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.
@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. |
@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. |
