At above right is a top view of a #12 copper wire inserted into one of the clamp type electrical receptacle openings. An example of a back-wired electrical receptacle is shown at above-right. It's usually disappointing seeing the question without knowing what someone ended up doing. Below is a photo of back or "wiring-side" of this electrical the backwire-only type electrical receptacle. 386389. 
I swapped out the machined screws on the receptacle with a couple wood screws with coarse threads to grip the plastic. Im in a bit of a time crunch, so I didnt want to try and replace the box and risk having to patch/paint the wall. Why would it be necessary to have screw side mount connections and backstab hole connections to a single Outlet? A close-up view of the wire inserted properly into the screw-clamp connector is shown at below right. Using a pair of wire strippers, place the wire into each groove, closing the wire strippers around the wire to find the size that barely does not fit around the wires. Below is a side-view of the tightened connector. Above at right is a close-up of the wire notch I'm discussing. Its mounted solid and looks great! Leave us some comments about this feature; your comments can help make our site better for everyone. 2. it is technically improper to install an electrical receptacle that has a third hole for the grounding prong on wall plugs but is wired without an electrical ground Above the photo gives view of the neutral wire side screw connectors and a green grounding conductor connector screw. U.S. National Electrical Code NEC Article 314 that covers the installation and use of electrical boxes. The 2 wires appear to be covered in cloth or paper that is held in place with a very thin wire(?) In my opinion your electrical wiring of receptacles is improper, unsafe, unreliable, violates the manufacturer's instructions, warranty, and the electrical code. I first used a 1/32 bit, then a 1/16 bit, and finally a 1/8 bit to clean out the holes. Aronstein, Jess,[Personal communication, J.A. Switches & Outlets:1 long screws are packaged with most electrical outlets and switches. Ashizawa, K. and Omata, K. (1997), Property of Ignition Mechanism Caused by Thermal 
Babrauskas, V. Y. T. E. N. I. S. "Research on electrical fires: the state of the art." Accessibility, University of Memphis, Team S1-G3, Willis Fall 2019. 14 copper wire to be connected by a push-in back-wired connection method (red arrows). The electrical wire (copper-only according to markings on these device) is inserted between a copper face plate (red arrow) and a thicker silver colored base plate (green arrow). Low contact force between the wire and the receptacle connector where spring-type push-in backwired terminals are used on receptacles is probably the most significant reason that these connections can be expected to deteriorate over many years. Drill out or remove the old screws with pliers or cut slits with a dremel. Those are intended to get a secure bite on the wire surface as well as to cut through any slight oxidation that might be present. Basic Drywall Tools | The Essential Tools for Drywall Repairs.
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1. it cannot be tested reliably using its internal tester IEEE, 2011. 2) is it normal to only have 2 wires instead of 4 at an outlet, and In a state with the common law definition of theft, can you force a store to take cash by "pretending" to steal? Here we describe the types of backwire connectors used on electrical receptacles and light switches and we explain the safety and performance questions that may arise. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Common reasons to replace an outlet are for cosmetic and functional purposes. thanks for the update. Dr. Aronstein points out that in the connector shown at left there are two contact areas: the edge of the spring clip (red arrow #1) and possibly the larger surface area of the contact plate (red arrow #2).
I have a kitchen outlet in my 1940's house that sparked when I plugged something in. Curved wire ends may be more likely to occur in old-work, re-wiring, in electrical outlet or switch replacement and similar situations, particularly if the wire being inserted was previously connected by having been bent or curved around the shaft of the screw of an electrical receptacle switch that is being replaced. Using the back-wire or push-in type connection points on an electrical receptacle or switch may be just fine, or it may not be reliable nor safe, depending on the age and type of back-wire connector provided.
The white arrows point to the smaller rectangular opening giving access to a press-to-release spring that will allow removal of the wire, but we prefer not to re-use this type of back-wired receptacle. They may have either a phillips head or a flat head, so use the screwdriver that works with your screws.
