Residential electrical switch box covers: why not Phillips?

[vavet]

Why do residential switch plate cover plates use straight slot screws instead of Phillips? Is it to avoid overtorqueing?
tradition?

 

[Blueshound_GJ]

Probably cheaper.

 

[LXCam]

So we can argue about vertical or horizontal slot alignment…duhhhhh

 

[dscheidt]

So we can argue about vertical or horizontal slot alignment…duhhhhh

There's no argument, though. Horizontal slots are clearly the work of mouthbreathers.

The answer tradition, no doubt.

 

[mm08822]

I had one customer tell me as I finished up that he wanted all the screw slots vertical.....hahaha.....yup...funny

HE WAS SERIOUS!!! Im sure the expression on my face was more than insulting

 

[drmarkr]

 

[Sumboodie]

I had one customer tell me as I finished up that he wanted all the

That's reasonable.

 

[johnre]

I'd guess the reason is that straight slot screws hide better than Phillips; you want these covers to look invisible.