November 2020 – Secure Home Hero

Our once-tight electrical outlets have become looser over the years and won't hold the plug in my home. Whether I plug an alarm clock, my laptop, or –most frustratingly- the vacuum cleaner, the outlet doesn't want to hold the plug. How do you fix this issue? To fix electrical outlets that don't hold plugs, you have several options: If it's the plug does not stay in multiple outlets, straighten any misaligned prongsFor a quick fix of a defective outlet, install an outlet extender add-on.For a permanent fix, replace it with a higher grade outlet (such as a hospital-grade receptacle). In this extensive guide, I'll help you determine whether it's the receptacle or the plug that's the problem. I will also give you step-by-step instructions on replacing an electrical outlet with a much better one, and I will share some products you can use to fix this problem quickly. You're not going to want to miss it! Why Won't My Plugs Stay in the Electrical Outlet? Before you can get to work fixing your electrical outlet, you have to determine if the outlet itself is really the problem. If it's not the outlet, then your issue could be the prongs of your plug. Here's how you sort out which of the two is the culprit. Bad Receptacle Each outlet has at least one receptacle. If you're new to electrical outlets, allow me to explain the difference between an outlet and a receptacle. The outlet is the wiring system that provides electricity. The receptacles are contacts or "the holes" within the outlet that recognize when something is plugged in. For years, outlets were two-pronged, meaning the receptacle had a neutral and hot hole. An example of a two-pronged cord you might plug into a receptacle like this is an iPhone charging cord. Today, more outlets are three-pronged, with that third, round-shaped ground hole in the receptacle that you'd plug a laptop or TV cord into. How does a receptacle know when you've plugged something in? The receptacles have contact points that indicate that yes, you've plugged in your computer or phone. Then you get power to your device. Depending on the quality of your receptacles, the contact points are good for between 15 and 25 years. If they begin to wear down, even one of them, then your electrical outlet won't hold a plug anymore. If your home has faulty wiring, the sparks and heat from an improper installation can also cause the contact points to wear out prematurely. Sadly, in my own home –which is less than 7 years old- many receptacles failed. As I did my research, I found that "builder grade" receptacles (in other words, very cheap) were used. A loose plug can be a hazard, especially if you have kids at home. I needed a solution! Damaged Prongs Your outlet's receptacle is not necessarily always to blame. The issue could be with the prongs of your device. Two-pronged plugs can easily get bent or misaligned, as they're flimsier than three-pronged plugs. Ripping your cords out of the wall or leaving plugs on the floor where someone accidentally steps on them can cause them to become misshapen. If you're not sure whether it's your plugs or the receptacle that's the issue, here's a speedy way to find out. If, for example, your alarm clock plug is loose, grab a different cord, and plug it in. Does the second item hold and work fine in the same outlet? Try again with a third cord. Does the third item work too? If multiple items work fine, and one does not, then it's an issue with your cord or prongs, not the outlet itself. This is both good and bad news. It's good that you don't need to replace the electrical outlet. It's bad news because you need to buy a new laptop or phone charger, which's inconvenient and sometimes expensive. Are there Products that Can Replace Chargers for Multiple Devices? I keep a Universal Customizable Power Adapter at home. Because of my carelessness, I have damaged many cords and prongs. Rather than shop for a specific plug each time, This works like a charm! Here is one on Amazon for lower voltage items (such as phones and small electronics, and this one is for higher voltage items (such as tablets and small laptops). As long as you match the voltage of the device and pay attention to the wattage, you'll be fine. Read the information on your original (now defective) charger, and choose the same settings on the universal one. Are there products specifically designed to test electrical receptacles? You can also test the outlet with a Receptacle tester. This kit on Amazon has an receptacle tester, a voltage meter, and a digital multi-meter. These tools are very handy to have around the house, and the kit is very reasonably priced. Keep reading as these tools will become handy later today How to Fix Loose Electrical Outlets That Don't Hold Plugs Okay, so you've spent some time on the issue of your outlets not holding plugs, and you've determined it's not your cords but the outlet that's faulty. That means it's time to replace the outlet. This is something you'll inevitably have to do throughout your home anyway, so now's a good time to learn. There are a couple of solutions, so let me help you choose the best one for you: Please answer the following two questions: Is your home a rental?Is the problem with only one or two outlets? If you answered yes to any of the