I've never asked a pro but somewhere in my decades of DIY I got the idea that the right way to connect outlets in one box is to branch them all off the incoming wire so they're in parallel. In the photo each little metal strip between the screw terminals on each outlet is carrying all the current from all 6 sockets, which I don't think is proper.
I don't think it's the current in the tabs that's an issue, each socket should be rated for the full circuit's rating, but the ground shouldn't be in series, always parallel.
One suggestion. Some of the terminals are wrapped counter clockwise to the screw.
You want them to be looped in such a way that when the screw is tightened the loop is pulled into the screw instead of being pushed away from it.
You can see the way it’s wired here. Each one relative to the screw.
I remember when my gramps showed me that when I was about 12 and was helping him wire in his house.
wish he was still around, old timers had alot of wisdom and tricks I don't see anymore. (they also did some really FUBAR things too 😆)
Thanks :)
I am not an electrician but I do try to follow code as closely as possible when I do this and all guidance I've ever read says to pigtail each receptacle or switch individually. It takes up a lot of room in the box, but if you use waygos or ideal push in connectors, it opens up a lot of room.
I do love waygos, so convenient
buddy system
I'm in love with using wago lever nuts for this stuff now. Makes later maintenance so much easier, and totally avoids wire nuts. Manages to be less wire stuffing in the box too.
now imagine having to be the one in 20 years that has to replace the first or second plug.
doing that myself recently. 😮💨
Don't forget to wrap electrical tape around the edges of the units to cover up the screws. It prevents any accidental short if you happen to touch anything in the wrong way. Makes it especially safe when installing and uninstalling in the future.
I used to just put things in after wiring without a thought for the longest time. Then an old electrician taught me to do this as another added bit of safety.
.. and beautiful job ... love when things like this come together. Hope everything else works out in your project.
I didn't know you could daisy switches like that
They're outlets
You can, but the switches downstream won't work if the switches upstream are off. These are power outlets, so it's fine.
Electrically sure, and I believe legally. However it’s not the best choice because you’re introducing more points of possible failure.
I wasn’t going to say anything because this is art.
No pun intended, but why not stick the wires into the appropriate holes? Why did you choose to wrap them around the screws?
I don't like the holes. I don't trust em. With the screws I can definitely see what's going on.
I've got a bit of rewiring to do in my home soon and have been doing some research. Apparently this is called backstabbing and is generally considered lower quality work. The connection simply isn't as secure as the screw tightened half loops on the side - but if you spend all day everyday wiring receptacles it's much faster to backstab. Backstabbing is to code, but if you're wiring a few receptacles, best to take the few extra minutes to do it the more secure way.
Backstabbing is to code but really shouldn’t be. They can cause fires as the connection gets looser over time as the device is used and isn’t nearly as secure.
The contact area of the terminals on the wires is much higher if you use the screws rather than the dinky little spring prongs in the stabby-holes. A small contact area means more heat is produced at the junction, which leads to premature failure, which leads to annoyance, which leads to the dark side.
I hate backstabbing because trying to get it off when you need to work on the receptacle is usually a big pain in the ass. I actually broke part of an outlet once. I was replacing it anyway, but damn.
Probably 99% of electricians will tell you to never use the back stab holes.
They don't hold well, at all, are easy to pull out when pulling an outlet/switch out, and can break the casing when trying to push the fixture in.
I don't understand how they ever got approved, they're flat out dangerous.
Never use the backstabbing holes on electrical receptacles.
They come loose over time, faster if they’re not fastened properly or if the house is prone to settling.
Can’t tell which those are but
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“back stab” where it is held by friction, common to consumer receptacles, have a poor reputation for failing. Don’t use them
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“back clamp” (don’t remember what they’re called), common to “pro” receptacles is clamped down by tightening the screw. Much more reliable
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I'm not a professional electrician by any stretch of the imagination, but I have done plenty of home remodeling and I've literally never seen the backstabbing holes used. Though most of the houses I've worked on were built before ~2006
I've never considered doing any pre-wiring before shoving stuff in the box.
I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what's going on here, but I assume you've done your homework OP.
From what it looks like, the switch on the right will have the hot and neutral connections from the panel, and the switch on the left will get connected to the appliance, and the appliance will only turn on if all 3 switches are turned on.
Presumably these are American style outlets, which don't have switches - they're always on.
It's just 3 outlets in parallel.
Ah, that'll do it.
They're outlets
That explains it.
Is this up to code in the US? I know Europe is way different in a lot of ways, but this would not fly in Europe.
What's the problem?
Exposed copper is a big no-no in the regulations where I live, because it's a corrosion risk and a shock risk when exposed. Everything needs to be either covered in plastic or be coated in something corrosion resistant (for grounding wires for example, even tho those are usually covered in plastic as well depending on the situation).
Loose wires under screws can be applied in very specific situations, but they usually need to be clamped down. And the screw needs to be fully recessed so it's not something that can get into contact with anything else. Daisy chaining is also usually not done, but depending on the situation it can be allowed even though it isn't recommended.
Keep in mind European rules and regulations are way different and even different per country. And what the rules say and the shit people actually pull isn't the same either. The most interesting difference to me is the amount of metal used in American systems, where Europeans systems are usually as much plastic as possible. Even if metal is required for some reason, it's usually fully covered with plastic. At the same time in Europe having ground fault interrupters (or comparable, it isn't exactly the same) are not only standard but usually required.
