×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Too many screwheads in an electrical device

Too many screwheads in an electrical device

Too many screwheads in an electrical device

(OP)
In order to wire a duplex receptacle, install it in an in-wall box and put the cover plate on requires three, perhaps four or five different screwdrivers. How come there are so many different heads on fasteners in the same commonplace device?

RE: Too many screwheads in an electrical device

Dang - a good question!  

- one scredriver to assist with the wiring
- one small phillips screwdriver to install the receptical
- one small-to-medium flathead screwdriver to install the cover plate
(I don't see the same number as above,  but I agree with his point)

I can only surmise,  that the flathead screws "look better" for the cover plates, and/or someone feels the "average homeowner" may not have a phillips head scredriver,  or the "average homeowner" may noy be skillful enough to install a phillips screw without damaging the head,,,,,(just guesses, mind you).

Of course,  the small bolts that install the receptical are typically a "mixed head", in that you can use either a flathead or phillips head screwdriver.   If I have both handy, I use both.  If I only have a flathead screwdriver handy,  I use that.

RE: Too many screwheads in an electrical device

(OP)
mshimko;
Well, partner, you're dealing with a Canadian here. I would typically see a Phillips #2 or a Robertson #2 head on the cable clamp, the L16 for BX, say, a Phillips #2 or a Robertson #2 or a slot head on the ground screw, usually different from the cable clamp if the cable is NMD90 house wire, Phillips #1 or #2 or Robertson #1 or #2 or slot heads on the hot and neutral screws and usually a smaller slot screw on the cover plate. What's in the breakers or on the bus bar? Allen heads? Torx?
I have a brother in law who monkeys with cars and bikes. With a history in both England and Canada he offers the opinion that,"If a job takes six bolts, the Germans will use twelve, the Americans will use four big ones, and the English will use seven, all with different heads."
I sometimes wonder if engineers are like lawyers; you need them because they say you need them.

RE: Too many screwheads in an electrical device

johnsim - it's always interesting to find that what "I" consider commonplace, is only common in "my place".  

My common example was simpler, but then I forgot about the grounding screw (if it's a metal box) which in my experience is always a flat-head and hex-nut combo (great if you have a nut-driver handy, lousy if you don't),  and I was also ignoring cable clamps which are not used inside plastic boxes.

Anyway you look at it, you may be right about the lawyer-engineer analogy.......OUCH!



RE: Too many screwheads in an electrical device

The torque requirements are all
different for the screws.  The
cover plate screw is almost cosmetic.
I can picture a guy with a large
screw driver break the plastic plate
by overtorquing.  It takes a lot of
torque to fasten the box to the studs
especially if you run into oak stud.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources