What is a good quality light switch?

[Lil'John]

I'm trying to wrap up the wiring in my garage. I need a pair of good light switches.

The garage is going to have fab tools running in it such as welder, grinder, drills, etc. Possibly dirty hands touching the switches.

The garage wiring is all 12/2 for all the 110 circuits. All the plugs are Leviton 5352.

One light switch is going to drive two 8' fluorescents of some sort(unknown age/style). The other switch is going to drive some yet to be bought swing arm lamps over a work bench(another topic).

The light switches will be in individual boxes inside the garage.

So what is a good quality light switch?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Get a 20 amp rated spec grade or commercial/industrial switch. Newer ones have back wiring that allows you to slide the wire in and tighten up the screw and pinch the wire. Very positive and tight. The color of the front of the switch is the clue to amps, even before you read the specs. Blue is 15 amp, red is 20 amp, and green is 30 amp.

Something like the one on the left in the attached pic. Top one in the second pic is the same switch, backside.

Hubbell is good, Leviton is also good, I'm not fond of Cooper, but I guess they are OK.

Charles

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Charles: How many wire can you attach to each terminal on the switch? one or two?

ON the plug ... one or two wires per terminal?

Thanks!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Basically what you see, the switch will take two wires under each screw, and the receptacles will take two under each screw, so on the receptacles, the white (silver screw) can have as many as 4 and the black (brass screw) also 4 wires.

The receptacle is notched out so you can run one wire under the screw and wrap around it, or two thru the holes and in the pinch plate inside. Not sure, but I don't think you are allowed to put a wire under the screw, and also two wires in the pinch plate. I think its one or the other, but not both.

Charles

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Thanks!

There is quite a bit of anti-back stabbing posts on the GJF. I take it these aren't really backstabbing because you're using the screw and pinch plate to fasten the wire.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Push in back-stab is the problem, back-wire is the good one.

Charles

 

[Lil'John]

Charles,
Thank you for the answer. Do you happen to know of a Leviton part #?

And yup on the backstab. I'm trying to get rid of a bunch in the garage now