outlet with push-in wire connection

[Heathcliff]

I've read on this group many times about problems with those push-in wire connectors, and now have experienced it firsthand. Had an outlet in the kitchen that developed a problem where the power was intermittent. When you plugged something in, everything plugged into the outlet might go dark, plus the ceiling light that was switched there. They might come back on if you wiggled things. Took it apart and indeed, the neutral wire had simply pulled out from the push-in connector on the back of the outlet. I presume it had just worked loose until it was barely making contact. I clipped off the hot wire from its push-in and reattached both using the screws on the side. Everything works fine now. -- H

[Hustlin' Hank]

Even the screw-on terminals can work loose over time. Expansion, contaction, incorrectly installed, and age can all contribute to your problem.

Hank

[HeyBub]

As long as you have it out, it's a good time to replace it with a GFCI outlet - the outlet being in the kitchen and all...

[Mike rock]

The only time I use those "back-stab" terminals is when the box is tight with wires and if there is no room to add on a wire to an existing wire-nutted bunch of wires. Otherwise I try to avoid using them.

[Stormin Mormon]

A couple friends of mine. They had an outlet or two in the kitchen, which didn't work. I wanted to take apart the one that did work, up the line. They couldn't see how that would help, seeing as how that outlet worked fine. It took some convincing, but turns out to be a bad backstab wire coming FROM the good outlet.

Well, gee! If the extension cord falls out of the socket. The socket is still good, but everything on the extension cord goes dead.

[trader4]

If he decides to use GFCI, he should make sure he replaces the first outlet on the circuit. That way one GFCI will cover that outlet, plus all the downstream ones.

[HeyBub]

Yep. Still, if he has only one outlet in the kitchen, why not protect it irrespective of what comes before or after?

[Sooperdave]

I can't believe the NEC allows their use. They want to add AFCI to homes yet they still permit stab-ons that have been the source of many fires. Ask any fire inspector.