Regular electric receptacle question

[Kali]

Replacing a regular electrical receptacle, you know the kind that has a little face for 2 things to plug in. The one I'm removing has a strange connection - the wires just insert into the back and you remove it by poking a small screwdriver into a hole next to the hole that the wire goes into. There are no screws that you wrap the wires around. I have often seen speaker boxes that are connected sort of like this.

I am not at home and I do not have my passwords for my photo account so I can't post a picture unless I email it to somebody.

My question is do they still make electrical connectors like this or do I have to get the kind that has the screws on the side? The box that this fits into is a little small and I'm concerned the regular style receptacle with the screws on the side may not fit. I guess they're cheap enough I can just get one and try it.

[Shermann]

1. The one gang electrical box is pretty standard

I've never seen one narrower, but I'm by no means worldly in my knowledge here. Maybe you can measure it?

[Kali]

4. it is pretty old, 60s maybe

not as old as the ones in my house - no ground hole and the slots are the same size. and some were connected to paper wrapped cable

[ramblin_dave]

10. You can still get receptacles without grounds

Many people replace old receptacles that don't have grounds with new receptacles with grounds, but this won't meet code since the ground connection has no ground wire to connect to it.

But you can still get the older style receptacles without grounds, with screw terminals or with both screw and push in connections.

It's also possible to install a GFCI outlet that does have a ground connection to give you some protection against shorts, but you must apply a sticker that says "No Equipment Ground" to indicate that the ground connection is not connected.

[Foolacious]

12. At the least Kali can ground it to the receptacle box.

That way if a short from the hot lead to the box does occur someday it will trip the breaker rather than energize the box, which could give someone an awful shock.

[ramblin_dave]

14. That will depend on whether the box is grounded somehow

If the hot and neutral wires are in a flexible metal jacket or metal conduit, and that jacket or conduit is bonded to the the metal box and at any metal junction boxes all the way back to the breaker / fuse box, then the box may be considered to be grounded and should trip the breaker if the hot wire touches the box. But if regular romex or similar style wiring is used where the conductors are in a plastic or cloth jacket, then the metal box is just "floating" and not grounded. You can still get shocked in this case.

A GFCI outlet provides extra protection when a device that is plugged into has a short to ground, then the GFCI will trip because its function does not depend on a connection to ground. But it won't protect you from a hot box.

There are GFCI breakers available that protect an entire circuit. In that case touching a hot box would trip a GFCI breaker.

[Kali]

15. For the box in question today,

It is romex and the ground wire is attached to the back of the metal box itself. I think the problem occurred because the little screws that hold the recepticle to the box fell out and it lost ground that way when she unplugged the washer to use the recepticle for something else. When I tested it with a lamp both recepticles worked but there is blackened spots on it so I figured just replace it.

[ramblin_dave]

16. Are you saying the romex cable has hot, neutral and ground wires?

Since you said the receptacle did not have a ground connection and the wiring was from the 60s or so, before codes required ground wires, I assumed you did not have a ground wire coming in with the hot and neutral wires.

[Kali]

17. yes, correct

the thing I'm working on is grounded. my sister's house. built prior to 1970. my house is way older and I think the original electric was put in in the 40s. we had most of that redone in the 90s though a couple circuits didnt get replaced.

[ramblin_dave]

18. Well then just put in a receptacle with ground

and connect hot, neutral and ground wires. When you install the receptacle to the metal box, the box also will be grounded.

[al_liberal]

2. Receptacles typically have both.

They have the push type of connection yours has and screws on each side. Unless code specified otherwise, it’s dealer’s choice as to which to use.

[Kali]

3. ok good

this does not have screws on side otherwise the face looks no different than any others. it is for a washing machine, would that matter?

[dweller]

6. Might be gfci

Used around wet conditions

✌🏻

[Kali]

7. doesn't seam to have any reset buttons

are those normally used for washers?

[dweller]

8. Used in potentially wet conditions

You could always upgrade to it


✌🏻

[Foolacious]

11. Yes, they are, these days. You should try to replace with a GFCI box. N/T

[Kali]

13. sounds easy enough

should I replace the metal housing box with a plastic one too?

[WHITT]

5. Those Old Push-in Receptacles Are DANGEROUS

they are known to loosen and arc, which could cause a fire, or just fail. If you only have short leads, you may have to make small lengths wired to the new receptacle, then connect with some wire connectors.

NEUTRAL - White wire, larger prong, silver screws

HOT - Black wire, smaller prong, gold screws

GROUND - Green

[Kali]

9. it sparked and tripped a breaker on my sister

I figured a wire was loose but when I opened it everything was tight. figured easiest thing to do is just replace it.