Unpopular opinion: stop using those push-in wire connectors on 12-gauge in a j-box

I saw three of them melted at a remodel on Maple Drive last month and had to explain to the homeowner why his cheap builder fix cost him $400 to rewire the kitchen.

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.phoenix1mo ago

Man, those things are straight garbage. My buddy Dave had one pop loose behind his stove, started arcing, and melted the back of the cabinet before he even knew. Took him a whole weekend to replace the box and patch the drywall.

jade8851mo agoMost Upvoted

Friend of mine had the exact same thing happen with one of those cheap boxes. He was wiring up a new outlet in his kitchen and figured those push-in connectors were fine since the package said "tool free." Three months later he came home to a burnt smell and found the back of his cabinet all charred. Had to tear out the whole section and rewire everything from scratch. @taylor.phoenix your buddy dodged a bullet if it only took a weekend. My friend's insurance claim took weeks and they jacked his rates up. Never touching those things again, screw terminals only from now on.