See ALUMINUM WIRING HAZARDS & REPAIRS - home, Is it safe to plug in an ac unit that runs 10 amps , into outlet that is backed wired, i had read that you don't like this method, the outlet is on third floor and is on a 15 amp breaker - Johnny B 5/2/w.
Anon: Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange! In 2019 we disassembled and photographed a push-in type backwire recptacle from a 1960-built home in northern Minnesota. Watch out: not all screw terminals on receptacles and switches used a "binding head". On this receptacle, instead on a single back terminal accepting a single wire, there are a pair of back terminal openings at each of the four terminal screws. This receptacle is marked on its back surface as CU Wire Only - copper only. This topic has moved to BACKWIRED RECEPTACLE FAILURE PHOTOS. You can see from these images that that only accept back-wired push-in wire connections were provided. Loosen all of the screws on the new outlet. The contact plate found in both receptacles and switches on both types of devices: push-in wired or screw-connector-wired. After all, both types of wire-to-device connectors include a contact plate against which the spring or screw force the wire. Receptacle Outlets, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. Ferrino-McAllister, J. L., Richard J. Roby, and J. Use our page bottom CONTACT link or the comments box to offer suggestions or critique. [3] NFPA - the National Fire Protection Association can be found online at www.nfpa.org, [4] The 2008 NEC National Electrical Code (ISBN 978-0877657903). The back-wiring holes in this receptacle accepted either #12 or #14 wire, but used a common spring for each pair of holes. If a #12 wire was pushed into one hole and a #14 in the other hole of the pair, the #14 wire would not be gripped by the spring. "Electrical fires." This can give you room to work on the removal of the old box even if that means breaking it apart into pieces. But in a connector-spring-type "push-in" electrical wire connector, anything that weakens the spring - itself a thin flat copper component - such as age, re-use of the electrical device, removal and re-insertion of the wire, or changing wire sizes from a #12 to a smaller $14 wire gauge or possibly even bending forces exerted by the pushed-in wires as the device is pushed back into the electrical box are likely to weaken the contact force as well. However wires are pushed in from the other side - the "back" of this device as I show below. Watch out: Dr. Aronstein warns (Aronstein to DF 2015) that while the screw-clamp type connections are an improvement on electrical switches and receptacles that permit back-wiring, they are not fail-safe, warning that " they sometimes fail due to the wire moving when the receptacle is pushed back into the [electrical] box, loosening the connection.". 12 wire, performed poorly against a No. Ontario Hydro, Toronto (1978). HOW can I resolve this? How do people live in bunkers & not go crazy with boredom? Babrauskas, V. (2003), Ignition Handbook, Fire Science Publishers, Issaquah, WA. screw plug electrical By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Switch on all the breakers that you turned off in step 1. pictures tell the story in the right manner, easy to do. Not exactly, Anon. in., and can accept up to 9 #14 wires or 8 #12 gauge wires. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Fully tighten the screws on the top and bottom tabs, positioning the outlet so that it is straight, vertically. Babrauskas, V. (2013), Arc Breakdown in Air Over Very Small Gap Distances, Interflam 2013 In the 1940s when your home was built it was common to run two wire circuits - Hot, Neutral, but no grounding conductor. Overall, the binding-head screw offers the best electrical wire connection quality and long term reliability, all other features being equal, because it offers the greatest bulk surface contact area and significantly-higher contact pressure. 