A lot of appliance switches, particularly portable fans, come with "back stab" connections where the wire is just pushed in and a flimsy spring tab keeps it from backing out. Makes for speedy assembly.

One fan I was replacing a power cord on yesterday had tinned the end of the conductor going into the switch. It pulled right out.

I twisted the wires tightly together on the replacement conductor. Didn't tin it. I stabbed the switch. This held. Go figure.....

Think of it this way. A wire wrapped around a screw or clamped between two metal plates or between a set-screw and the terminal walls (in the case of back WIRED connections) has more surface area in contact with the terminal.

The only thing holding a back STABBED connection together is the edge of a razor thin piece of brass or copper. Not much surface area in that case.

Seems like it would present a higher resistance to current flow and thereby increasing heat. [Linked Image]