For DIY - this is also a placeholder.
I went to put in an outlet with charging ports and found this monstrosity behind the wall plate. The box is filled with expanding foam, I'm guessing as some kind of support? Then painted all over. I scraped it all out, put in outlet spacers and its much better. I think there's foam around the box too, but I'm not gonna worry about that (yet).
Now I get to spend next weekend replacing all the outlets in the house just in case there's any more sketchy "fixes" π«
After cleaning and replacing:
Jesus Howard Christ... I'm in the market to buy my first house and this is stuff I'm a bit afraid of finding.
don't worry. you'll find something way worse.
four things I have learned over my time as a homeowner in the US.
You have to think of it as opportunity! Most people should be able to safely replace an outlet. This just prioritizes it.
You get something modern, perhaps βtamper-resistantβ if you plan on kids, perhaps with chargers where convenient, perhaps βsmartβ, perhaps with nightlights where convenient
Ah the ol' "landlord special" eh?
Great work! When I bought my house I bought some contractor packs of outlets, covers, and light switches. I went around and replaced all of the outlets and switches in the house. Took a few days but while I was doing it I write down which outlet or switch was powered by which circuit so now I have a fairly complete map of the electrical in the house. Totally worth it IMHO
To add to what you suggest: I make a habit of verifying and writing the breaker number on the back side of the faceplate each time I have to remove/replace one.
Always re-check before digging into the wiring obviously, but man I don't know how many trips up and down the basement stairs that has saved me over the years!
I need to do this again. I did the same thing when I moved into this house but somewhere along the line lost the map
Honestly, this should be a to do for any new homeowner - the process is easy and the tools are cheap! At bare minimum, everyone should own an outlet tester and just wander around plugging it into stuff.
You would be shocked (or, at least you will be if you don't test) to find out how many outlets have a loose/missing connection or are wired backwards. Takes 30 seconds to fix and could save you a lot of headache.
i just use a paperclip.. also tests the circuit breaker.
Done this twice now with both houses I have owned. The main reason, I absolutely hate attempting to plug something in only to have it fall out of the outlet. It annoys the shit out of me.
It's also not safe around kids or pets and it's a fire hazard.
I also like outlets on a switch to be upside down so you can visually see them easily.
Dad did that in the early 80s. Replaced the 2-prong outlets with 3-prong. Not sure if he was able to attach a ground. House was built in the late 50s, apparently grounding wasn't a thing. :)
The box is filled with expanding foam, I'm guessing as some kind of support?
Is the outlet on an outside wall? At my last apartment, those outlets were a significant source of draft. Cheap-ass construction and all.
I'm glad that box didn't catch fire. Might want to do a check on your other outlets, especially ones with high sustained load.
Yup, it's an outside wall. That makes more sense about it being draft prevention! The outlet was loose so I just figured it was a way to get it supported. I'll be replacing every outlet in the house asap. The house was built in the 80's, so even if most outlets are fine, I'll sleep better knowing there's no 40+ year old outlets about to bite the dust.
Foam in the box is not the answer. Fire or toxic fumes are not an improvement over a draft. Keep the foam outside the box
They sell foam sheets that fit under the faceplate to block drafts, and are a much safer option
I've also seen / been recommended to stuff steel wool into gaps and fill with that foam to keep rodents from gnawing through.
Putting steel wool into an electrical box will definitely keep rodents out. (And hopefully just trip a breaker instead of starting a fire.)
But yeah, that's a good combo for non-electrical voids.
It's cute that you think there's a box there.
Most definitely.
Was your place a rental prior to this? That all just screams landlord bodge.
Yeah, it was a family who turned it into a rental when they moved out. Then it was eventually sold to an investment company who "remodeled". I think the company was just a regular house flipper who did their own work. It's weird, they did such a good job on a lot of things, and then the absolute worst job on random bits. I'm guessing they realized remodeling properly takes time and rushed the finishing touches to just get it sold. Luckily they left all of the supplies to fix what they messed up haha.
Flippers are a plague. The definition of lipstick on a pig. The business model is buy the worst house in the best neighborhood and put the bare minimum into it to bring the sale price up to the average. Oftentimes that means lots of cosmetic cover-up. Good luck!
Did you salvage the ricin capsule?
I do not understand why people do this. It takes literally ten seconds to put a piece of tape over it. You can even do it as you go!
I'm too lazy for all that. I pop the cover with a power screwdriver. Masking tape's expensive these days!
Clear cover with philips screws temporary I hope?
Its actually a frame for a screwless wall plate! The plate just snaps onto the clear bit.