two questions, choose the "quick fix" below. If you answered no to both questions, choose the "permanent fix" below. Products That Quickly Fix a Loose Electrical Outlet Issue Outlet Add-On If you rent your home, or if the issue is limited to one or two outlets, you may not want to mess with replacing an outlet. It is usually frustrating because the most-used outlets are the ones that tend to go first. Consider a product like this Mifaso outlet add-on on Amazon is a great quick fix. It also has USB charging outlets built-in (two USB-A ports and one USB-C port), making your existing outlet more practical. The USB-A ports are great for charging devices like the Apple Watch, iPhone, Samsung phone, or iPad, while the USB-C is for the iPhone 11 or 12 and the iPad Pro. If you're concerned about a busy household all rushing to charge their phones or computers on this outlet add-on at the same time, don't fret. The Mifaso comes with a built-in surge protector so you can plug in all nine devices at once. WAIT, WAIT! My outlet is not holding plugs; how would it hold the Mifaso outlet add-on? That is a great question. Do not worry; the included center screw lets you permanently attach this outlet add-on to a duplex outlet. Also, the bottom prong, made of plastic, keeps the outlet add-on reinforced. If you're plugging the Mifaso into a GFCI outlet or a USB receptacle, be sure to cut the plastic prong off first. Products That Permanently Fix a Loose Electrical Outlet Issue I own my home. Sadly our cheap "builder grade" receptacles started to fail one after another. I was worried about my kids, who began using the outlets for their phones and games. A loose plug is dangerous and a fire hazard. I did not know much about outlets, but I learned that electrical outlets are not created equal. What are the different grades of electrical outlets? Homeowner Grade Outlets: A homeowner or builder grade outlet is the least expensive but has low-quality internal components and tends to wear out after about five years. Commercial Grade Outlets: Commercial grade outlets have better quality and tend to last longer than builder grade. They cost about 50-75% more, and they are a good choice for high-use areas such as the primary outlet of your living room and kitchen. Hospital Grade Outlets: If you want the best for your home, then Hospital grade outlets are highly durable, solidly built, and reliable. They cost more, but these outlets are the ones trusted for reliably running heart monitors and breathing machines! A hospital-grade outlet is always marked by a green dot. Which Replacement Outlet Should I Get for My Home? If you own your home, make sure you get a high-quality outlet replacement, and to that end, I installed the Leviton 8200-HW in all the outlets of my home. This 15-amp (90% of home outlets are 15 amp), 125-volt duplex receptacle is hospital-grade. You won't find a higher-quality receptacle around, but it is also a bit pricey. Some people would say this is overkill, but for my home -where I plan to stay for years- it is worth the peace of mind. If you would like something in the middle and more reasonably priced, then consider this commercial-grade outlet from ENERLITES. Now you too can get the same reliability from your electrical outlets. Either way, make sure you skip the residential builder-grade! Although these outlets look exactly the same as the commercial-grade, don't be fooled by the look or the low price. Most residential-grade outlets are junk. You get what you pay for. How to replace an electrical outlet at your home? Caveat: Replacing an outlet involves working with electricity. If you're not comfortable doing the job yourself, please call your local electrician. The work may cost be between $65 and $200, but that is a small price to pay for safety. Step 1: Power Down the Outlet You don't want to work with an outlet that's still actively receiving electricity. Even if the outlet isn't working as it should, if it's not entirely dead, then you're at risk of electrical shock by tinkering around. Head down to your home's breaker box is. Turn off the circuit's power. There's no need to power down your entire house to replace your outlet. You might not necessarily find the right circuit to power down on your first shot. That's okay. You should have a receptacle tester handy, so you can check which circuit is receiving power. Then try shutting down power to a different circuit and see if that kills electricity to your outlet. You'll know you have the right circuit when your voltage meter doesn't detect any electrical current. Step 2: Remove the Outlet Cover Plate With the outlet successfully powered down, head back upstairs to the outlet. With a screwdriver, loosen the screws that cover the outlet plate until the plate comes off. Keep the screws for later, as you'll need them. Step 3: Take Out the Receptacle Avoiding the terminals and wires, grab the exposed receptacle, and carefully pull it out of the box. Take pictures of the front, sides, and back of the receptacle. You can refer back to these pictures in the next steps. Step 4: Test and Fix or Replace the Receptacle Wires Hopefully, you kept your voltage tester close by, as you'll want to use it again now. Test each wire near the tester probes, including both sets of terminal screws