Wire loops on outlets are backward

[green.bubbly]

Son had a house built about 1.5 years ago. Today while his wife was using electric fryer on their island, the electricity stopped working. Quick check with my tester showed open neutral. Started checking the four receptacle on that circuit and found every screw very loose. Very loose.

Also, the wire loops were put on counterclockwise. Is that against code or just bad practice? Trying to figure out how hard to push the builder to come check every receptacle and switch. Builder is very reputable in this area and I have a coworker that is about to sign a contract with them.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Son had a house built about 1.5 years ago. Today while his wife was using electric fryer on their island, the electricity stopped working. Quick check with my tester showed open neutral. Started checking the four receptacle on that circuit and found every screw very loose. Very loose.

Also, the wire loops were put on counterclockwise. Is that against code or just bad practice? Trying to figure out how hard to push the builder to come check every receptacle and switch. Builder is very reputable in this area and I have a coworker that is about to sign a contract with them.

no code for direction of wire wrapping but sounds like shoty workmanship

 

[Mike Folks]

Dyslexic installer? Who did the wiring? The "Back Stabbed" were the worse,not shoved in quite far enough.

 

[Norcal]

Son had a house built about 1.5 years ago. Today while his wife was using electric fryer on their island, the electricity stopped working. Quick check with my tester showed open neutral. Started checking the four receptacle on that circuit and found every screw very loose. Very loose.

Also, the wire loops were put on counterclockwise. Is that against code or just bad practice? Trying to figure out how hard to push the builder to come check every receptacle and switch. Builder is very reputable in this area and I have a coworker that is about to sign a contract with them.

Wonder what the response would be if the coworker were to mention the issues with your sons 1 1/2 YO house?

 

[Terry D]

Hope Im reading this right. It is common sense how to wrap a wire around a screw. Clockwise, so when you tighten the screw, it will close the gap in your loop. It is bad practice to do it otherwise. This is electric 101

 

[green.bubbly]

Hope Im reading this right. It is common sense how to wrap a wire around a screw. Clockwise, so when you tighten the screw, it will close the gap in your loop. It is bad practice and stupid to do it otherwise.

Yes, I was saddened to see this done by a "professional".

 

[green.bubbly]

no code for direction of wire wrapping but sounds like shoty workmanship

Thanks, I was not sure if it was actually code or not. Definitely shoddy especially with loose screws as well.

Dyslexic installer? Who did the wiring? The "Back Stabbed" were the worse,not shoved in quite far enough.

It was done by the electrical sub of the builder. Kitchen were screwed and the two I checked in the living room were back stabbed.

Wonder what the response would be if the coworker were to mention the issues with your sons 1 1/2 YO house?

That was my thinking to push the issue with the builder. I can spend an afternoon correcting the issues but I think it is something the builder should be concerned with as well.

 

[Terry D]

Yes, I was saddened to see this done by a "professional".

When it is done opposite( counterclockwise) it will loosen the connection when tightened.

 

[allinon72]

Wiring of the receptacles was likely done by an apprentice.

 

[Norcal]

Wiring of the receptacles was likely done by an apprentice.

Perhaps the house was wired by the builder and their " 'lectricians".

 

[Terry D]

Wiring of the receptacles was likely done by an apprentice.

I would not go that far. Apprentice's are usually under a wing of a journeyman. This was done by someone that was on their own, and did not know what they where doing

 

[Jim greengo]

Wiring of the receptacles was likely done by an apprentice.

Exactly.

 

[nadogail]

The "Apprentice" and the "Master" need to discuss this issue and address the subject of Customer Satisfaction.

 

[nsula_country]

I would not go that far. Apprentice's are usually under a wing of a journeyman. This was done by someone that was on their own, and did not know what they where doing

This ^^^

I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut this wasn't a union job. Resi doesn't pay for union wages.

For the record, I'm not union.

CT

 

[Terry D]

This ^^^

I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut this wasn't a union job. Resi doesn't pay for union wages.

For the record, I'm not union.

CT

We don't know who actually did this, maybe the cabinet guy threw the receptacles in. As far as a Union/ Non Union thing, I dint think that has anything to do with it. This is one of the first things taught. What I would do though, is randomly remove other devices throughout the home and check them.

 

[PelicanPines]

Having had a house built for me...

I would send your builder an email with pictures of what you found. With explanations...

I would then do the job of fixing everything ... room by room myself.

My phone lines and RJ45 jacks I had installed were ALL buggered up... I rewired every Jack with higher quality connectors and wallplates.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Now is not the time to have someone that does not live there working inside an occupied home. I would see if the builder would pay you to take care of it. No one other than my wife and I have set foot inside our house for over a month and a half.

 

[green.bubbly]

Definitely was not a union jib. Georgetown is was a local electrical contractor. DID sent the guided an email this afternoon and are waiting on a response.

Believe I will take OccupantRJ's advice and check them all myself.

 

[teamextreme]

That's the kind of thing you see from a DIY install. The fact that this was done by a "pro" is concerning. Kitchen is 20A circuit, and most (all?) receptacle backstabs won't accept #12, so he had to use the screws. I imagine you'll find all the other receps in the house (15A) are backstabbed.

 

[driftpin]

Use of social media to document with text, pictures and something from the NEC (brief) should get that contractor scrambling to fix that.

 

[Terry D]

That's the kind of thing you see from a DIY install. The fact that this was done by a "pro" is concerning. Kitchen is 20A circuit, and most (all?) receptacle backstabs won't accept #12, so he had to use the screws. I imagine you'll find all the other receps in the house (15A) are backstabbed.

I agree, this is electric 101, I just cant see a established electrical contractor doing this. Union or not. That is why I suggested removing some other ones throughout the house to see if they are back stabbed or used the screws.

 

[Vahispd]

Could easily have been an apprentice who wasn't supervised well, or maybe should have been past the point of step-by-step hand-holding. A good builder should be concerned and correct the issue.

We had electrical issues in our current house from shoddy work by the electricians. House was three years old when we purchased, and the original owner was an older woman who only picked odd color combinations. The FROG had a box in the ceiling and I started to install a ceiling fan. I shut the breaker off at the panel in the garage, wired up the fan and then energized the breaker. When I returned from the garage the bulb was lit on the ceiling fan...and the wall switch was down. Hmmm, flipping the switch didn't change anything so I killed the breaker, removed the fan and terminated the wires with wire nuts. Neighbors recommended an electrician who had worked on the houses in our subdivision, and he pulled the wall switches and stated "oh Jose did this". Jose was one of their apprentices. Or he was covering his ****, who knows, but the electrician has his own company now and is highly regarded by customers and building inspectors.
I later discovered romex pinched between the ceiling box and joist in the kitchen when changing light fixtures. Fortunately there was enough slack to cut the damaged romex back.
Lots of shoddy building practices in general, and some real horror stories from our neighbors too.
Things happen, especially with subs, but the true measure is how someone deals with an issue. I'm subscribed to see how this turns out.

 

[Innovate1]

If you are fixing this yourself I recommend getting the receptacles that clamp the wire rather than wrap the wire around the screw. They are very common now and a very good clamp system. They take a straight wire like a back stab but use a screw and clamp plate rather than a spring. The parts are cheap. At least replace the back stab ones but I think I would replace them all.