How to fix the outlet with your own hands? Sooner or later, this question appears among the residents of any apartment. There are enough reasons - a short circuit, loose mounting, etc. It is quite possible to cope with the problem with your own hands. But before you start, you need to understand the causes of the breakdown and prepare everything you need.
Signs of a power outage
Conventionally, all breakdowns are divided into two types: safe (easily removable) and serious. The latter can cause damage to other electrical appliances and not only. There are enough reasons for this - incorrect installation work at the installation stage, natural wear. Mounts are capable of loosening. Also, all wiring is made of aluminum wires, which quickly become weak. In this case, you can cope with the task by pulling up the contacts.
But how to fix a dropped outlet? This is a difficult task and it will give a lot of work. This happens if a breakdown is not detected at the right time. The part may slightly protrude from the wall or completely appear outside. There are enough reasons:
- The socket burst.
- Its decorative cover has cracked.
- The detail came out of the socket.
- Fired wires, etc.
It also happens that visually there is no integrity violation, but when connected, the device does not work. In addition, the part may smoke, spark, work poorly. There is a burning smell. If the situation is this, repair is indispensable.
When can I fix it myself?
Before starting the task of restoring the outlet, you should really look at things and understand your capabilities. If there is a lot of damage, the electricity in the apartment or house is turned off and a specialist is invited. If the outlet falls out of the wall, how to fix it? This is done with weak contact or with small disturbances.
Before starting, you need to inspect the front of the work to understand what is the reason and how long it will take to recover. If there are chips or cracks, then the outlet could be such at the level of purchase or with careless use. And if there are more serious damage (blackness or the device heats up quickly), then the reasons may be as follows:
- High voltage in the wires.
- defective isolation.
- Oxidation.
- Decrease in connecting contact.
Repair is required, otherwise the situation will worsen. Each cause requires its own restoration work.
No contact?
Almost everyone knows that the part is fastened through the screws to the front side. But if you disassemble the device, then the eyes will be presented with contacts in the form of metal plates. They have bends and when the plug is inserted, they compress it. With constant use, the plates lose their emphasis and weaken. To understand that the reason for this is, the plug is placed in the outlet and staggered a little. If the device starts to blink, then the reason is found.
Often people do not pay attention to permissible power and use electric consumers, the number and power of which is more than normal. As a result, it happens so that not only the outlet breaks, but also the devices themselves. Many manufacturers install Euro plugs on their devices, and people try to stick them into a simple outlet. If the contact is not complete, a short circuit may occur.
It also happens that when the plug contacts the socket, the electrical installation does not start. This can be checked easily with an indicator screwdriver. A closer look reveals that contact is lost. To restore operation, the socket is removed and the wires are connected. Do not forget about the colors of the cords:
- Red or brown is the phase.
- Blue and white are zero.
- Yellow green - grounding.
note
Do not start work without turning off the voltage in the electrical panel. How to fix the outlet? Actions are carried out in stages: a broken outlet is removed, an updated one is screwed, and then the screws are fixed on the protective box. Then the electricity is turned on and a test is carried out using any device inserted into it. It is good when there are no extraneous sounds, smell and other deviations. Otherwise, the part must be replaced.
Preparation stages
To exclude force majeure situations, they are prepared in advance for the procedure. If there is a small breakdown, the electricity will turn off completely. Testing is mandatory with an electric tester. Necessary components:
- Indicator screwdriver.
- Slotted and Phillips screwdrivers.
- Pliers.
- Insulation tape.
- Cutting tool.
Not always in the house there are the necessary components - they will have to be purchased. Do not do the work with improvised tools. This will bring unpleasant consequences. Please note that all tools must be with rubberized handles. It is worthwhile to observe each point at the preparation stage so that the repair does not turn into a complex breakdown.
Repair
Once the preparation is complete, it is time to complete the main activities. The screws are removed and the decorative case is removed. Further contacts are checked. If they look ugly, turn black or change color, then the entire structure is dismantled. The presence of a green color indicates oxidation. What to do in this case? Contacts are cleaned when using a knife.
It also happens that the contacts are completely worn out. How to fix the outlet? In this case, a completely new design should be available. What to do if contacts are loose? There are simple manipulations. Necessary:
- Remove the cover.
- Gently pull out the entire structure without disconnecting or tearing the wires.
- When using a screwdriver, fasten the screws.
- Carbonized wires are removed, and the rest are twisted and insulated with tape.
Next, the part is installed in its place. When the structure is badly damaged, it is better to immediately change it. These are simple manipulations, the basis of which is the de-energization of the wiring.
Installing a new outlet
This is the option most often used by the owners. How to fix a falling out socket? Its design is very fragile and cannot be restored. It will be easier and faster to install a new one. Initially, the old structure is removed. And then you need:
- Disconnect the apartment or house.
- Remove the insulating cord from the wires by about one centimeter.
- Make from the ends of the wire rings in diameter up to 0.5 centimeters.
- Make a connection to the wiring in the wall and the socket. Next - clamp the terminals and screws.
- Make sure that all wires are in place.
- Carefully remove the part into the socket box (it is important to exclude the slightest distortions and errors).
- Secure the new design with constituent elements.
- Screw on decorative trim.
If you don’t rush and have the required material at hand, it won’t take much time - about twenty minutes.
Fallout design
How to fix the outlet if it fell out? The reason for this phenomenon is simple - incorrect and careless use (sharp pulling out the plug). This can be avoided by tightening the entire structure stronger. But this does not always help with frequent use. Some install something solid under the outlet, but this manipulation does not bring much result either.
It is worth thinking about a complete change of the entire structure and purchase a better-quality socket. What you need to have on hand:
- New device.
- Cement (preferably gypsum - it fixes faster).
- The knife is construction.
- Putty knife.
- Primer
- A set of tools for installing an outlet.
The electricity is turned off in the room, the old element is dismantled. It happens that the outlet is just in concrete - it is better to remove it and make a socket. But this is done before buying the parts, so that the form matches the existing base in the wall. A large assortment of such constituent elements is on sale, and finding the right one will not be difficult.
How to fix a wall outlet? You just need to increase the size of the space in the wall with a chisel and hammer. After that, the selected mixture is diluted for fixation; Before this, the base is treated with a primer mixture, so that the adhesion is the best. If there is wallpaper, they are neatly cleaned and attached to the wall with pins. Some people recommend using scotch tape, but it can ruin the surface.
After the mixture begins to set, the entire structure is formed by level. Next, the socket itself is fixed to the bolts or screws included in the kit. Now it's time to install the outlet. There is no difficulty, but there are a lot of actions - do not skip a single stage.
After any repair, the outlet is checked for operability. For this, a low power device is connected for ten minutes. When working, it is worth controlling the phase. If it is, do not start installation. It happens that the plug from the outlet broke. How to fix it? There are enough reasons for this - the contact is burned out or loose, careless handling during operation, etc. The plug is easily disassembled, because in the middle there is a fastener, in the form of a screw.
When the structure is untwisted, then two halves with the internal component are obtained. There are also contacts that tell a lot. If they are oxidized, darkened or disconnected, the plug will not work. Sometimes it’s enough to pull them up, and the device will again begin to fulfill its functions. Today, many modern appliances have plugs that cannot be parsed. In this case, you can try to completely replace it.
Conclusion
So, we found out for what reasons the outlet fails and how to restore it. To cope with the outlet in the house or repair the plug is not as difficult as it seems - you only need to carefully consider this problem.