OT - decent brand of house switches and 120v outlets?

awake · Sep 9, 2018

My house is about 25 years old, and the cheap electrical installation by the builder is starting to act up. Part of the problem may be due to using the push-type connections rather than screw, but may also be the quality (or lack thereof) of the hardware. In any case, I anticipate replacing all of the switches and electrical outlets over the next few months.

So ... any recommendations for a "good" grade of switches and outlets? And a source for same? Ideally I'd like to find that magic point of balance between cost and quality - perhaps not realistic, but I'd like to hope.

Rudd · Sep 9, 2018

I'm no electrician, but I have seen countless recommendations from people that know more than I do to NOT use the push-in terminals on electrical devices.

Newman109 · Sep 9, 2018

awake said:
My house is about 25 years old, and the cheap electrical installation by the builder is starting to act up. Part of the problem may be due to using the push-type connections rather than screw, but may also be the quality (or lack thereof) of the hardware. In any case, I anticipate replacing all of the switches and electrical outlets over the next few months.

So ... any recommendations for a "good" grade of switches and outlets? And a source for same? Ideally I'd like to find that magic point of balance between cost and quality - perhaps not realistic, but I'd like to hope.

Leviton has always been a good brand. Of course they are probably made in China now, but you won't find too many brands that are not.

I've wired a number of home projects (with permits, of course

) and passed inspections. I always use the screws on the sides of the outlets and switches to secure the wires. I go one step farther and I solder the ground wires together in the outlet boxes. I never use the push-ins to make connections.

guest · Sep 9, 2018

For 120V outlets, I buy only industrial or hospital grade outlets. The springs are much stronger- it takes some actual effort to plug and unplug a cord, and they hold the plug tight.

Nothing more annoying than a plug hanging halfway out of the socket under it's own weight. Hospital grade is best- the cheapo outlets are junk and will burn your house down.

John Garner · Sep 9, 2018

The big makers of electrical outlets and light switches offer a number of different grades, beginning at super-el-cheapo, el-cheapo, and on up. "Commercial" grade outlets and switches in plane-jane flavors run somewhere in the neighborhood of US$ 3 to 5 each in retail quantities, and are probably what you're after.

As an aside, I generally prefer "lighted" light switches, which have a neon (?) lamp in the toggle lever that illuminates when the switch is open, BUT have found that they sometimes pass enough current that some LED bulbs glow faintly instead of going dark.

johnoder · Sep 9, 2018

Bought hundreds of HUBBLE (all 20 Amp, 120 volt) in nearly new condition on Ebay years ago - just great stuff

I buy only industrial or hospital grade outlets

GregSY · Sep 9, 2018

After all the thrashing...you should buy a higher grade outlet such as sold at Home Depot or Lowes, etc. As noted above, they sell cheap ones and better ones. Live long and prosper.

Hospital grade? Um...they are often funny colors and smokin' expensive. I mean, if your goal is to make sure whoever owns your house in 175 years can still plug in, go for it.

Soldering wires? WTF? That's crazy-white-funky especially with single stranded conductors that don't solder that well. Plus...who has the time for that? The very, very lonely, lol.

guest · Sep 9, 2018

GregSY said:
...Hospital grade? Um...they are often funny colors and smokin' expensive.

They don't have to be.

PASS & SEYMOUR LEGRAND HOSPITAL GRADE 2A IVORY DUPLEX RECEPTACLE | eBay

Enough to do the house, garage, and shop...

5 Pcs LEVITON 83-SGW 83SGW HOSPITAL GRADE RECEPTACLE 2 AMP 125V NEMA 5-2R 7847757193 | eBay

specfab · Sep 9, 2018

I agree with other posters about the more expensive grades available at HD and Lowe's, like the Leviton Commercial or Industrial grade stuff. I used all that hardware when I built my (small) shop about 10 years ago, and haven't had any issues at all. Use the screws, no push-in connections allowed....

jim rozen · Sep 9, 2018

Short answer is no. Do not buy store brand wring devices. Avoid even the better quality leviton ones.

Another vote for Hubbel. Specification grade is the way to go unless you get he hospital ones for free.

I've had the leviton ones come apart in my hand when I tightened the screws down all the way.

comstockfriend · Sep 9, 2018

I had a brand new in the box Hubbel, looked very nice, but absolutely would not accept a plug in one of the receptacles. An outlier I'm sure, but another point in the graph...

guest · Sep 9, 2018

jim rozen said:
Short answer is no. Do not buy store brand wring devices. Avoid even the better quality leviton ones.

I think I agree with you about Leviton. I've bought several 30 and 50 amp twist-lock connectors for SO cords and Leviton are junk compared to Hubbell. Brand new 50 amp California connectors, $100 per end and sloppy loose fit from day one. Replaced them with Hubbell, much better connections.

