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two questions

musicteacher
9 years ago

The boxes (that you attach lights to) in my house are very shallow so when I buy a new light fixture the decorative screws that hold it on are too long so that the fixture won't tighten up to the wall/ceiling. Can I cut the screws somehow?

I also want to replace some of my light switches and plug receptacles - either because they are so old and worn that the plugs fall right out or because they are beige against my white walls or tile. Is this a do it myself job or do I need to call an (expensive) electrician? I noticed that the wires connecting to them are very stiff - as in hard to squish back into the little boxes. Is this how they are supposed to be, or are they more brittle with age? House is about 30 yrs. old.

Comments (11)

  • Ron Natalie
    9 years ago

    Often they are not actually "screws" but just threaded rods that you might be able to screw further into the bracket mounted to the box that will allow them to protrude less far to make the fixtures mount flat. Otherwise, you can get shorter screws.

    If we're talking about a private home rather than an apartment or condo, yes, replacing damaged receptacles and swtiches is something that is in the ability of most people who will do a little research in how. The wires likely are stiff and that is OK. They don't get "stiffer" with age, but they do sometimes get harder as they are moved around a bit. It helps to kind of encourage them to bend (sort of in a zig zag) so they fold up int he box rather than just kind of cramming them in there and hoping they find a place.

  • kudzu9
    9 years ago

    musicteacher-
    I generally encourage people in their do-it-yourself projects, except when it might be unsafe. I am not meaning to be snarky, but I can tell from the nature of your questions that you probably don't have the background or skills to evaluate what you have and to re-wire safely so you don't end up with a shock hazard or a fire. Since this is an older installation, you may have some less-than-safe wiring now, and just repIacing receptacles, etc. might not give you the safe result you might think you had. I encourage you to ask a friend with some wiring experience to help you, or hire an electrician to evaluate your wiring and do a couple of receptacle replacements with you watching so you can do the rest yourself to hold down costs.

  • elltwo
    9 years ago

    This tool has threaded holes around the pivot point for cutting screws or bolts and preserves the threads for easy insertion. It's not great for larger sizes, but is terrific for #6 and #8. I use it all the time for when I need a shorty #6 for Decora plates.

    Here is a link that might be useful: screw cutter

  • musicteacher
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for your advice. No offense taken, Kudzu. That's why I was asking!

  • kudzu9
    9 years ago

    musicteacher-
    Glad you weren't offended. I've been doing rewiring for decades but made some troubling mistakes when I was first learning and didn't realize what I had done for a while. Just wanting to keep you safe...

  • JimFBow
    9 years ago

    Do a quick search on Youtube. There are several videos about replacing sockets and switches.

  • mtvhike
    9 years ago

    Probably not a problem with a house that's only 30 years old, but when I was rewiring parts of my 100 year old house, some wires in the boxes were stiff because the insulation had hardened, so when the wires were bent, the insulation fell off. Required replacing the wires.

    Also, are your receptacles 2- or 3- prong? In either case, new ones must be 3-prong, with proper grounding. The boxes should have a separate ground wire and, if they don't, your job is much bigger.

  • Ron Natalie
    9 years ago

    Sorry MTVmike. New receptacles on existing ungrounded circuits can remain ungrounded (two prong). It however, might be wise to upgrade the wiring to provide the ground (in which case you are obliged to use grounded receptacles) or to protect things with a GFCI.

  • mtvhike
    9 years ago

    I guess "out-of-code" things can be grandfathered in, but I thought if any changes were made, then those changes needed to be to code.

  • toxcrusadr
    9 years ago

    If the screws are too long and you want shorter ones, take em to Ace Hardware or a big box store and get shorter ones. Make sure they are the same size and thread. Some of that stuff is metric nowadays.

    If you wired in your own light fixture successfully, you should be able to change an outlet. Verify the power is off with a meter or test light, and make sure you get hot and neutral on the right screws.

  • Ron Natalie
    9 years ago

    I guess "out-of-code" things can be grandfathered in, but I thought if any changes were made, then those changes needed to be to code
    Replacing a receptacle where no ground is present with an ungrounded one IS code.

    See Article 406 (D).