Bottom line: if it's less than a dollar, don't get it.

itsunclebill: Point well taken. Within our means, we're trying to stretch that service time out as best we can. Going system by system. We prefer to put our money behind the walls instead of into cosmetics, but don't know enough about building to make sure we get that accomplished.

So, I'm gonna try to find and price your P&S and Hubbell items and see if we can upgrade from Leviton's Decora residential to your brands (I assume you believe it would be an upgrade?)
Also, I've found the Decora--both commercial and residential-- at a wholesaler. The residential receptacles are $1.25 whereas the commercial are $7.02. Each. Gotta count my money again, because this isn't the only place we're trying to do better.

You did give me an idea though. If I can get a cooperative electrician, and he actually does what he's supposed to, I could specify the commercial ones for those heavily used rooms like you said, and use the residential ones for the rest.

remodeler matt: Now I'll know the price range, but I gotta write something other than that in the specs. Though it would be kinda funny. Why not have a little fun?

The spec grade and commercial grade parts are built to take a lot more abuse than the residential grade.
You can easily replace the residential grade a couple time for the price of the spec grade (unless you are paying someone to change receptacles).
I would stay away from the bulk box devices, but leviton residential grade devices should give more than adequate service.
If you have a few heavily used receptacles, replace them the first time they fail with better units.

brickeyee: Rather than replace receptacles that fail with better ones, what if we just install the better ones to begin with--in the places we know will have heavy use? If we use residential grade, what would be a better receptacle than Leviton?

ALL: If we put commercial/spec grade in areas of heavy use, do you have to run heavier wire to them? Since it seems that they're 20 amp. And then you put 20 amp circuit breakers in for those also? Am I getting this?

pinktoes

check out www.aplussupply.com - they carry Pass & Seymour products. I went though the same thing and will be using P&S spec grade. I was just about readu to buy stuff from Home Depot when I looked this up on the GW - glad I read the posts. Saved me from wasting my money.

pinktoes: "Heavy use" in this case means you are constantly going to be plugging things in and out of the receptacle. High quality receptacles are built to take the pressure of the plug/prongs going in and out without causing permanent deflection such that your plug no longer is tight in the receptacle. The cheap ones are not and will fail with repeated plugging and unplugging. The 20a issue has to do only with the ampacity/wattage of what you are plugging in. It's true that 20a receptacles are generally of higher quality than 15a, but it's the grade, rather than the amp rating, that is important for long-term reliability.

I personally have not had problems with Leviton's residential grade. Just stay out of the 89-cent bin at the big box stores and you'll probably be fine.

The best receptacles are the Hubbell HBL5262's. They're about $12 or so each. (They don't tend to have these at Home depot; go to a commercial electrical distributor.)

Decent are the Leviton BR-15's. They're a lot less--I think around $1.75 each in the value pack at Home Depot.

To say what Matt said, differently, there generally is absolutely no difference between the 15 and 20 amp receptacles in the same family, other than the presence or absence of the extra slot in the plastic. The internal metal in fact generally has the extra slot in it--there's just no slot in the plastic to access it.

Most manufacturers offer residential, commercial, industrial, & hospital grades.

Personally, I agree w/ solarpowered & think the Leviton BR15 are the best value. While they have side & back wired versions I like that their back-wired version screws & clamps the wire versus the typical back-wired "stab" version. I think they are in the $1.50 range @ Home Depot, you can probably get a better deal @ an electrical supply house if you are going in w/ a whole-house electrical bid & if you have an account.

While the number of receptacle varies depending on the house square footage and other things, a typical house might have something in the range of 150 receptacles. So you can buy 40 cent receptacles for about $60 or buy much better receptacles for $1.50 and thats $225.

That is a $165 difference for the whole house. If that is important to you that may or may not be that much more money in the scheme of things especially if you need to call an electrician out anytime a receptacle goes bad.

As stated above, if you really want to optimize & save some money, figure out how many receptacles see little usage (plugging & unplugging) & buy the cheap receptacles for the low usage ones & the more expensive ones for the heavy usage ones.

I should have also said that if you are your electrician uses the back-stab versions then your failure rate goes up considerably.

But if you are having an licensed electrician do the work then he will charge more for doing the side-mounted versus doing back-stab so there is another cost trade-off.

But if you are having an licensed electrician do the work then he will charge more for doing the side-mounted versus doing back-stab so there is another cost trade-off.

really I thought most electricians would not bother with the backstab. Also I would hope it would not be a significant extra cost for a better job.

Whether or not an electrician will charge more for using the screw terminals vs the back stab is a matter of economics. Simply put, using the back stabs takes a lot less time. Most of the guys that do tract houses are on such a small margin anyway that the extra time to side wire makes a significant difference in an entire development full of houses.

With the slow down in new housing starts in a lot of places you are going to find a lot(more)of these folks trying to get into the service and custom markets with the same thought processes about job profits. They are going to do the same kinds of things they always have to cut time out of a job.

Okay, hang in there with me please. I've found Pass & Seymor's "TradeMaster" decorator switches and this is what they say:

# External screw-pressure-plate back and side wired. Accepts #12 and #14 AWG.
# Push wire #14 AWG.

Does that mean that you have the option of doing a "push-wire" (same as "back stab?) installation? If so, that's what I'll have to get for the illuminated-when-off switches I want in certain places. (P&S does not offer them in their Specification Grade.)

But, for the rest of the regular decorator (rocker panel) switches, I don't have to get their Tradesman. They are available in Specification Grade Decorator Switches. And for those it says:

"Internal screw-pressure-plate back and side wire capability for easy installation with #14-#10 stranded or solid copper/copper clad wire. Terminals made of high conductivity brass and serrated for maximum wire gripping."

That's all it says. Is this Spec. Grade Decorator Switch from P&S one that would give me a no-push-wire switch?? Because it seems like that feature is what makes the switch a more reliable product. (Same for receptacles.)

Thanks for your patience. This seems complicated, at least to me.

Why do you say you need rocker switches? Just wondering. You are paying extra for the trendiness.

If you want good quality at reasonable prices, forget the "decorator" stuff and buy good old fashioned quiet toggle switches and spec grade duplex receptacles. Spec grade traditional style costs about the same as low-end "decorator."

davidr: rocker switches are strictly for function. We could care less about trendiness. We both have arthritis in our hands and sometimes mine is so bad I can't finger a toggle switch. The rocker can be operated with less pain; or with the side of your hand; just by poking it rather than bending your fingers. Now we understand why they're recommended for the elderly and handicapped. Now that's us!

PinkToes, that's interesting that you find the ergonomics of rocker-type switches to be better. Myself, I prefer the toggle type, because it's easier to hit them in the dark on the inside side of a wall when going through the door. Arthritis isn't a problem (yet, anyway!), so I can see how that would make a difference.

pinktoes:
The P&S receptacles you asked about are not the stab-type, and I think that's a good thing. You can attach the wires using screws on either the back or the side.

Funny, I usually hit toggle switches with the side of my hand. I don't grasp them with my fingers. Guess I don't see how rockers would be easier to use, but maybe the larger size helps. Not having much trouble with the joints (yet ;-).

Front half of Hubbell outlet came out of wall with plug.

Back half still in wall.