Malfunctions of the outlet and methods for their elimination
Prepare the tool
In order to repair the outlet with your own hands, you may need the following tools:
- screwdriver with voltage indicator;
- wire stripping tool, at home a sharp knife will do;
- insulation tape;
- pliers.
It should immediately be noted that it is strictly forbidden to carry out repair of the power outlet (without disconnecting the apartment or house). Before starting work, be sure to turn off the machine in the shield that protects the outlet group!
Repair Tips
Cracks are heard in the outlet
In this case, the device must be repaired. To do this, remove the outer cover and carefully study the insides. Cracking indicates a periodic violation of electrical contact and spark breakdown of the gap arising in this place. Contact can be broken in several places:
- Connection of electrical wiring to contact clamp. In this case, you can fix the outlet as follows: turn off the power, depending on the design, we either simply tighten the contact clamps with a screwdriver, or unscrew and unfold the inside to gain access to the clamp screws. After repair, put the product in place and screw the cover.
- Connection of spring contacts with a fork. The outer cover must be removed by turning off the power. Identify the reason for the weakening of the contact visually. In most designs of outlets, the connection is provided by the elastic properties of the material of the contact sockets. When you turn on the plug, the nests are elastically deformed, creating a clamping force that provides contact. If the nests are excessively deformed without a general loss of elasticity, they can be repaired by gently squeezing them with pliers to give them their original shape. If the contact plates lose their elasticity (this happens when they overheat, which is accompanied by a change in color), that is, when compressed with pliers, they do not spring, but are deformed plastically, it will not be possible to repair the socket.
- At the point of wiring, the wire is broken and 2 mm of the remaining conductor sticks out in the wall.In this case, unreliable contact can be ensured by the end contact of the parts of the broken wires supported by insulation. Upon examination, at the fracture site of the conductive conductor, partial damage or blackening of the insulation may be observed. If the damage site is not visually detected, the wiring should be checked with your fingers “for a shift”. The place where the wire is held only on insulation is easy to determine. In order to fix the place of damage, in this place you need to cut it, strip the insulation and fix it in the terminal. For ease of connection, it is better to cut the second wire to the same length.
Often there is a situation when a wire that is broken or burnt after a short circuit is too short. In this case, during repair, you can build up wire. It is best done as follows. Cut the second wire to the same length and strip. Take two pieces of copper stranded conductor a few centimeters long and solder them to the wiring, having previously cleaned the ends. Put on pieces of a heat-shrinkable tube of a suitable diameter at the repair site and carefully warm it with a lighter.
This is one of the best repair methods, but you can fix it with insulation tape, and repair the connection with twist. Then, strip the ends of the flexible wire and connect to the terminals. This repair method is good because the flexible conductor fits very comfortably in the socket, and its further kinks are excluded.
How to restore the pressure contacts is described in the video:
Learn more about why the outlet sparks and what to do in this case, you can from our separate article!
The plug and body heat up
This symptom indicates that a significant transition resistance. This happens, as a rule, for the following reason. At one time, when contact loosened, repairs were not made. Over time, in a place of poor connection, under the regular influence of a small electric arc (accompanied by cracking), soot grows, which, being a poor conductor, becomes very hot when an electric current passes through it.
Cracks disappear, but the contacts get very hot. When the process is heavily started and traces of fusion or burning are visible on the outer plastic, it is most likely impossible to repair the outlet if it burns out.
Opening the lid, you can make sure that the thread of the clamping terminal screws is charred and the screws are “stuck”, and the copper contact plates have strongly changed color and naturally have lost their elasticity. In this case, it is impossible to repair them yourself. If the heating has attracted attention earlier, the device can be repaired by cleaning the parts from a small deposit and stretching the contacts.
There is no voltage at the outlet
First of all, you should make sure that it is the outlet that needs to be repaired. For this you need check voltage on suitable wires.
If it is absent, then the fault must be sought closer to the power source. In this case, it is necessary to check the ends of the wires coming out of the wall for a break, as described above, if necessary, fix it. Malfunctions of the outlet are easily identified visually - this is either a burnt conductor, or a break or burnout of the contact plates. Depending on the nature of the damage, repair or replacement of electrical accessories.
The video below clearly shows how the voltage test is performed by the indicator:
Loose mount and case fell out
The fastening of modern wiring accessories is carried out by a spacer mechanism consisting of two plates, which, when tightening the bolts holding them, cut with sharp teeth into the edges of the hole in the concrete wall, pressing the socket to it. The weakening most often occurs due to the destruction of the edges of the hole.Repair in this situation can be done by installing a plastic socket in the hole, fixing it to the wall with a dowel-nail. The space between the boundary of the hole in the wall and the sides of the socket can be filled with mortar during repair. Learn more about what to do if the outlet falls out of the wallYou can from our article.
The video below demonstrates how to fix this problem:
So we looked at how to fix the outlet with our own hands, if it does not work or the wire breaks. We hope the repair instructions provided have helped you fix the problem yourself!
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