glennjanie

Pigtails also allow you to stuff all the bulk of wire back into the box and only contend with bending 3 wires into an 'S' pattern to allow the sw or rec to go in al lot easier.
Glenn

BimmerJon

I pigtail all my connections that way if one light or outlet goes out, the other ones dont follow! Then you have to test and trace all the outlets to find the bad one...

A little extra work in the beginning saves a lot of time in the end...

speedy petey

If you make proper terminations and use the screws on a device they won't "go out".

BimmerJon

I hear ya, but just in case. Outlets and lights DO fail sometimes. Its not impossible.

Then again, youre the electrician and Im the network engineer, so this is your game

speedy petey

You are absolutely correct.

Thing is, the number of times a receptacle will actually fail, I will take the chance and do it the approved and common way and use the screws. IMO to pigtail in a residence is useless overkill and only done to be self satisfying, like saying: "I do a better job. I pigtail."
Even the cheapest $.39 receptacle is rated and capable of carrying and passing through ANY circuit it is legally installed on. The key is more workmanship than parts failure.

Commercially, where it is likely that you will have to replace devices live, I can totally see the merit in it. In a residence you DO NOT have to work live and nothing is so critical (other than maybe medical equipment, but that's a different and rare situation).

BimmerJon

Good Points.

How do you feel about using the holes. I mean not using the screws and using the backplate holes. I know Im not using the right wording. lol

Where you insert the wire into the slot in the back.

kok328

The only "hole" connection I will use is the type where the lug actually pulls a flag closed onto the wire. I work strictly with single stranded wire. I would never use the stab in outlet types for stranded or solid core.

Parrothead

We call it "backstabbing". Those connections don't last, and IMHO are just a fire waiting to happen.

Square Eye

Stab locks are legal to code and as long as they are, people will continue to use them.

I see screws vs. stab locks much like this. If someone were to invent and market a drive on replacement for a lug nut on your car, would you use them or stick with the security and time tested and proven lug nuts that we've been using all of these years?

It only takes a few seconds longer to wrap a wire around a screw and tighten. I have never left a job wondering how long a screw would hold a copper wire. The connection is much better, The surface area from wire to device in constant contact is much greater and the binding pressure much stronger when you use a screw rather than with a stab lock.

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speedy petey

What Parrot and KOK said!!!