Sagging power plugs in wall outlet, diy

Ok. Now that we got the wall plug solution….How do we fix the loose component plug that drops off due to heavy plugs/cables?  This is a bigger problem here.

@tksteingraber Well the 90 degree IEC socket is also potentially a fix here, since that reduces leverage.  For my Luxman, which originally had a 2 prong socket I swapped it for a 3-prong which added just enough grip.

There are also locking IEC plugs.

@erik_squires Thanks…I was thinking the same about the 90 degree plug as the solution.  The locking plugs are interesting but not audiophile quality and only go down to 14 ga.  Also, no explanation and not clear how they actually lock 🤔

@tksteingraber  Good points all.  I almost want to order a plug to see how it works.

For loose power plugs going into components you wrap the connector with a couple wraps of Teflon tape (plumbers tape).  Just the plastic part.  Problem solved.

@goose excellent suggestion and will give it a try.👍

Just get a piece of wood, cut it to length, and place it underneath the PC to release the stress of the weight on the plugs.  It doesn’t matter what outlet you get, the weight of the PC will cause it to droop unless you prop it up with something.

Hello again @jea48 ,

I just finished making three wall plates with supports as you described, using the 1 1/2 inch PVC couplers. It is an elegant solution to heavy cable support, and a satisfying project! Much better than supports coming up from the floor or above.

 I made my cuts in the 1 1/2 inch PVC coupler a little differently than you. Perhaps it is a little less daunting for some, as I used a miter box with a fine tooth hacksaw to do my cuts. It is a little difficult to keep holding things square,  But less risk to the fingers! I first cut the coupling in half making two semi circles. This is fairly easy to keep flat and square in the miter box. I then turned each half on its side and trimmed off a piece as you suggested to get the right length.  Everything was cleaned up on a flat piece of 120 and then 220 sandpaper stapled to a piece of wood . I sanded the wall plate entirely with 220 Sandpaper to get a nice surface for gluing and then repainting. The plastic epoxy you suggested works great. After a day of curing a good gloss black spray paint finished the job nicely.

I think the hardest part, was determining exactly how high or low to glue the support below the outlet cut out on the plate. Too low, and the power cord still can sag. Too high, and you can’t get the power cord in. I plugged my cord through the outlet plate into the outlet and marked the bottom of the cord in a semi circle. I still got one a little low. I fixed this with just a couple of strips of electrical tape put onto the top surface of the cup support and this way you can fine-tune how snug the power cord is easily.

I think the Son. Is nice looking, and I have almost ordered one or two.  But between the cost and knowing I would want to paint them I held off. 

Thanks for the collaboration on a fun project!  Ken

@fastfreight

Great to hear the cable support worked out for you. Cheap to build too. Even fun...

Placing the cup exactly where you want it is a pain. Especially when you used Epoxy. I made three small pencil marks on the plate for installing the cup where I wanted it. One at the top and side of each tail and one at the bottom radius of the cup.

If I were to build any more I would make a jig to hold the cup exactly where I wanted it on the plate. It would be pretty simple to make. I could make it out of wood.

Changing gears, I made a cable support out of an angle bracket I bought. It is 1-1/4 wide 18 gauge maybe 20 gauge galvanized steel. Tough steel, not soft... It’s small but does the job. The bracket is supported by the bottom 6/32 machine screw that holds the duplex outlet to the wall box. The bracket is installed behind the duplex receptacle supporting back strap Yoke. The bracket has a hole drilled through the bracket so the 6/32 screw must be removed to install the bracket. Do not have to remove the outlet though.

The bracket travels down the wall, a little under the duplex outlet plate where it is bent around a 1/2" diameter steel rod which leaves about a 1/4" from the wall for the outlet plate to be easily installed. (Making the horseshoe bend requires two rods.) The steel bracket has a factory bent 90 degree bend out away from the duplex cover plate that supports the power cord plug. The platform that supports the plug was cut off to 1-1/8".

What a pain to bend the horseshoe on the bracket. I used two 1/2" steel rods fastened vertically in a bench vise. The two were apart from each other about 5/16" to 3/8". I bought four brackets and tossed the first two. The third came out looking pretty good. Took me a good hour and a half. For this project a jig would be a must. A bench vise does not hold the two rods tight enough stopping the one the horseshoe is bent around from moving.

I never got around to putting a vinyl cover over the platform that the plug body will rest on. I looked for something factory 1-1/4" wide but no luck. Thought about using shrink tube.

This is the bracket I used.

(The bottom part of the bracket is the platform that the plug rests on. The riser is for the horseshoe. Just flip the bracket 180 degrees, it will be easier to visualize.)

When I get some time I will finish it up. It’s small but works. You really don’t notice it... I will try to post a picture.