Wife was complaining that my UPS in the garage kept making a clunking sound and then the lights would flicker.
So I went down and watched, and sure enough the lights would flicker and the UPS would clunk. Looking over the voltages I would see a 20v drop and then it would come back. I happen to have a UPS on the 2nd leg of our box so I watched that one, and the voltage never shifted.
Turned off the breaker box, pulled the cover, pulled the breaker in question. boom, clearly it was a corroded contact causing higher resistance, and heat, and causing brownouts.
$8 later were back up and running, and I can sleep safer knowing at least THAT breaker is not going to start a fire.
I’ve heard people talk about replacing them after x number of years for this, also some folks talk about replacing electrical receptacles every 20-30 years too, as it’s rated for that lifespan in your walls. I happen to be replacing mine as I go to change the color, but honestly mine are all 26 years old and I’m not sweating.
if inserting a plug feels loose or if they fall out then it needs to be replaced. Otherwise its probably ok, but yes they do have a lifespan. I updated every switch and every plug in my last house because it was from the 1950’s.
Backstabbed receptacles are everywhere in my current house, they have all been loose when I went to replace them with modern style. That’s a house fire waiting to happen.
If inserting a plug feels loose then just bend the contacts. No need to replace anything if looseness is the only problem.
umm… no. Because if its loose that means the internal springs have worn out and are not firmly holding the blades on the plug. You can try a different plug and see if its just as loose in the receptacle but if it is, then you need to replace! Now i will make exceptions for Christmas lights because the blades on those are so thin and weak they often require adjustment.