Electrical connections

[Cabinfever97]

I'm putting this in general discussion hoping more will see. Many have found loose connections in RV panels, outlets, etc. Having them tight is important. Having them not too tight is also very important. Over tightening screws could strip them. There are times it is not realized the screw stripped. Then during normal heat and cooling cycles of electric connections the connection fails. When checking, repairing, or installing you should be using a TORQUE SCREW DRIVER. All panels, outlets, switches, etc have a torque specification on them. I believe this became code in structures in the early 2000s and has been updated many times since then. Not sure if the RV industry has any code to follow when assembling our units. They are not the only ones with loose connections, I bet some are stripped connections. The NEC code came about because of way too many connections being too loose or tight. I read inspections revealed in structures 80% of connections were wrong, more too tight than loose. Having a torque screw driver is handy to have with the RV and for the house. You can buy a decent one for around $60. Store it at zero and treat with care it should remain calibrated for the times a DIYer will use it. Just like the torque ratchets a lot of us already have.