100 Packs Wall Plate Screws, Taezn Outlet Cover Screws 4 Length Sizes 6-32 Thread Switch Plate Screws Perfect Replacement for Wall Outlet Screws, Light Plate Screws, White Screws for Wall Plate, etc. That said, I agree that older, spring-type back-wired electrical connections (shown at below left) are not as reliable as connections made under a screw or clamp, as the total contact area between the back-wire spring edge and the wire surface is minimal. Engineering, 14, pp. Our photo (left) illustrates a spec-grade 20-Amp, 125V rated electrical receptacle that looks as if it is "back-wired" - in fact while a wire can be wrapped around the terminal screws on this device, the screw is intended to be used to tighten a rectangular brass plate against a square metal nut (silver in color) that makes a very strong and positive connection over a good area of wire surface. We disassembled the push-in backwire receptacle shown above to permit a view of the wire connections inside this device. The problem still exists however with the other screw and even if you are able to remove the one with the stub you are still faced with the need that this electrical box will have to be replaced with a new one. plug m16 screw electrical male 16mm type socket connector cable female Please see RECEPTACLE WIRE-TO-CONNECTOR CONTACT AREA SIZES - separate article - for details. Otherwise when you tighten the connector screw it will not clamp onto the wire. I consider these screws a more secure electrical connection than the push-in backwire connectors though of course a bit more labour is involved as well. Not only did these devices sport a limited electrical contact between the wire and the connector (just the edge of a flat spring in contact with the edge of a round wire), but worse, if a device was back-wired using No. Holm Conf. Kit, 64 Pieces Electrical Outlet Box Extender Kit Includes 16 Pieces 3 Inch Switch and 48 Pieces 1-1/2 Inch 6-32 Thread Flat Head Device Mounting Extra Long Electrical Outlet Screws (White), AIEX 60Pcs 3/8 Inch Long 6-32 Thread White Wall Plate Screws Outlet Cover Screws Switch Cover Screws Replacement Wall Plate Screws Electrical Screws, 200 Pieces Wall Plate Screws 4 Sizes Electrical Outlet Cover Screws White Screw Covers Outlet Screws Covers with Storage Box for Homes, Offices, JianLing 30PCS Long Electrical Outlet Screws, Machine Screws Device Mounting Screws Electrical Outlet Extender, Get the job done with high quality fasteners, All customers get FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. PS: Do my junction boxes need to be behind a backsplash or flush with it? DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS OF ELECTRICAL 1-7. But it seems to me there's no requirement for an electrical receptacle to have both side screw and back wire connectors. Thank you for responding, my town home was built in 1999, not sure if that is considered newer or older, lights do dim though when i use 10 amp vacuum . If he cant pull out the 12 gauge wires from the backstab holes, we will cut the wires and buy new receptacles, On 2019-09-21 What are those large diameter wires? Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. I remove a outlet from the kitchen wall above the counter not near a water source but still in the kitchen. The sketch (below) compares the wire-to-receptacle (or switch) contact area sizes of an older type flat spring with the contact area of a compression plate or screw type connector pushing against the same wire size. at BACKWIRED DEVICE SPRING CLIP DETAILS. 39th IEEE As long as you don't dig away too much of the plastic, a new screw should still hold. Other devices may be labeled "FD" indicating "Ferrous" and "Deep" electrical boxes. For the top one, you could try digging out a bit of the plastic around the screw with a utility knife, in order to give enough space to grab the screw shaft with vice grips or pliers, and remove it that way. The tool you need is called a screw extractor. Click to enlarge the photo and you'll see that the wire is in contact with the connector plate over about the wire length indicated by the red lines and double-headed arrow. How can I attach the new receptacle to the box? gx16 I ended up drilling the screws out despite my hesitation. Please re-post the image if you can. BACK-WIRED ELECTRICAL DEVICES at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. However as we warn you in this article series, pushing back wire connections are considerably less reliable and therefore possibly Less safe than using a screw terminal type connector. socket extra screws electrical plug m3 Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. The standard type of screw for electrical outlets and switches to secure the switch or outlet to the electrical box is a flat head machine screw, they can either be Phillips orslotted screw. @TylerH, if the screw is so tight that the head sheared off when using a screwdriver, I very much doubt a magnet would be able to turn it. Still you can install a GFCI on a 2 wire circuit The devices would perform acceptably, however, if the screw connectors on the device side were used to connect the wires. With careful work you can enlarge the opening just right for the double wide box to fit.
