Submitted by Icephoenixs t3_z4dz68 in DIY

So I just got home from work, plugged my computer cable into the plug and than after 5 minutes I realized that it wasn't charging...

So I took a look at it and I realized that there was a gap at the bottom and at the right side at the place between the wall and the plug.

Now... How do I fix that? (If you don't understand what I mean take a look at my profile, the picture will be posted there)....

*By the way, I am still living with my father (I am only 19) and if he sees that he is about to be mad since it DID happen in the living room. (I NEED ANSWERS QUICKLY)

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jay_mald t1_ixrgj2s wrote

Profile has a history of minecraft and DBZ posts… I fear you are a bit on the young / inexperienced side to begin to mess with electricity. Just tell your dad and have him address it however he feels.

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UseThisOne2 t1_ixqbyu1 wrote

Have you checked the circuit breaker/fuse? It might be something simple and not related to the outlet being a slightly out. Otherwise before you start messing around with it be 100% sure that the power is off to that outlet.

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Barrakketh t1_ixqi443 wrote

If it's had enough movement that it is coming out of the wall slightly then there might be a connection issue if they are using the push in connectors on the back of the socket.

If it were me I would verify the power is definitely off with a multimeter and pull the socket out to make sure the wires are still snug.

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GorillaP1mp t1_ixsg0qd wrote

If you’re unsure of what a multimeter is, call an electrician or a buddy who is familiar with testing voltage.

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guy30000 t1_ixqjyav wrote

A gap is not a sign it's not connected. During installation the outlet is several inches away from the wall while the electrician makes the connections. Most likely the breaker is tripped. Chuck the breaker. As they are far too often not labeled properly, just look too see if the switches are flush compared to each other. A tripped circuit may be just a couple my millimeters out of line. Flip the switch away and back to reset it. And trouble tell your dad and shadow him while he fixes. This is one of those things you need to know as an adult.

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kjm16216 t1_ixr5y6b wrote

Before the breaker I'd suspect the laptop cord.

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bob_fred t1_ixs2w7e wrote

Yup. Try another device or 2 to verify if it’s actually the outlet. I’ve seen multiple laptop chargers go out.

The gap itself isn’t a problem, but could mean something is lose on the backside of the outlet if other devices also aren’t working when plugged into the same outlet.

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John_B_Clarke t1_ixt6zom wrote

Tell your Dad. It's not something you did unless there's something you haven't told us. He might be able to fix it or he might call an electrician. But don't you try to mess with it unless you're sure you know what you're doing and meaning no offense if you have to ask this particular question here you're not sure of that.

If you want to know how to deal with it going forward, ask whoever fixes it if you can look over their shoulder and ask questions, and if they say OK, then look over their shoulder and anything they do that you don't understand, ask questions. But don't do that until you're sure they're OK with it--some tradesmen love to take a teaching opportunity, others don't like to be watched.

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whatsasimba t1_ixsty9y wrote

I'm 50, a homeowner, and I fix my own stuff. This is above your pay grade. It's also not something you did. These should be installed properly. Tell your dad I said that.

But tell him as soon as possible, because a loose wire could cause serious problems.

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Raul_McCai t1_ixsvk09 wrote

from your description I deduce that you lack the necessary vernacular to articulate the situation with any clarity so how about a couple of pictures?

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Wuntoothrie t1_ixt7jj6 wrote

#DO NOT TOUCH IT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING !

Electricity can kill you. Yes, even the Electricity from the outlet in your living room (ironic).

no, you do not know what your doing because some anonymous idiot on reddit seemed really intelligent in describing what may or may not be good advice.

.... also, I checked the pic. That's a job for an electrician, as there may be exposed wires behind that outlet. Even if not the connections need to be checked as loose wires on outlets can cause fires or at the very least damage to the outlet or wires that could end up costing more money to get fixed. Tell your dad, because the house belongs to him and you damaged his property, and thats the right thing to do, also he should decide how to fix it.

Tl;dr: tell your dad. If you just hide it, you could end up burning the house down.

