usually annoyingly brittle.
Another bonus tip: square screwdriver bit. I'm a DIY electrician for my shop building and once I discovered that it made things substantially simpler.
I love home wiring colors. Black and white. Red and white. Red and black. Always a fun time!
That's a spec grade outlet. Very nice. They cost more but are higher quality and save so much time on install or rework.
My regret in DIY is not using commercial grade receptacles. The cheap ones don't last.
@@KameraShy Same goes for switches. Almost every broken switch I've replaced were the cheap ones that are sold in bulk boxes.
pleasant instructive voice. We pay attention.
Even better watching this a second time.
I totally agree with you. I hate the back wiring holes I wish they had never made them. I have seen so many problems due to them. As with you the last example of a great outlet are the clamping ones. They are my choice whenever posable.
What a great video. Thank you. I have an issue with an outlet and this is going to help me troubleshoot and correct it.
Great video. Exactly what I see out in the field. I would just add a few things. 1. Twist your wires. Don’t just bunch em together in a wire it for a splice. And twist it only just past the insulation, not all the way back into the box. 2. Tighten down unused screws. Some ppl like reaping around the outlets and I think that’s a good idea, but at minimum tightening those suckers down really help preventing shorts.
Taping?
@@danielcarroll3358 If you complete the work properly, there is no need to tape anything. However, if you are using metal boxes it is "preferred" that you wrap the device with tape to prevent the terminals from touching the box if, in the future, someone is forced to work on the system while it is energized.
I'm just a DIYer and both my houses I've owned I've always gone through all the outlets/switches and fixed all these issues. Drives me crazy that a real "electrician" would do such shotty work but they do...
Is shotty work, as bad as shoddy work? 😁
Oh God the amount of work diyers have made for me.... your problem wasn't the installer it was the general contractor who pays for the lowest bid instead of going with a respectable company. There is only a one year warranty window on installs remember that cheapo knows he only has to make it last that long and you can't sue.
Not to mention it's fairly cheap to do. Just requires a few tools and a brain.
@@treeguyable I think it's worse than shoddy but not as bad as shitty! 😄
As someone in school for et this video helped out a lot! Preciate it!
Well, I didn't learn anything. That means I've been doing things right all along and that's good to know. No, I'm not an electrician by trade. Great video.
I like the 8-terminal "no hook" feature, but it's WAY more than a 50 cent upcharge. You can buy good, safe outlets at Lowes for 68 cents each. The cheapest one of the no-hook type I could find was over $5. I'm not spending over 5 times as much for a little convenience.
Those are callef commercial grade devices which are designed to more robust than residential grade. It's also why they cost more
As an electrician, those 68 cent receptacles are hot garbage.
@@TotalDbag24 Those cheap receptacles that are sold in bulk cases are the worst. I always tell people not to buy those for outlets that are out in the open or where things are regularly plugged and unplugged, because they break really easily.
Behind a table or a TV stand where they hardly get touched, they're okay.
I’m an electrician and those 68 cent receps are fine. Don’t abuse them. Spec grade devices cost so much because of the standards they have to comply with. Even more robust are hospital grade. They are rated to hold 10 pounds of force pulling away from the receptacle without unplugging the cord. They are denoted with a green dot molded into the recep face.
@@RadDadisRad
Residential? You probably also think liquidtight is good too.
An additional tip: Tighten all screws on outlets, even the ones without wires connected, will reduce chance of a short with any exposed wire, such as the bare ground, in the box.
Personally I follow the method recommended by Bill over at his Sparky channel and wrap the back/side of the outlet with electrical tape to cover all the screws.
Ideal makes a cover/wrap, like a wide rubber band that does the same thing, I've tried them and they work very well, you just have to remember to slide them over the cables before you wire up the outlet or...😁😂
If you forget the band you can almost always slide it on after the fact if you slip it over the top and let it go behind the outlet while you get it past the bottom ears. If your conductors are managed nice in preparation to fold it back into the box you don't even necessarily have to remove the bottom device mounting screw.
Electrical tape around a device like an outlet or a switch immediately tells me an amateur installed it. I used to do this, until I went back a year later to the same outlet box and noticed the few wraps of tape had somehow shrunk and pulled itself off the back of the receptacle.i guess I had stretched the tape while wrapping it
Great comment, always do this, and I usually will tape up outlets if they’re close to the edge of a metal box or cover, plastic boxes I don’t worry
@@62Cristoforo stretching tape, or tearing it is not recommended by 3M
@@a..d5518 thank you for this
The "upgraded outlet" outlet word of advice after connecting the wires when you are folding and pushing the wires and outlet back into the box after the wires are pushed back far enough before you use your #1 Robinson to screw the outlet to the box check the screws you originally tightened to hold the hot and neutral they will loosen depending on the way you push the device and wires back into the box...