This receptacle photo was taken in a Minnesota home built in 1962. The existing wire may be ok to use or not - no one with any experience would nor should pretend she can tell you the safety or condition of the electrical wiring in a 1940 circuit by simply looking at a couple of inches of two wires in one location. Unscrew the top and bottom screws holding the outlet into the interior electrical box. rev2022.7.29.42699. Nevertheless, on a 15-A circuit using 15-A devices such as receptacles, the circuit and its devices are rated and intended to be able to support the 10-amp load you describe, so long as the sum of all of the items plugged into that electrical circuit don't overload it. If you scrape the tip before letting it cool down, you can reuse the old tip for more odd jobs like it. Dr. Jess Aronstein. How to attach electric receptacle when screws broke off.
Older electrical receptacles and light switches and some lower-cost modern products use a spring-clip type contact that presses the mere edge of a metal spring or clip inside the device against the edge of a wire that is pushed into the device through a hole on the device back. Determine there is no power at the outlet using a voltage tester.
I think taking the old box out and replacing with even another single gang old work box should be doable without having the patch the drywall. Also see ELECTRICAL SCREW CONNECTOR TORQUE-FORCE. You'll notice that the wire at above-left is not perfectly straight. Bates- Wall Plate Screws, 75 Pack Assorted Size, Outlet Screws, Wall Plate Screws White, Outlet Cover Screws White, Long Electrical Outlet Screws, Electrical Screw, Outlet plate Screw, Faceplate Screw, FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. For each wire, approximately 0.75 inches (2 centimeters) away from the clipped end of the wire, clamp the strippers down on the wire and pull the strippers toward the clipped end of the wire, revealing the bare wire underneath. Degradation on Plug, Abstracts of Annual Meeting of JAFSE, Paper C-22, pp. Turning the screw (blue arrow) at any of these four connectors (each of which will accept two wires) pinches the stripped wire-end between these two plates. If done carefully you may just be lucky enough to be able to remount an old-work box in the same hole. Modern back-wired electrical devices like receptacles and light switches use a clamp-type screw and plate that permits very good contact between the electrical connector on the device and the wire - as shown in our photograph at above-left. Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Why And How Do My Mind Readers Keep Their Ability Secret. The large and small gray-colored arrows depict differences in force between the contacting device (spring or plate or screw) and the surface of the wire. Im not sure what to do. Just need to carefully cut away the drywall so that the hole is just a few 1/32nds of an inch bigger than the box. What do I do with the other two wires that went into the back. The gauge size is the diameter of the screw. Today the NCVT stayed green so I pulled the outlet out and found two wires coming from one black patterned sheath. Those are not binding-head screws and they do not make as-reliable a wiring connection. Here we will illustrate three different types of electrical receptacles that can be wired from their back-side. This guide shows how to replace a standard residential wall outlet. We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need. Thanks for all the suggestions here. 12 or No. At right in the same photo you can see the silver edge of the clamp pushed against the copper plate beneath the screw when the device is fully closed. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazons commitment to empowering them. Even when trying to keep the wire straight some bending may occur from handling, during insertion into the electrical device, or near the end when the wire was cut to the proper insertion length - arrow B in the photo above. Questions & answers or comments about how to install and wire electrical outlets or receptacles in buildings. electrical connector cable male female type connectors 16mm m16 socket screw plug Using a flat-head screwdriver, remove the outer cover plate of the outlet by unscrewing the middle screw. The screws on outlets vary. That's a very good connection. Plugs kept falling out of our old receptacles, so my husband replaced them using the backstab option on the new receptacles.
