I have an electrical outlet (US style) in my apartment whose prong-holes are clogged with paint (courtesy of previous occupants). How should I remove the paint without electrocuting myself? I’ve given it a good scrubbing with paint remover, but that was only really good for the paint covering the outside of the outlet.
120 VAC outlets in the U.S. are dirt cheap. Turn off the breaker, replace the outlet, then turn the breaker back on. All you need is a screwdriver.
If you can’t stick a probe into the outlet to be absolutely sure it has no power, turn off the main breaker.
I have nothing to add other than to mention that Jerry Seinfeld described the OP’s situation as resembling a pig trying to push his snout through the wall from the opposite side. Thank you.
chopsticks
Have the Landlord take care of it.
I have nothing new to say - make sure the outlet is de-energized, then remove it. You can poke at it with a screwdriver all you want then, but at $5 CAD, your time may be better spent replacing it.
Re 120 VAC receptacles… you pick them up at your mega hardware store for less than $1.
If it were me, I would just use a wood or plastic toothpick to remove the paint.
Also, you could probably just shove the plug into the socket, and then plug and unplug it several times to remove the paint.
I am not an electrician, blah, blah blah, I’m just saying what I would do in that situation.
Yeah, I forgot about the whole “circuit breaker” option because the fusebox is also covered with paint.
If you don’t want people laughing at your funeral because of your outrageous hair, get the fuse box open first.
–Cliffy
I am an electrician and I would hesitate to clean out the plug with anything, not because of the electrocution risk but because of the fire risk later on.
You might end up with a situation where whatever you plug into the outlet at a later date doesn’t make good contact with the inside of the outlet due to residual paint and wood pieces, etc., causing possible arcing and heat build up leading to a possible fire. If the outlet is gummed up with paint and cleaning it is fairly difficult, then just buy a new one. Home Depot has em for less than a buck each. Just make damn sure the circuit is off first. If you can, clean the plug openings good enough to plug a radio into the outlet. Turn the radio on and the volume up loud enough to hear it by the breaker panel and then turn off the breakers one at a time until the radio goes off.
(If the outlet is switched, remember to break off the tab on the HOT (brass colored) side only. You’ll know if it’s switched - there will be a red and a black on the old outlet and the tab will be removed that connects the two brass colored screws together… The white nuetral wires go on the silver colored screws.)
Link for tab placement.