To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Duplex outlet upgrades

To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
M

Milton Shaw

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
4,838
Buy one and make sure you and your wife can actually plug something into them. Most of the tamper resistant outlets I have seen are almost impossible to actually use. They might not be an actual upgrade.
 
OP
M

MEDTECH

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2016
Messages
12,010
Location
Northern NJ
Good points, both of you. Tamper-resistant is not needed or wanted.
I changed a few when I first bought the house in '12. Plus, some faulty GFCIs. All screw-down and working fine. I'll stick with the proven methods.

Thanks, guys.
 
P

PCustoms

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
22,975
Location
VT
MEDTECH said:
Good points, both of you. Tamper-resistant is not needed or wanted.
I changed a few when I first bought the house in '12. Plus, some faulty GFCIs. All screw-down and working fine. I'll stick with the proven methods.

Thanks, guys.
Click to expand...

Yeah, looks like backstab 2.0 with a low price point.

I forgot what level I bought, but it was definitely a few levels above "tract home" and you could tell by the feel it's wasn't junk
 
A

acer66

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
4,418
Location
Western North Carolina
I asked the same question a while ago and started using them.
So far no problems and I will use them again.

Leviton Edge?

Hey, came across the Leviton Edge series. Any real life experiences with these? https://www.leviton.com/en/products/residential/decora-edge Thank you.
www.garagejournal.com www.garagejournal.com
 
S

Stuart in MN

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2005
Messages
23,125
Location
Minneapolis
The Leviton receptacle above isn't the same as the old style backstab receptacles - the Wago style connector is a compression joint that's more reliable than the old style that was a little bent piece of metal that snagged on the wire. However, it's designed to save time during installation - if you're wiring up an office building with hundreds of receptacles that's one thing, but if you're just replacing a couple at home it isn't that important.
 
N

Norcal

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
13,759
NostraThpmas said:
I'm curious. Were your original receptacles Tamper Resistant as required by 2008 NEC?
Click to expand...
If they were installed prior to the 2008 being adopted by the OP's jurisdiction, there is no code violation as codes are not retroactive. During device replacement tamper resistant receptacles, GFCI, and worse, AFCI, requirements are also triggered, but NJ does have a rehab code that make things different then most States.
 
B

BrandonV

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2023
Messages
4,030
Location
Arizona
Stuart in MN said:
The Leviton receptacle above isn't the same as the old style backstab receptacles - the Wago style connector is a compression joint that's more reliable than the old style that was a little bent piece of metal that snagged on the wire. However, it's designed to save time during installation - if you're wiring up an office building with hundreds of receptacles that's one thing, but if you're just replacing a couple at home it isn't that important.
Click to expand...

Yup. I've tried pullout tests and amperage tests thru the newer Leviton ones. I'm satsified.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
9

908Jim

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Messages
556
I can safely say that Leviton Plus series Tamper resistant outlets are better than the LeGrand TR outlets by a mile and are very easy to insert things into. As for the lever edge system, it's basically just a WAGO style hold down but the outlets are bulkier than regular outlets and they cost 2-3x as much.

I settled on Leviton Plus series TR outlets for most of my home, using regular screw terminals. The lever edge adds a lot of cost that was hard to justify.
 
OP
M

MEDTECH

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2016
Messages
12,010
Location
Northern NJ
NostraThpmas said:
I'm curious. Were your original receptacles Tamper Resistant as required by 2008 NEC?
Click to expand...
They were not. Previous owner upgraded most of the electrical...new panel, wiring, outlets, etc. Him and his father did the work. Wasn't completed due to his job relocation.
Before I bought the house, I called the town Bldg Dept to see if any permits were still pending. They said no. And, they confirmed they inspected the electrical upgrade. Since he bought the house in 2007, he slid in under the wire, so to speak.
 