at the top and bottom. If the wires have no power, then proceed. Remove the receptacle and the wires, taking care not to twist the wires as you go. Any damaged wires, such as those that are twisted or cracked, should be cut. You'll then have to re-strip the wire, so it works. Step 5: Install the New Receptacle It would help if you bought a new receptacle to replace the old one. Now it's time to install it. There should be a brass terminal for each black wire of the receptacle, and for every white wire, a silver terminal. Connect the wires to the correct terminals. You can wrap a bit of electrical tape over the wires for safety's sake if they're bare. Give the receptacle a slight push, so it's back within the box. Replace all the mounting screws you took from the old receptacle. Re-screw the cover plate as well. Step 6: Turn the Power Back On Now comes the moment of truth. Head back downstairs to your breaker box and restore power to that outlet. Use your receptacle tester or voltage tester to ensure the outlet is receiving the appropriate amount of power. If you have a two-pronged Type A outlet, its reading should be 100 to 127 volts. A Type B outlet with three prongs should have the same reading. If your outlet is getting power, plug your laptop or phone charger cord in and see if it holds. If the devices stay charged successfully, then congratulations, you've replaced your electrical outlet. Here's a handy YouTube video courtesy of Howcast that sums up the whole process if you're more of a visual learner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84aGPD2nAM0 What Should You Do When You're Out, and You Encounter an Electrical Outlet That Doesn't Hold a Plug? Thus far, we've talked about household outlets that don't hold plugs. What if you're out and about, and you encounter the same issue? You're more likely to find worn-out receptacle contact points in public since these outlets are so widely used. Whether it's an outlet that doesn't hold plugs at the office, your favorite corner coffee shop seat or the airport, what do you do? Well, it's not like you can exactly replace the outlets as you did at home. Instead, you can hope that with a bit of finagling of your cord or the prongs that the outlet will hold your plug. A quick method you can try, especially for two-pronged cords, is to take the prongs and press them closer to each other. You need to squeeze just the right way so that you realign the prongs but don't snap them. Try plugging in now and see if the outlet holds. If even that doesn't work, then you're going to have to use a different outlet. At a place like work or your favorite café, it's worth mentioning to someone about the damaged outlet so the issue can get taken care of. The Importance of Repairing or Replacing Electrical Outlets That Don't Hold Plugs An outlet that doesn't want to hold a plug might not be the most serious issue, especially if you have a long list of home repair to-dos. But there are some issues to keep in mind, some less serious and others more so, that can occur if you don't get around to a damaged or old receptacle quickly. Lack of Reliability You set your alarm on your phone, plug it in to charge, and go to sleep. Only the outlet didn't hold the plug, so your phone–which was at 10 percent battery–didn't charge and died overnight. You end up oversleeping by hours because you had no alarm to wake you. Even if you're more old-school and use a standard alarm clock, the same thing can happen. Here's another detrimental situation. You're working fervently on your laptop to get a school or work report completed in time. You thought you could trust that your computer was charging, but this whole time, it wasn't. You don't notice the low battery warning because you're so focused on your work, then blink, the computer turns off because it's out of power. You could lose all your work this way, which is very detrimental. Electric Arcing A second issue that can happen if you don't replace your outlet is called electric arcing. This phenomenon occurs when the inserted plug doesn't reach the receptacle socket, even though it's close. That space between the socket and the plug is just enough for a spark to develop. That's not the only way for electric arcing to happen. If your plug only sits somewhat in the receptacle or if you pull the plug partially out of the receptacle, those scenarios are also bad news. The spark can melt the receptacle and shock you. Fire Risk Between electrical arcing and loosely-hanging plugs, melted receptacles and everything else, your home is at risk of fire. A fire is especially likely if your plug is in partially, but the prongs are visible and exposed. The prongs could get caught on something, like a billowing curtain, or they could get wet. Your home would be up in flames very quickly. Conclusion If your electrical outlet doesn't hold a plug, it may be that the receptacle's contact points have worn down. Your issue could also be with the plug itself, which has gotten bent out of shape and won't stay in. The most viable solution is replacing the outlet, which you can do yourself or let a professional tackle. We suggest a hospital-grade receptacle for your replacement. You can also use an outlet add-on with more receptacles to give an old outlet new life. Best of luck!