Electrical Receptacles
Faulty or damaged electrical receptacles are a common hazard in American home. In particular, homes that are older may have receptacles that are either damaged or have simply deteriorated over the years. Broken or damaged faceplates should also be replaced at the same time as the entire electrical receptacle.
Electrical receptacles can be damaged simply from repeated used. Check to see if your plugs fit loosely into the receptacles and, if they do, they should be replaced. Receptacles can also create a hazard if they have poor internal contacts or have loose wire terminals. In addition, appliances should be powered off before unplugging to prevent damage to the home electrical receptacles.
Unless you are qualified, have a professional electrician replace damaged electrical receptacles. Replacing them can be a project you do yourself, but care should be taken to avoid serious injury.
Damaged electrical receptacles are one of the most common safety hazards in any home. Read the following articles to learn more.
Articles
All About Electrical Receptacles
Unsafe electrical receptacles are involved in about 5,000 fires every year. Our guide to electrical receptacles tells you how to avoid becoming a statistic, as well as how electrical outlets work and why exactly you need that little round prong on electrical plugs.
Electrical Receptacle Terms
Words like duplex and ground mean something else entirely when applied to the world of electricity. Our guide to electrical receptacle terms will at least help you know what your electrician's talking about next time you call.