D

dave*99

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
4,268
Location
Coastal NJ
When TR receptacles were first introduced, I had trouble inserting plugs. You had to be careful in the order in which the pins entered the receptacle.
My current house has the current version of the Leviton Decora receptacles (with screws) The TR function is much better - especially if the receptacle has been used more than once. So I'm OK with them now. And so is my granddaughter.
 
S

sparky 1971

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
7,973
Location
Central Iowa
Under orders from the wife, I've replace most of the devices in my house from ivory to white over the last few years (it takes time) and I've used plain 'ol non tamper P&S 3232W's.
 
R

rharman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
8,831
Location
SoCal
PCustoms said:
Yeah, looks like backstab 2.0 with a low price point.

I forgot what level I bought, but it was definitely a few levels above "tract home" and you could tell by the feel it's wasn't junk
Click to expand...
Beat me to it. First thought was that they're backstab with a slightly different approach.
 
D

dscheidt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
2,894
dave*99 said:
When TR receptacles were first introduced, I had trouble inserting plugs. You had to be careful in the order in which the pins entered the receptacle.
My current house has the current version of the Leviton Decora receptacles (with screws) The TR function is much better - especially if the receptacle has been used more than once. So I'm OK with them now. And so is my granddaughter.
Click to expand...

Good tamper resistant outlets work pretty effortlessly, and are basically unnoticeable in ordinary use. **** ones are, well, ****. They're what gets installed by contractors because they cost less.

a few years ago, we were visiting some friends who had just moved. The wife was complaining about the tamper resistant outlets, and how much she hated them, and how she was going to replace them with normal outlets. Her husband noted that every outlet in their old place was tamper resistant, and she'd never complained about them. She said "no they weren't!". He said "yes, I changed them all when <oldest kid> was born".
 
D

dave*99

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
4,268
Location
Coastal NJ
dscheidt said:
Good tamper resistant outlets work pretty effortlessly, and are basically unnoticeable in ordinary use. **** ones are, well, ****. They're what gets installed by contractors because they cost less.

a few years ago, we were visiting some friends who had just moved. The wife was complaining about the tamper resistant outlets, and how much she hated them, and how she was going to replace them with normal outlets. Her husband noted that every outlet in their old place was tamper resistant, and she'd never complained about them. She said "no they weren't!". He said "yes, I changed them all when <oldest kid> was born".
Click to expand...

I agree. The modern Decora TR are fine.

Recently I changed every receptacle in a house for a friend. He had non TR decora receptacles that I installed. So he saved a buck.....
Then he rented the place on VRBO or Air bNb and quickly learned renters want to see childproof accommodations. So he put the plastic protectors in all the receptacles. And some get lost and now it's a minor maintenance item.

When my granddaughter was born my wife told me to get the plastic protectors. I said we have TR everywhere in the house.. Her response was "We do?"
 
T

tworley

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 16, 2024
Messages
116
Location
Colorado
I replaced every outlet in our 1980s house with TR. IIRC, I am using a leviton brand. We have no issues plugging anything in🤷‍♂️

The outlets I replaced, every single one was backstabbed. There were 2-3 that I remember having loose wiring.
 
N

nadogail

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
31,961
Location
Coronado, CA
One of my rentals, built in 1979/80, purchased by me in 1985 started having issues with the plugs almost falling out of the receptacles. Some Hubble receptacles followed me home from work, in 1990. I have had no more problems with weak retained springs. When i first installed the Hubble's the plug was a "Wedding Night" fit
 
W

wyliesdiesels

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
20,021
Location
Modesto, CA
PCustoms said:
Yeah, looks like backstab 2.0 with a low price point.

I forgot what level I bought, but it was definitely a few levels above "tract home" and you could tell by the feel it's wasn't junk
Click to expand...

rharman said:
Beat me to it. First thought was that they're backstab with a slightly different approach.
Click to expand...
nope. quickwire terminals use a spring to hold the wire in place.

these use a metal plate and lever....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom