I accidentally broke off the two mounting 'ears' on the bottom of my outlet while trying to fit it into the wall tile (you can see them circled in the picture). Now, the outlet is loose and moves in and out when I plug or unplug something. Is there a way to stabilize it, or do I need to replace the whole outlet?
3 Answers
The ears on the outlet are meant to be breakable for situations like this, and once they're gone, you can't put them back. To fix your issue, you can stack some #6 washers on the screws to provide adequate support for the outlet when you tighten it down. That should hold it in place pretty well!
What you really need is a box extender, also known as an extension ring. Just using washers might not comply with electrical codes, as it could leave wires or screws exposed outside of the box, which could be an issue if you ever need an inspection.
No need to worry! You can find some cheap plastic spacers at any hardware store. These spacers fit behind the mounting screws and will help bring your outlet flush against the wall, preventing any movement.
Oh good! Thanks!!
Oh great! I’ll do that, thank you so much!