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Rant: I tried using a torque screwdriver on every single device screw in a house and it was a huge waste of time.
Last month, I rewired a whole house in Tampa and decided to torque every outlet and switch screw to the exact spec on the packaging, which was 12 inch-pounds. It took me over two extra hours compared to just doing it by feel. The result? No difference at all in device security or connection quality that I could see. I even went back a week later to check a few, and they were all fine. I get the theory, but on standard residential devices, I think it's overkill. Has anyone else actually found a real benefit to torquing every single device, or is this just something we say we should do?
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jones.brooke11d ago
Consider how many different hands touch those devices after you leave. The homeowner swaps a cover plate, a kid yanks a plug out sideways, someone uses a space heater on that outlet all winter. Torquing to spec might not matter for your initial install, but it gives a buffer against all the random loosening forces that happen over the next 20 years. It's less about the install quality right now and more about idiot-proofing it for the future, lol. That extra time is basically cheap insurance against a callback for a loose outlet down the road.
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