Replacing a socket however weird loose screw issue!

minibbb

Evening all!

Managed to change my first ever electrical socket tonight and it went fine electricity wise and the socket works perfectly.

Its in the kitchen and is over tiles so I replaced the standard screws with longer ones. When I tightened them up (plastic box) one side made a funny noise and the screw went around and around without tightening.

I was able to then pull this screw out without actually undoing it, it looks fine but have I stripped the thread slightly on the screw? This screw tightens up in another socket fine!

I put another screw in the original hole in the box which seems to have tightened up fine, just mystified about what happened with the first one!

I hope this makes sense! Any ideas what's happened?

Big_Tree

You've overtightened the screw and broke the plug....

Remember, the screw is metal, which is robust, the plug is plastic, which is brittle.......When you tighten a screw into plastic don't over do it.

minibbb

BigJockKnew wrote: »

You've overtightened the screw and broke the plug....

Remember, the screw is metal, which is robust, the plug is plastic, which is brittle.......When you tighten a screw into plastic don't over do it.

The part the screw screws into is metal and as I said another screw has worked now in that hole.

Big_Tree

minibbb wrote: »

The part the screw screws into is metal and as I said another screw has worked now in that hole.

you must have stripped the screw

rustyboy21

It's demons at work ! lol


No idea, but seems weird.

tony6403

minibbb wrote: »

Evening all!





I was able to then pull this screw out without actually undoing it, it looks fine but have I stripped the thread slightly on the screw? This screw tightens up in another socket fine!

I put another screw in the original hole in the box which seems to have tightened up fine, just mystified about what happened with the first one!

I hope this makes sense! Any ideas what's happened?

It is likely that, as you could pull out the screw with no resistance , you did not align the first screw with the screw retainer built into the back box.

stebiz

tony6403 wrote: »

It is likely that, as you could pull out the screw with no resistance , you did not align the first screw with the screw retainer built into the back box.

I'd say that is the most likely cause too.

minibbb

Thanks for the replies everyone, is very weird and hard to explain so sorry if I don't make much sense!

I think it was lined up ok originally as it had screwed virtually all the way in before it suddenly clicked and just went around and around in the hole. The metal thread it screws into is housed within a plastic holder which slides forward and backwards in the box to allow for some alignment adjustment I guess, rather flimsy though so maybe his has something to do with it!

Managed to change the other two kitchen sockets ok (although blew the fuse in the microwave as didn't unplug it when I turned the electric on/off whoops!) I was careful not to over tighten the screws in the other socket so it all seems ok.

minibbb

stebiz wrote: »

I'd say that is the most likely cause too.

Seems the most plausible explanation however I could slide the screw back into the thread without it needing to be screwed whereas the same screw still screwed in to the thread on the other side!

tony6403

minibbb wrote: »

Seems the most plausible explanation however I could slide the screw back into the thread without it needing to be screwed whereas the same screw still screwed in to the thread on the other side!

Did you try putting the screws in without the socket in position?

minibbb

tony6403 wrote: »

Did you try putting the screws in without the socket in position?

Yes I did tony