Electrical – Question concerning power outlet

electrical

EDIT: the outlet is not freely moving behind the cover; I just managed to move it to the side by a fraction of a millimeter and moved it back with some effort. Also, the main question is whether what I did outlined below contributed to any sort of significant damage to the outlet.

I have an urgent question, and would appreciate any sort of help for feedback for my scenario.

I live in the U.S., and my question is about a particular power outlet. This power outlet's receptacle is inserted so that it is behind the cover of the outlet, but it still feels fairly stable.

So yesterday, I was frustrated and yanked out a phone charger from the top socket of said outlet, and realized I had shifted the receptacle/outlets behind the cover to the left by a small amount. Unsure of what to do, I plugged in a plug and used it to shift it back to position, which may or may not have been dumb to do. Now I'm afraid of the integrity of the outlet, whether or not I should use it, or if shifting the receptacle and moving it with a plug was dangerous.

Does anyone know if I should hire an electrician to fix this one outlet, or am I safe? The outlet is on the wall behind my table, which is made out of metal other than the top.

Is it possible for this one outlet to spark or cause a fire due to what I had done before (manually shifting receptacle back to place with a plug in outlet). Also, when I pulled the charger out yesterday, it was not shifted by an extreme margin, but just a little bit.

I'm not sure if it is a hazard or not, since I didn't have any problems prior to doing what I did above, but if anyone can let me know, I would appreciate it. Also, is it dangerous to be in proximity of an outlet, or if it were to spark and electrocute me via the metal table that is next to the outlet?

Main question is: Does moving the receptacle behind the cover damage anything if one were to move it accidentally or purposely with a plug, whether it be yanking it or dragging it?

Thanks
Outlet, and top socket was one being mentioned

Best Answer

As others have already noted, a picture with the cover help will definitely help with diagnosis.

Very likely there is no "new" problem, but the "old" problem is a real concern. Normally a receptacle is attached to a box by two screws - top & bottom, and then the cover plate is attached to the receptacle by the middle screw. I see 3 likely scenarios (and there may be a combination):

  • The top & bottom screws are loose (or nonexistent). If this is the case, tightening or replacing the screws should solve the problem.
  • The box that the receptacle is mounted to is loose. This is generally harder to fix as you may need to remove it and remount it properly or replace it with a different box.
  • The box & receptacle are too far back, so the cover screw can't tighten properly. In this case, more likely the cover is moving than the receptacle. The solution to that problem is a box extender.

Once you have the cover off, you also want to check for:

  • Backstab connections. If you find any, you should switch to screw connections as they are more reliable.
  • Any signs of burning or arcing - e.g., charred insulation. If you have a loose connection combined with a shifting receptacle, you could easily end up with problems over time. If the receptacle itself seems damaged then I recommend replacing it - they are very inexpensive.
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