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Showerthought: I thought those new push-in connectors were just a lazy shortcut
Had one fail on a vanity light install in a new build last Tuesday, the hot wire just slid right out. Now I'm back to twisting and capping, at least for anything carrying a real load. Anyone else had a scare with them?
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sandra1465mo ago
But are they actually failing that often? I've used them for years without any real issues.
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the_leo5mo ago
Had a call last year for a flickering porch light that turned out to be a loose push-in on a 20-amp circuit. I mean, they're fine for a simple switch maybe, but I don't trust them for anything that pulls real current. Just feels like asking for trouble down the road.
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robinl902mo ago
You said "just feels like asking for trouble down the road" and I think thats exactly right. But heres something nobody brought up - those push-ins can actually loosen up over time from thermal cycling. Every time the light cycles on and off, the wire heats up and cools down. That constant expanding and contracting works the connection loose bit by bit. @sandra146 I know you said youve used them for years without issues, and thats fair, but its more about how they perform over 10-15 years rather than right now. A loose push-in thats already on a 20-amp circuit is just a fire waiting to happen. Even for a simple switch, I'd rather take the extra 2 minutes to wrap the screw terminals.
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