Fix a loose outlet in the wall

How an outlet is held in the wall

An outlet (the electrician's word is receptacle) is screwed to a plastic or metal box inside the wall. A metal strap called the yoke runs down the back of the outlet. Its ends, the mounting ears, have a screw at the top and bottom that threads into tabs on the box. When the box sits flush with the wall surface, the ears rest against the wall and the outlet stays solid. The cover plate then screws to the outlet and covers the opening.

Trouble starts when the box sits deeper than the wall surface. Tile, paneling or extra drywall can push the finished wall out past the box. Tightening the screws then pulls the outlet back into the hole instead of holding it firm. Building inspector Reuben Saltzman of Structure Tech notes that spacers suit small setbacks, while a box set back more than 1/4 inch, or set back in a combustible wall like wood paneling, calls for a box extender.

Why an outlet comes loose

Let's fix it

1. Stop using it and check for damageUnplug anything in the outlet. Rest the back of your hand on the cover plate. A standard outlet should feel the same temperature as the wall; Leviton notes that dimmers may run warm but outlets shouldn't. Look for brown or black marks, melted plastic or a burning smell, and listen for buzzing or crackling. Also try a plug: if it slides out with no grip, the contacts inside are worn. Any of these signs means the outlet needs replacing, not tightening. Stop here, turn off its breaker and leave it off. Then replace the outlet or call an electrician. If everything looks and feels normal, go to Step 2.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • There's a scorch mark, but the outlet still works Don't keep using it. Scorching often means a loose wire has been arcing. Turn the breaker off and replace the outlet, or call an electrician if wires look burned.

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2. Turn the breaker off and verify it's deadFind the breaker for the outlet in your panel and switch it fully off. If the panel isn't labeled, plug a lamp into the outlet and flip breakers until it goes dark. Next, test your non-contact voltage tester on an outlet you know works; it should beep or light. Then hold its tip to each slot of the loose outlet, and later to the wires once the plate is off. It should stay quiet. One box can hold wires from two circuits, so check both halves and every wire. If the tester still reacts, stop and find the right breaker before going further. Tell others in the house not to switch it back on.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The tester beeps with the breaker off You may have the wrong breaker, or the box has a second circuit. Try other breakers until the tester stays quiet. If you can't make it go silent, call an electrician.

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3. Remove the plate and see what movesWith the power verified off, turn the center cover plate screw counterclockwise and lift the plate away. Now grip the outlet by its mounting ears and gently rock it. Watch three things. If the outlet moves but the box stays put and the ears sit level with the wall, the mounting screws are loose; go to Step 4. If the ears sit behind the wall surface, the outlet is recessed; go to Step 5. If the box moves with the outlet, go to Step 6. While it's open, check each wire under its screw with the tester still nearby. Wires should feel snug. Don't bend or pull them. If any wire is loose, blackened or brittle, stop and see the replace-an-outlet guide or call an electrician.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The plate is painted to the wall Score around the plate edge with a utility knife before prying, so the paint doesn't peel off the wall with it.

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4. Tighten the mounting screwsIf the box is solid and the outlet's ears sit flush with the wall, this is usually all it needs. With the breaker still off, use a Phillips or flat screwdriver on the top and bottom mounting screws. Turn them clockwise until the outlet sits firm against the wall. Stop at snug. Cranking hard can crack the outlet's plastic body or bend the yoke, and it can strip plastic box tabs. If a screw spins without tightening, the hole is stripped; a slightly longer screw of the same thread (often 6-32) may grip deeper in the tab. Put the plate back, hand-snug its screw so the plate doesn't crack, then restore power and test with a lamp or plug-in tester.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • Tightening pulls the outlet into the wall The box is set too deep. Back the screws out and add spacers as in Step 5.
   • The screw hole in the box is stripped Try a slightly longer screw of the same thread. If that won't hold, the box may need repair or an extender; see Step 6.

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5. Add outlet spacers behind the earsIf the ears sit behind the wall surface, tightening alone pulls the outlet deeper. Outlet spacers fix that. They're small stackable plastic shims, usually sold in packs for a few dollars, that slip onto the mounting screw between the ear and the box. With the breaker still off, back out the top and bottom screws. Slide spacers onto each screw, then refit the screws. Add or remove spacers until the ears rest flat on the finished wall. Use the same number top and bottom so the outlet sits straight. Tighten to snug, refit the plate, then restore power and test. Spacers suit small gaps; if the box sits more than 1/4 inch back, go to Step 6.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The screws are now too short to reach the box Buy longer screws of the same thread, often 6-32. Some spacer packs include them. Don't leave the outlet held by one screw.

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6. Add a box extender or secure a loose boxA box extender is a plastic or metal collar that fits inside the box and brings its front edge out to the wall surface. Extenders are designed for boxes set more than about 1/4 inch back, and for any setback in a combustible wall like wood paneling, where codes often require one. Check your local code. With the breaker off and verified dead, unscrew the outlet, slide the extender over it into the box, and screw the outlet through the extender's tabs. If the whole box moves, it needs re-fastening, a box support bracket, or an old-work box with clamps. Box work means cutting drywall and handling wires, so call an electrician if you're unsure.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The extender screws won't reach the box tabs Use the longer screws that come with the extender. If the tabs are broken or stripped, stop and call an electrician to repair or replace the box.
   • The box wobbles even after the outlet is tight Leave the breaker off and don't use the outlet. A loose box can strain wire connections. An electrician can secure or swap it, often in under an hour.

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Watch it done

How To Fix A Sunken Outlet With SpacersBy One Hour Smart Home on YouTube. Their method may vary a little from ours.

Watch on YouTube

If it comes back

If plugs keep falling out even though the outlet is now tight, the contacts are worn. Follow the guide to replacing an outlet, and consider a tamper-resistant model if kids are around.

If the outlet now has no power after you worked on it, a wire may have shifted, or a GFCI elsewhere may have tripped. Start with the guide for outlets not working. If a GFCI won't hold, see the guide for a GFCI that keeps tripping.

A light switch can work loose the same way and takes the same fix. If one wobbles in its box, see the guide to replacing a light switch.