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Rigid outlets for Heavy cables

Many fans of high end power cables end up with very heavy cables plugged into very tight outlets in less than new outlet boxes. Whatever your choices in outlets and cables are you may find that you already have loose or recessed outlet problem, or are worried about the tabs on the outlet and drywall not lasting for many insertion cycles.

If you’ve ever replaced an old outlet with a fresh hospital grade outlet and felt it get mushy or make crackling sounds (from the drywall breaking) when you tried to insert your fresh cable you know what I’m talking about, or if you have some outlets which are proud of the face and some which are recessed this post is for you.

Hubbell makes a wall plate called Flush-Fit ($8 for 3)which is available from Amazon or Lowe’s (probably others).

I also use these little plastic screw spacers in some situations, where the metal plates won’t fit or for plain old light switches and outlets where I’m not expecting heavy duty use or where I have multiple outlets / switches in a single box. They are surprisingly effective and available at almost any hardware store.

I’ve used both while re-doing all the outlets and switches in and out of my home. I can recommend them from personal experience. Also, they make your outlets and switches look fresh because of the clean flush-fit result.

erik_squires

Showing 10 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

The Viborg outlet and integrated cover looks... funky.  I don't see the usual mounting screws, but there are a pair of side screws so the whole assembly (outlet and cover) seem to screw into the drywall??

Honestly I'm not even sure that's legal.  AFAIK, the outlet MUST screw into an outlet box.

Next, and I know I'm the only one on A'gon who cares, outlets must be tamper resistant in homes as well, not sure this is. 

I'm a big fan of the Viborg bananas but this one..... I have nothing but questions.

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@mitch2  I hear you, I do think there would be a market for uber cables with 90 degree plugs though.  They save a lot of floor space.

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@jea48 - The two outlet screws should be to ground, not neutral. :)

To avoid confusion, the metal plate hsould NOT touch any of the side screws on an outlet. 😀

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

BTW, if your box is too recessed from the drywall you may need an "outlet box extender" instead.  If your outlet screws are too short this is probably the way to go. 

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@mitch2 Oh, never saw those cable cradles before. A better option, IMHO is the 90 degree hospital grade plugs. They can be rotated to any angle, so pointing 45 down lets them avoid leveraging the plug out of the socket and leaves room for another below it.  They also save a lot of floor space.  I replaced the plug on my Furman voltage regulator and was able to snug up bass traps to the wall in front of the socket.

I have found that they do greatly increase the insertion force required due to the extra thick pins, hence the recommendation for outlet supports.  When I first tried inserting it I found the outlet, which I previously thought was fine, had too much play in it when I tried using it.

They don’t have to be babied to stay in. Not sure what the maximum cable thickness is though.

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@pgaulke60 You are welcome. If you find any back-stabbed outlets while you do you should probably replace them too.

 

Protip:  When you fold those plastic tabs you end up with one side open and the opposite closed.  Put the closed side up against the body of your outlet and the open towards the screw.  That way the plastic tabs and screws are held in place while you reinstall the outlet. Otherwise it feels like you need 4 hands.

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

I hope readers understand that I’m talking about reducing the motion of the outlet relative to the outlet box, not discussing improving the grip strength of any particular outlet. 😅

It seems some of you feel I have impugned the honor of your brand of outlet or AC cable and I worry I didn’t properly communicate that even the best outlets use metal tabs at the end to secure them against the drywall.  If that drywall is worn, damaged or missing then the outlet will move in the wall/outlet box and feel spongy. 

The higher the insertion force of your outlet and plug and or the heavier the cables are, the more it wears down the drywall each insert/removal cycle.  For those of us with older (i.e. not new) homes this can be a real issue all around the house and fancy outlets with tight grips make things worse.

The two accessories I recommended are just ways of supporting the drywall in one way or another to give the utmost confidence even to an old outlet box, anywhere in your home.

If you are still offended, we duel at dawn!

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@carlsbad2 Also, same, the cleaning lady (i.e. me) had several outlets around the house which were probably spongy for that same reason.  Too much vacuuming.

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@carlsbad2 You are welcome.  As you probably already know, Tamper Resistant is now a requirement for homes.  I use Eaton commercial/residential.  If you buy in bulk (10x) from Lowe's they are a little cheaper.

erik_squires OP
15,718 posts
 

@testpilot Oh yes!! I can’t tell you how many of those Hubbell 3 packs I bought in this 17 year old home. I wish I had learned about the plastic one’s earlier as they are more economical and very good for light switches and my "normal" outlets.

The wall plates make an outlet absolutely confidence-inspiring and I don't think I'd put a high end (i.e. TIGHT) outlet into a box without one, if only to reduce the wear and tear on the drywall.

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