Thank you! Your video showed me exactly what I was doing wrong and made the job so much quicker!!!
The outlets I've been using lately have metal bracket washers on each screw. The washers are shaped to firmly grip exposed wire and pin it in place against the outlet body when the screw is tightened. This seems much more secure than the older "jab in" style that I assume relied on the tension of a spring.
The "jab on" connections have minimal contact surface area as well.
I recommend stripping the insulation far back and pushing it forward, essentially insulating the tip of the hooks on receptacles that do not have the improved stabb in method.
the hook should never go beyond 3/4s around the tightening screw. If it is, you're doing it wrong.
If you are using solid-core wire and installing it correctly, there is no reason to slip insulation to the end. If OTOH, you are using stranded wire which is generally preferred by professionals whenever you aren't using NM (romex) wire, it is a common practice to slip some insulation to the end when side-wiring receptacles to keep the strands from fanning out when the screw is tightened. However, in those circumstances we almost always use commercial grade receptacles with back-wiring to avid the problem.
@@TwilightxKnight13 In all the years I've worked construction/renovation/maintenance I've never met a professional who'd willing waste so much money wiring home receptacles with strained over solid conductors.
Really concise video. Thank you. There's other guys giving the same content but l they take 30 minutes to say it
Thank you for reaffirming my knowledge of this, knowledge that my dad, an electrical engineer, imparted to me at the age of 13, in 1970.
When training new apprentices, I always tell them to make sure the neutral goes on the same side as the ground (all of our devices are made that way). Always wrap the wire around the screw in the way that it tightens, and NEVER ever use the stab in connections on the back. It's our company policy to never use the stab ins, but in my opinion, should be an industry standard.
Absolutely! Fuck a back stab bro
Those backwire outlets with the screws are my preferred ones. I find that the added expense is usually reduced if I buy a box of 10 instead of just 1.
I replaced very old back wire outlets. So fucking annoying. Never been able to pull out the wire correctly and just have to break the plastic to get the wire out.
I think it would be best to add you should always connect the ground FIRST! when connecting. Then neutral, then your hots. This can prevent injury in case of an energized circuit. Best to build safe practices as your foundation.
Great advice. I’m learning how to rewire a old house I bought. Thanks
If any of this advice was unknown knowledge to you I seriously advise hiring a reputable electrician.
You're dead on about the back wiring what we used to call "stabbing". I've seen so many problems with this and absolutely refused to use when I did new construction wiring. Some would even drill the hole out in the back so #12 would fit. Reckless because you are gambling with the possible loss of someone's life should a loose connection start a fire. The ones with the pressure plate are my preferred choice too.. Another tip is an outlet with the "T" shape neutral is a true 20 amp outlet NEMA designated 5-20R. The ones with straight slot are really for 15 amps NEMA designated 5-15R. Great information for the DIYer.
Yes, "stabbing" is the term I have always heard for that push-in insertion. (Not where is is clamped by the screws.)
20 Amp outlets should not be used on 15 amp circuits. The design is to show the type circuit whether NEMA 15 or NEMA20. A spec grade 15 amp will be fine on a 15 amp circuit.
@@donaldsmith5972 you're correct. Its a violation in both the CEC and NEC.
@@MrYummynomnoms Thank you! Wiring of a house is not for amateurs. We do make mistakes but fewer than the untrained do. It is also easier to replace a receptacle when only three wires are involved.. the house I live in was built new and the wiring was done using the stab-in method. I have replaced most of the outlets with spec grade and installed to my standards. There is one behind a couch that remains to be done but it is heavy and I am old. Take care.
Why would someone go through all of the extra work of drilling out the holes on the device? literally just take half a second to curl your ends it's quicker. Could easily just pigtail the conductors if there are too many if that's the problem. the mind boggles. 😄 Not to mention how much of a nope that is.
Another tip:
When you shut the circuit off, make sure it’s not a split circuit that runs two lines off of a 3-1 cable, where the black wire runs to a breaker and the red wire runs to a breaker and you can flip just one breaker. Despite that, current can still flow through the outlet.
That situation may occur when the breaker box set up wrong. Both of those breakers should be tied together.
My votech teacher told us about that. He told us he only tested on half of the outlet, assumed it was dead, grabbed it and it "bit" him. It's a code violation to split a circuit without tying the breakers together for this reason.
@@hubert0073 I was going to say that shouldn't a two pole breaker have a breaker tie...
RUclips recommend this. I just replaced all recipcles on my upper floor. Great video.
One of the most important friends you can make is an excellent electrician. And, Pay the Man!
