Leviton GFCI Outlet (Smartlock)

I am replacing a broken GFCI in my Moms home and I have a stupid question. The outlet box is not big enough to fit the outlet with the wires coming out of the back of the receptacle so can i wrap the wires around the screws or are those outlets back wired only? This is a GFCI where the wires can go in the back and are tightened down by a pressure plate\screw

PS: the previous outlet was a GFCI with the wires wrapped around the screws but it was not of a pressure plate\screw design
So I am asking this just to be safe

Thanks

 

Although they are designed to be used for back wiring with pressure plate, you can wrap the wire. The screw will not extend on its own, and you may find yourself loosening it and turning the GFCI on its side to make it fall out to accept the wire. NOW, you don't have space for the wires in the back, you probably won't have side space to prevent arcing either. It may be time for a box removal and replacement with a deeper old work box. It will solve all the other problems, let you put the GFCI in as it was designed and make mom happy that you are smarter than the other kids you grew up with

 

Larry is right. Changing out the box to a deeper one is the best way to go. But there is this option, also from Leviton: SmartlockPro® Slim Series GFCIs. I saw these t'other day on the shelf at big orange.

 

You could also add one of these.

Miscellaneous | Non-Metallic Box Extender | BES1

 

Just judging from the pictures of the slim Leviton GFI, it appears to me the slim one isn't really much slimmer than the older version in the left hand picture. The box with the slim GFI in the right hand picture appears to have fewer wires more tightly pressed into the box than the left hand picture of the older version. Not saying this isn't a good idea, but just saying it looks like a good job of marketing photos.

 

CJ, I had one of these in my hand at big orange. I didn't put a tape on it, but it felt significantly slimmer than a standard GFCI - maybe 1/2" or so. No thicker than a standard receptacle, I would guess. In a 1-gang box, that's 3"[SUP]3[/SUP] of space freed up.

 

The white part of the receptacle is noticeably thinner than the original. I'll have to look into these, especially on older applications.

 

I haven't actually seen one of these slimmer devices yet, but I'll be watching for them. I was just judging from the pictures and still think that just by the pictures, they don't look very much different than the old standard thickness GFI. In the pictures the difference appears to be no more than the diameter of the head of the nails securing the boxes.