Updating Outlets/Switches

[dogdog]

There is a hole / slot next to it. a small flat tip screwdriver inserted into it will release the wire from that backstabbed wire. I have had the cheaper ones stuck, but the commercial one is easy to release. I reuse them all the time.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

There is a hole / slot next to it. a small flat tip screwdriver inserted into it will release the wire from that backstabbed wire. I have had the cheaper ones stuck, but the commercial one is easy to release. I reuse them all the time.

I've had plenty of the cheap ones get stuck and not release. If the outlet isn't being re-used I'd just cut it off and re-strip the wire.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

There is a hole / slot next to it. a small flat tip screwdriver inserted into it will release the wire from that backstabbed wire. I have had the cheaper ones stuck, but the commercial one is easy to release. I reuse them all the time.

I just hold the wire and twist the outlet while pulling on it,works 99% of the time.

 

[orangelefty]

Yup, just turn the circuits off at the breaker. Why would you do anything more dangerous then you have to?

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[dogdog]

I just hold the wire and twist the outlet while pulling on it,works 99% of the time.

LOL...I have gorilla them many times as well....but you are supposed to pull after inserting that screwdriver/piece of flat metal...like the one from that wiper blades.... .... otherwise, that metal will cut/caught into the wire...but yes it would work if you want to save the wire and not the outlet. I have 99% success on commercial outlet than home cheapos.... I always thought they would have made a special key for this thing already... It gets caught if your piece of metal is not thick..... and it gets damaged if your piece of metal is too thick... but at least you still have the screw terminals... bend your hook clockwise w

 

[dogdog]

Yup, just turn the circuits off at the breaker. Why would you do anything more dangerous then you have to?

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No, they were talking about turning off the whole house breaker (main breaker).... which is a little excessive. One circuit at a time is good enough, besides it's good to verify everything is proper before moving on... even though it might not be a too difficult job... it still takes about 10 minutes an outlet if you worked very fast. why stress yourself and stretch yourself... better to check and verify your mistakes/work one branch at a time.

 

[orangelefty]

No, they were talking about turning off the whole house breaker (main breaker).... which is a little excessive. One circuit at a time is good enough, besides it's good to verify everything is proper before moving on... even though it might not be a too difficult job... it still takes about 10 minutes an outlet if you worked very fast. why stress yourself and stretch yourself... better to check and verify your mistakes/work one branch at a time.

Sorry I should have quoted, I was replying to the OP question about just leaving the circuits live and using magic gloves. Bad advice from whoever told him that.

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[ddawg16]

Wow...I can't believe anyone suggested pigtails............I'll get to that in a moment

1) Quick wire push-in terminals......Bad....the contact area is a fraction of what the screw provides.

2) Is wrapping each switch and each outlet with electrical tape the best method when installing devices? Unless you have metal boxes, not worth the trouble.

3) Is Leviton the best "big box store" brand? What about Lutron? Both are good...but each one has different grades

4) I know for safety reasons, the breakers should be turned off when doing electrical work.......I get it. However, for time savings, my friend said to just buy insulated electrician gloves for $20. Do you guys 100% of the time shut off the power when swapping switches/outlets? Have you tried working with 12g wires while wearing gloves? Just turn off the breaker. If you don't know which outlets are on which breaker, time to find out.


Now....pig tails....

As you will find out, your outlets are daisy chained. Unless you had a good electrician who wired your house, chances are, they used the outlet as the 'junction' for your wires. In other words, line comes in...ties to one set of terminals (screws)....the line going to the next outlet ties to the other set of terminals.

Hence, you are depending on that small strip of metal between screws to continue the ckt.

And....it's a whole lot of fun shoving that mess back into the box.

Do yourself a favor.....do a pigtail. This is where you use wire nuts to connect the daisy chain...and you add short lengths of wire to the wire nuts....these are what you wire to the outlet. The wire nuts get shoved to the back of the box where you never have to mess with them again...and it's a lot easier to shove the outlet into the box with only 3 wires vs 6 wires.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

LOL...I have gorilla them many times as well....but you are supposed to pull after inserting that screwdriver/piece of flat metal...like the one from that wiper blades.... .... otherwise, that metal will cut/caught into the wire...but yes it would work if you want to save the wire and not the outlet. I have 99% success on commercial outlet than home cheapos.... I always thought they would have made a special key for this thing already... It gets caught if your piece of metal is not thick..... and it gets damaged if your piece of metal is too thick... but at least you still have the screw terminals... bend your hook clockwise w

I don't reuse outlets after removing back stabbed wires,I tail them out if needed then wrap them around screws on new outlet.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Wow...I can't believe anyone suggested pigtails............I'll get to that in a moment

1) Quick wire push-in terminals......Bad....the contact area is a fraction of what the screw provides.

2) Is wrapping each switch and each outlet with electrical tape the best method when installing devices? Unless you have metal boxes, not worth the trouble.

3) Is Leviton the best "big box store" brand? What about Lutron? Both are good...but each one has different grades

4) I know for safety reasons, the breakers should be turned off when doing electrical work.......I get it. However, for time savings, my friend said to just buy insulated electrician gloves for $20. Do you guys 100% of the time shut off the power when swapping switches/outlets? Have you tried working with 12g wires while wearing gloves? Just turn off the breaker. If you don't know which outlets are on which breaker, time to find out.


Now....pig tails....

As you will find out, your outlets are daisy chained. Unless you had a good electrician who wired your house, chances are, they used the outlet as the 'junction' for your wires. In other words, line comes in...ties to one set of terminals (screws)....the line going to the next outlet ties to the other set of terminals.

Hence, you are depending on that small strip of metal between screws to continue the ckt.

And....it's a whole lot of fun shoving that mess back into the box.

Do yourself a favor.....do a pigtail. This is where you use wire nuts to connect the daisy chain...and you add short lengths of wire to the wire nuts....these are what you wire to the outlet. The wire nuts get shoved to the back of the box where you never have to mess with them again...and it's a lot easier to shove the outlet into the box with only 3 wires vs 6 wires.

We've been required to pig tail since at least the early 80s in Omaha anyway.