NEC has required pigtailing wires for a few years now so in new construction you will only have 1 wire to each side of the device, which will then go back to a connector/wirenut that connects any other wires of a circuit. Designed to hopefully keep from overloading a device.
you only have to pigtail when you have more than 2 wires cause you dont want to double lug a screw and there is only 2 screws. if you have ever wired a massive house or building with over 100 outlets it adds quite a bit of time to a job to pigtail two wires. i have never know. any other way and ive been doing this 15+ years
You are confusing commercial/industrial requirements with residential requirements. NEC does not require residential wiring systems to pigtail at the point of connection. Its all about what the device's UL and CSA listed uses are and possibly local ordinances that could require such a thing
@@th3ril3y41 The NEC does not require pigtailing on comm/ind individual circuits.
Other tip, if you make the ground longer then the other wires, you can insure that if for some reason the outlet gets ripped out partially, it is still grounded
@@JesusGonzalez-kg2fe what are you on?
My dad taught me a good lesson about electric wiring. Turn off the main power before any work. He told me the power was off, and as I was hooking up outlets, and got shocked. I now check it myself.
This is good for Diy people. This is all basic stuff I learned as a teenager. Granted it was all on the job learning. But I had some really good teachers. I regret not getting certified in electrical. But I had to quit construction work after I broke my back. I couldn't handle the crawling and climbing to run the wire. Unfortunately I never had a helper to pull the wire while I was making up the outlets and appliances. I had to do it all myself cause I was the only guy on the crew with any electrical experience other than the foreman. he was too busy doing other things so the electrical fell on me. Good video. You may have stopped someone from burning their house down with faulty amateur wiring by showing them the safe and up to code way to do it.
Always, always pay the extra for the higher grade outlets and switches. They are worth it for installation purposes as well as longevity.
And as a kicker, get in the habit of orienting your screw heads on the cover plates to north and south (up and down). Makes the installation look more polished and professional.
Agree about the higher grade outlets as they also have an improved blade holder inside and the metal backstrap, both of which increase durability.
regular outlets and switches work fine been using them for 15 years and havent had any problems. a lot of times it's shoddy workmanship or over agressive workers that break devices. there is a bit of finesse that goes into the job that people tend to overlook
The company I work for makes that a policy. Every plate screw must be veritcal and plumb. We do multi million dollar custom homes, so I can understand why they enforce it. I do it mainly because I have OCD.
@@NathanaelD yessir i actually work on multi-million dollar homes in the beach here in beautiful Tampa Bay Florida and i strictly enforce that with my company as well. those are the type of things that set you apart from other electrical companies and customers DO actually notice it. i was on a job and one of the painters said he had never seen an electrician yse a level except me and that kinda surprused me lol. am i the only one? geanted a lot of things just go by eye but yeah
I like east and west for the horizontal look ..
( just personal preference, both are good )
"White on Bright" is how I was taught as a young'n. :-)
I really love that one!
Son of an electrician - my dad would approve. I should show him this because he thinks nobody on RUclips knows how to do anything properly.
An old Shipyard Electrician once gave me this tip for wiring: White to Bright, Black to Brass; Green to Ground. Simple to remember
The practice you call "back wiring" is typically referred to as "backstabbing" or "quick connect". "back wiring" typically refers to what you show at the end of the video -- a type of screw-terminal where the wire is left straight and clamped under a metal plate by the screw pressure. Actual back wiring is generally regarded as safe. The backstabbing you show is indeed generally regarded as unsafe.
It’s all regarded as safe. That’s why it’s designed the way it is. If were unsafe in any respect they wouldn’t build the features in.
@@thomassmith4467 spend a few minutes on an electrician forum and you will discover that that is simply untrue -- in general but especially when it comes to backstabbing
@@klikkolee We just finished topping out a 108 unit Spring Hill suits using the method. I guess none of us checked the “electrical forums”
@@thomassmith4467 that would be a mic-drop moment... if not for the fact that you're using the fact that you're an electrician to discount the word of other electricians. An electricians' forum is a forum primarily consisting of... electricians.
There is also the fact that problems caused by backstabbing tend to happen 3+ years after installation. By that point, a landowner or building manager might not bother contacting or complaining about the firm who did the installation. Being part of a firm that performs large new installations makes you less likely to witness long-term issues, issues, not more likely. All the time you spend installing receptacles is time you don't spend replacing failed ones.
@@klikkolee Haha. You don’t work on a construction site do you? It’s been a race to the bottom since the early 2000’s. It’s a fight for the lowest bid. The lowest bid comes with mistake after mistake, coupled with corner cut after corner cut. Washer and dryers don’t work because the ground was attached to the neutral wire. Oh, yes. Wiring for HVAC mini splits going to a different unit on a different floor. In a 166 unit apartment building this happened 12 times. The list goes on and on. It’s gotten so bad we have a giant cork board in the break room with photos of the work that’s been done by our “fellow” electrician brothers and sisters. Virtually NO ONE takes pride in their work now. It’s all about the bid and how fast the work can be done as well as the warranty. We talk trash about these scavengers all day long and twice on Sunday.