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dsac t1_ixr9pff wrote

take a picture, it'll help

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typocharlie t1_ixqnjpd wrote

By any chance is the wall outlet "tamper proof" and you don't have it plugged in all the way? Better picture(s) would help see what you are doing - what are we looking at?

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GanacheWeak6896 t1_ixqzp2o wrote

So basically there is a metal box inside the wall that houses the plug, turn off the breaker, remove plug. Look and see if you can tell how the metal box is attached, you may be able to move that internal box back, allowing the plate to sit flush.

Alternatively, cut a thin wood board for the size of the hole and try to make the wood look normal to the eye with the plug. Then remove the plug, glue wood frame to the wall, reinstall plug.

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nomokatsa t1_ixs5110 wrote

as others posted, the gap is no problem, usually;
But if you want to fix it, its actually pretty simple;
Remember though, this is still electricity, and can kill you instantly.

The general procedure of fixing would be:

  • Turn off electricity in this room. Check (using a device which certainly works) it is off. Make sure no one can turn the electricity on again.
  • Unscrew the screw in the center piece, take off the center piece (and the outer frame)
  • There are probably little claw-like things that connect the plastic-/metal-device with the wall. Loosen them, place device farther inside the hole (care to not displace the cables too much), tighten them against the wall again
  • put on the frame and the center piece, screw in the screw
  • turn on electricity, check if everything still works

If youre experienced, this whole process might be done in, i dont know, 2 minutes?
Unexperienced, half an hour is okay too ^^
Just dont kill yourself ;)

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darthy_parker t1_ixsbikm wrote

That gap is just an issue with the installation and has either already been there or maybe the electrical box behind is not fastened. But it is unlikely to be the cause of the @not charging” problem.

Diagnostic steps:

  1. Plug in something else that’s us know to work correctly, like a desk lamp. If it comes on, the problem is with the computer power cable or the computer’s internal power supply.

1a) plug the computer in somewhere else to check. If it comes on, the plug itself may have bent prongs that don’t touch the contacts in the other outlet properly. 1b) If you can swap the power cord (typical IEC plug for a composer power supply, or a different wall charger for a laptop), try with the new cord. 1c) If it still doesn’t come on, take it to a computer place.

  1. If the lamp doesn’t come on, it’s most likely the circuit breaker that shuts off automatically if too much power is pulled from the outlet. To check that, find the circuit breaker box (in a very old house it might be a fuse box) generally in a closet or in the basement. If the circuit breaker panel does not have a cover, you can see all the wires DO NOT TOUCH IT. You can electrocute yourself. Get someone else to do the next steps. (If it’s a fuse box — rows of round things with a glass cap — you should probably let someone else do it.)

  2. There should be two vertical columns of square breaker switches. These are usually not labeled very well, so you will need to figure out which one is connected to the problem outlet. But if you’re lucky, the chart might have a label like “#10 - living room”. if so, skip to step 5.

  3. Outlets for plugs are usually controlled by the smaller breaker switches, 15 amp or 30 amp (in the US and Canada). The bigger double ones are for things likes stoves/cookers, big heaters, and air conditioning units. For circuit breakers, when they are tripped, the square switch for that circuit is not aligned with all the other ones. You can sometimes see this, and sometimes it’s easier to run your finger down the vertical columns and feel for one that’s out of line.

  4. When you think you know which one is tripped, flip the switch all the way opposite to the others, then flip it back to the same direction as the others. It takes a fair bit of force - these are not like light switches.

  5. Go and check the outlet with the lamp again. If it comes on, you’re done. If it does not come on, it might be a different breaker than you thought. (If there are breakers from different manufacturers installed, they don’t always line up, making it harder to tell which one is tripped.) Repeat steps 4 and 5.

  6. If there are no obviously tripped breakers, it might be that the wiring behind the outlet inside the electrical box has come loose. Don’t try to fix it. You can electrocute yourself. Tell your parent so they can call an electrician.

This is the end of steps for someone who is not used to working on house wiring.

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