GregSY · Sep 9, 2018

That's interesting because when I built my shop 14 years ago I looked on Ebay for P&S outlets and they were sky high...like $15 each.

I'll still maintain that the high quality HD/Lowes outlets are good enough. As machinist-type people we tend to overkill everything...but the truth is someday in the not too distant future our kick-ass home/shop wiring job will end up in a dumpster when the next guy tears it all down to build a nail salon.

thermite · Sep 9, 2018

awake said:
My house is about 25 years old, and the cheap electrical installation by the builder is starting to act up. Part of the problem may be due to using the push-type connections rather than screw, but may also be the quality (or lack thereof) of the hardware. In any case, I anticipate replacing all of the switches and electrical outlets over the next few months.

So ... any recommendations for a "good" grade of switches and outlets? And a source for same? Ideally I'd like to find that magic point of balance between cost and quality - perhaps not realistic, but I'd like to hope.

My "balance" for the residential side was the ten-packs of GFCI rectngulars packaged by Cooper Industries. Cheap enough, but decent, considering most of mine don't even get utilized very often, some essentially "never".

Kitchen and shop areas?

Harvey Hubbell. Many of them "twist lock".

Harvey Hubbell - Wikipedia

I mean.. Harvey INVENTED the original US-style plug and socket, after all. The ones used in Australia and now also China was another of his ones...

awake · Sep 9, 2018

Thanks for the helpful input and suggestions. I will check out the commercial and hospital grades. Jancolic, thanks for the links.

Not sure it was clear from my post, but no, I am definitely not going to use the push connections when I replace these - that's part of the point of doing the replacement, to do it right this time (as opposed to what the contractor apparently did).

specfab · Sep 9, 2018

guest said:
I think I agree with you about Leviton. I've bought several 30 and 50 amp twist-lock connectors for SO cords and Leviton are junk compared to Hubbell. Brand new 50 amp California connectors, $100 per end and sloppy loose fit from day one. Replaced them with Hubbell, much better connections.

Just FYI, I concur with getting twist-lock gear from Hubbell. I didn't see any issues with the Leviton (or Cooper, for that matter) standard commercial/industrial grade 120V stuff, but I would always go with Hubbell on twist-locks.

thermite · Sep 9, 2018

awake said:
Thanks for the helpful input and suggestions. I will check out the commercial and hospital grades. Jancolic, thanks for the links.

Not sure it was clear from my post, but no, I am definitely not going to use the push connections when I replace these - that's part of the point of doing the replacement, to do it right this time (as opposed to what the contractor apparently did).

"As you progress"...

In this house, most of mine are white.

- A grey outlet signifies wall-switched. All the bedrooms had at least one. Adding an extra, same switch, made lamp placements easier.

- A black outlet, and turned horizontal, comes off the inverters from the battery plant, maintenance of which also has "critical power" status off the 10 KW Diesel. One per-each fridge-freezer, one per-each NTE/Router/Server, one per-each "device" recharging station and its power bar(s).

- Two duplex, each B/R, up to four each den/br were upgraded to quad outlets. A duplex won't necessarily support even TWO wall-warts, A Quad will do. And/or laptops, scanners, printers, TV/multimedia, etc.

The"driver" for that is that our total KVA draw has gone down the past many years, but our "wart count" and concentration of media devices to one small area is way up.

2CW... and fewer "power strips" needed worth.

I also pulled CAT5S and coax while I was about all that.

Newman109 · Sep 9, 2018

guest said:
I think I agree with you about Leviton. I've bought several 30 and 50 amp twist-lock connectors for SO cords and Leviton are junk compared to Hubbell. Brand new 50 amp California connectors, $100 per end and sloppy loose fit from day one. Replaced them with Hubbell, much better connections.

I installed Leviton light switches and both 120V and 240 V sockets on both floors of my Barn Shop in 1979. I'm still waiting for one of them to fail. It's only been close to 40 years. You just never know. It could happen, but I still wish I'd used some really good ones so that I wouldn't worry about them.

:popcorn:

I

DDoug · Sep 9, 2018

I always thought you bought the various colors to match
the wall colors.... :skep:

cyanidekid · Sep 9, 2018

for receptacles, the last time (few years ago) I bought Leviton "professional" grade 5-20R at the big box store, very reasonable, and it says "made in the USA" on the box.

for twist lock connectors and plugs (mostly L15-20 s) I have been buying leviton "black and white" pro grade made in USA nylon stuff and I've got absolutely no complaints.

Hubble??? on my SHITLIST!! they are making stuff in china that is sold with the same stock number as the stuff they used to make here that WAS the gold standard of devices, but it is completely UNUSABLE. as a result I have voted with my dollars and I NO LONGER BUY HUBBELL!

OT - decent brand of house switches and 120v outlets?

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