Funny that "backstab" holes are the standard for most advanced connection types, but they cause problems in American household outlets.
Like???
@@robertopics those back stab connections become loose over time as you plug and unplug things from the outlet. You'll have a light plugged in and if you try to plug something else in it'll make the light flicker cuz the outlet has these loose connections in the back. It causes heat. I've seen it many times where the back of the outlet is melted. Scary stuff
Alien grade tech. The 1% will not hunger for plebs.
@@PotentialDifference1 I agree with you, my reply was to the op saying that back stab connections are the standard on advanced electronics.
@@robertopics ohh.. My mistake 👍
I have not had to change an outlet for a while but nice video, I did not know about those newer upgraded outlets. I will seek those when I need to change any.
That last feature is one of my favorites working with stranded wire in boats, I can crimp a ferrule and always make a good connection.
Although the backwiring holes are listed for usr, there is something else about them other than poor current-carrying capacity that makes them bad, namely after a couple of decades, they become intermittent. Then you have to check all the wiring for a particular branch circuit to find out which connection is failing. That means moving all furniture out of the way, and it's a big pain, when all you had to do was use the screws in the first place. In the video, it can be seen that more than one neutral wire is connected to a receptacle. Nowadays that is not allowed, because removing any neutral wire will break the neutral to all downstream receptacles for the time required to do a repair. Odds are you will have killed the circuit anyway, but they obviously don't care. Now all neutrals to a receptacle must be joined to a short piece of wire that then is connected to the receptacle. Inexpensive readymade pigtails are available to save you time in doing this.
If you must find one intermittent backwired receptacle amongst many, you may come to the conclusion that it is better to just move all the wiring to the screws to prevent inevitable future problems. You would be correct! If you replace receptacles in "living areas," say, because they don't have screws, are worn out or any other reason, you must install AFCI protection (which can mean only changing the first receptacle in the circuit, which protects them all). And you might as well install GFCI protection where required, which can also be the first receptacle. Now get to work!
Wasn't that restriction only temporary?
Another way to determine which side is hot:
Look at the front of the receptacle. There are two slots where you plug in your appliances. 🔌
The smaller one is the hot side. Reasoning in case you forget: you want to reduce the possibility of inserting an object into it if it's small.
The little one is the mean one
120v is a tickling reminder. Amps kill. Would rather deal with ac over dc regardless of amperage. Hard to get away from dc when your hit.
I'm absolutely not an electrician, but I practice all of these wiring techniques. Sometimes my duties at work require me to replace outlets and rework florescent lights, among other disciplines like plumbing and painting etc.
But I've always wired outlets this way.
Great guid..I have always done the right hook system and not used the push springs.live those new outlets though.
I like electrical work, I just hate going up and down the stairs 18 times to find the right breaker to flip because none of them are labelled correctly.
I was doing the same thing until I started using my iPad and my wife's iPad. I set up her iPad facing the light in the room, facetime her iPad and then go flip breakers until the light in the room goes off.
You can buy a 20 dollar breaker finder tool that plugs into outlet. Works great.
Or plug in a radio into the outlet you want to turn off with the breaker. When you can no longer hear the music, that’s the breaker
I've always thought back wiring holes should never have been permitted on any outlet. I've seen many "pros" wire new construction this way.
Anyone cutting corners is, definitely, not a pro!
All my switches and outlets are back wired. At least they were. I did notice that the old switches and outlets accept 12 gauge wire but the new ones accept 14 gauge. I didn't use them, just thought it was interesting.
@@budsak7771 That's why I put pros in parentheses. There's hacks in every trade who just want to get in and out fast as possible with your check in hand.
@@mjnc3672 Hell Yeah! I get that mental image of Slater in the back seat (Dazed and Confused) saying 'It's quality, not quantity. Alright man."
@@mjnc3672 dude it's fine to do it that way doesn't cause really any issues connection works fine as long as your not sticking wire that's not designed for that plug in the holes you're fine they know what they're doing just because you said so doesn't mean it's not okay there's no problems with wiring that way have had nothing go wrong while doing it either so like I said it's fine
Well done video, as others mentioned, you should start by cutting the power before doing any electrical work. With regard to connections, in Japan, the only connections available are push in, there are no screws on outlets or switches. Even junctions are just push in type, it doesn't seem to cause problems. When O made the hooks in Canada, I always squeezed the wire in with needle nose pliers to give is extra contact.