Flat head refers to the shape of the screw head, not the slot used to drive the screw. In my second photo you can see that on this receptacle no side screws and no screw clamp options were provided. screw plug Below at left is a close-up of the spring clip connector. I have a hard time convincing friends that the large and secure contact area of the clamp style backwire outlet is superior to the spring clamp. Geometry nodes - Why is "mesh to curve" extending the selection of nodes? This receptacle served without failure in active use from 1960 until about 2015 when I removed it in response to a complaint that its grip on the family's vacuum cleaner wall plug was "loose". EPDM Rubber (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer). You can see that this receptacle also includes two binding head screw connectors on each side - silver screws for neutral wire (right side in the photo) and brass-coloured screws for hot or black wire (left side in the photo). I've never seen that diagonal screw box, what's the advantage of that over the clamp style ones? At WIRE-TO-CONNECTOR PERFORMANCE SUMMARY we suggest that binding head screw connections such as shown here are likely to be significantly-better performers over the life of the electrical system in a building, adding that screw-clamp connectors also perform well. Attempting to drill the screw, especially with a hand drill, will just lead to the drill bit skidding off the top of the screw and digging into the adjacent plastic. With wires stripped to the proper length, not nicked, and with the screw tightened, these are, in our OPINION, good electrical connections. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Barbara
Retrieve the outlet cover plate, and tighten the middle screw to the middle of the outlet. 1pair m12 gx12 Cover Plates:Electrical cover plates for switches and outlets are typically packaged with 5/16 long screws. A comparison of crude contact areas between the copper wire and the different types of wire connectors is at RECEPTACLE WIRE-TO-CONNECTOR CONTACT AREA SIZES. Alternatively, you can switch off all breakers. 253260. There are a variety of electrical box types called old-work boxes that clamp to the wall board and can be used as a replacement as long as you can get the old box out of the way. Springer, New York, NY, 2016. The rectangular opening is used to release an installed wire. If it's a new work box nailed to the stud, what's the best way to remove it without damaging the drywall?
We discuss that advice in the article above on this page.
That is, in our OPINION, if you remove and reinsert wires in devices that rely on a spring clip rather than a screw and plate clamp connector, the spring may be weakened and the connection less reliable. femal 2pin m16 Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. aria electrical -
Most electrical receptacle models that offer a back-wiring option also offer a screw or screw-clamp option.
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If a species keeps growing throughout their 200-300 year life, what "growth curve" would be most reasonable/realistic? I estimate that the wire is in contact with the contact plate (ignoring any effects of the cut-out opening) over about 2mm. The pressure-plate connector is also likely to perform significantly better than the spring-clip connector. Also see "NEC Article 370, Outlet,Device, Pull and Junction Boxes, Conduit Bodies and Fittings" for a mention of this appellation, including the excessively cited text ". 150 Pieces Electrical Outlet Extender Kit 60 Pieces Outlet Screw Spacers and 90 Pieces 6-32 Thread Flat Head Device Mounting Screws for Household and Industrial Electricity, 6 Lengths (Black), Extra Long Screws for Outlets Receptacles and Switches - Perfect for Recessed Electric Boxes and Wall Plates 50 Count Pack 1-1/2 Length 6-32 Thread for Outlet Spacers or Electrical Box Extenders, HanTof 50Pcs Extra Long Outlet Screws,Electrical Switch and Receptacles Device Mounting Screws,Wall Plate Screws,6-32 x 1-1/2 Inches Phillips Pan Head Machine Screws,18-8 (304) Stainless Steel, 24 Pieces Electrical Backsplash Outlet Extender Kit Include 12 Pieces Switch and Receptacle Screw Round Straight Tube and 12 Pieces Long Electrical Outlet Screws for Fix Wonky and Sunken Outlets, 48 Pieces Electrical Outlet Spacers Extender Kit Includes 24 Pieces 3 Inch Switch and 24 Pieces 1-1/2 Inch 6-32 Thread Flat Head Device Mounting Extra Long Electrical Outlet Screws (Red), Henne Bery 3/8" Long 6-32 Thread, Oval Head Milled Slot Replacement Wall Plate Screws, 30 Pack, White, Gardner Bender SK-832T Electricians Screw Kit, 8-32 Round Phillips Head, 20 pc of , , 1, 1, 1 , & 2 in.