Loose electric socket

[chumley0312]

Hi.

Been redecorating my daughters room. Behind her bed, was an old unused double socket. When I looked at it, as it will be more exposed in her new layout, one side seemed quite loose. I removed the screws and pulled the socket out, and tried refitting, but no matter what I have tried, that one side, the screw refuses to tighten up, and that side is able to be pulled out about 1/2cm, although it does not come completely out. you can also hear the screw pulling out making a kind of clicking noise. I removed the front again, and took a closer look, and it appears the back box, is not level, but that one side seems to sit further back than the other. I assume the screw is trying to screw in at an angle, and has elongated the screw hole. unfortunately its also on the side with the fixed lug. Apart from removing the whole back box etc, is there any other way of fixing this

Thanks

 

[sparkwright]

Assuming it's a metal back box, the answer is YES.

You will need a 3.5 mm rethreading tool. Available from all good electrical wholesalers.

You may need a new screw as well.

Turn the power off. Get some pliers or similar, and just very slightly twist the dodgy lug.

Don't snap it off or anything. Just pinch it slightly, hardly anything at all.

You just need to slightly pinch it so the screw hole becomes VERY slightly oval.

Then screw the rethreading tool into the hole. It should go in nicely.

Remove the rethreading tool.

Then put in screw. Only use good condition screws. Don't both with knackered ones where the threads are stripped.

 

[chumley0312]

Thanks for that. Will this still work even if the back box is sat skewed in the cavity? Will I need to bend the lug so its stright on with the front socket. With regards to the lug will squeezing top to bottom to make hole oval be ok. Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How badly skewed is it?

 

[chumley0312]

Enough to be noticeable by eye.... thats why I thought that if its going in at an angle it's always going to damage the threads.
does that make any sense?,

can pull box off tomorrow and post a picture if that would be helpful?

 

[Adam_151]

Just run the re-threader straight with the wall when you rethread it and the thread will be straight, even if the lug itself isn't

I have in the past, bent a lug to 45 degrees pointing backwards, and run the rethreader through straight to get the screw to bite when I wasnt able to close the lug up enogh by squashing

 

[chumley0312]

Excellent. Will get a rethreader and give it a go. Tganks again.

 

[flameport]

If the hole ends up too big, another option is to use a 4mm threader and a 4mm screw.

 

[333rocky333]

With 4mm dont you find the head protrudes, thus stopping the plug fitting flush to the socket

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

If the hole ends up too big, epoxy an M3.5 nut to the back of the lug.

 

[JohnW2]

If the hole ends up too big, epoxy an M3.5 nut to the back of the lug.

If one does that, one needs to remember not to rely on the screw as an electrical connection between front plate and back box. I don't personally like that practice, anyway, but some people seem to adopt it.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

Or drill a 3mm hole in the back of the box behind the lug and thread that.

I've done that in the past where the earth lug is done for (not behind the screw lug ofc)

 

[securespark]

333: you can get CSK 4mm machine screws which don't protrude.

Iggy: I have done that once in all my years!! Good tip!

 

[chumley0312]

Just an update to say thanks. Got a rethreader and did as described. Fitted a new screw and its all nipped up nice. Thanks again.