Was wiring up a panel yesterday and finally looked up the actual failure rate on wireless contacts

Been using wireless contacts for years because they're faster to install, but I always had this nagging feeling they'd crap out way sooner than hardwired ones. Looked it up during my lunch break and apparently wireless contacts have something like a 2-3% failure rate in the first 5 years. Hardwired is under 0.5% but you already know that. Makes me wonder if the time I save on install is actually worth it over the long haul. Anyone else ever run the numbers or am I overthinking this?

2 comments

2 Comments

white.seth1mo ago

Stick with hardwired for anything buried in walls.

abbychen1mo ago

Freaked me out a bit reading that, @white.seth, because I just finished rewiring my whole basement and I literally used the cheapest Romex I could find in the walls without thinking twice. Never even crossed my mind that hardwired stuff buried in the walls could be a problem until now. I just assumed if it was in the wall, it was basically safe forever. Guess I gotta go check my work and maybe swap it out before I drywall everything up.