Backstabbed Outlets: A Hidden Danger in Many Homes

Kyle, holding up the replaced outlet.

Unfortunately, we encounter a lot of dangerous situations in our clients’ homes.

In some cases, these hazards are attributable to simple homeowner mistakes, such as the improper use of extension cords. In other cases, manufacturing defects can lead to a dangerous situation, as we sometimes find when examining electric panels.

But we find few things as disappointing as electrical hazards that have been created by other electricians. We encountered exactly this kind of situation recently, and fortunately, we were able to correct the problem and help a homeowner avoid a potentially tragic outcome.

Outlets Catching on Fire

We received a service request from an Alpharetta-area homeowner named Brian a week or so ago. Brian explained that he noticed charred markings around two of the outlets in his home. That’s scary enough, but things only became more frightening when he tried to unplug cords from the outlets, as they unleashed a torrent of sparks.

So, Knightly Electrical Services technician Kyle went to Brian’s house to check out the situation. Once there, Kyle was quickly able to determine that the outlets were quite old — they’d likely been in place for more than 30 years.

That’s already cause for concern; most outlets should be replaced every 15 to 25 years, depending on their location and the type of use they receive. However, as Kyle continued his inspection, he found something even more troubling. The outlets had been backstabbed.  

What Is a Backstabbed Outlet?

A backstabbed outlet is essentially an outlet that has been connected improperly. It’s not technically at odds with current electrical codes (though some are trying to change this), but it’s certainly not an example of best practices.

Specifically, a backstabbed outlet has been connected by simply stabbing the supply wires directly into small holes on the back of the receptacle. This doesn’t result in a very stable connection, and these connections often become loose over time (just as they’d done in Brian’s home).

The potential danger becomes even more acute when high-demand electrical appliances are plugged into backstabbed outlets. That’s what happened in this case, as Brian had been using these outlets to power a small space heater. But the same thing could have happened if he’d been plugging in a large home appliance, hair dryer, or clothes iron into the outlet instead.

The better way to connect outlets to the home’s supply wires is by wrapping the wire around posts on the sides of the outlet and then tightening the associated screws to keep the wire securely in place. This is the method we use when installing outlets for our clients.   

Old and Backstabbed Outlets Cause Fires

It’s not uncommon to see old or backstabbed outlets cause fires — exactly as they’d done in this case. Fortunately for Brian, the fire his outlets started was quite minor, and no one was injured by the fire or sparks. Kyle was able to replace the outlets easily enough (using the proper connection techniques) and restore both the functionality of the outlets and safety of Brian’s home.    

But these kinds of happy endings aren’t the norm, and unfortunately many homeowners wake up to the sounds of a screaming smoke detector thanks to a problem they didn’t even know existed. This highlights the importance of relying on professional electricians whenever you have work completed. It’s also wise to have inspections performed regularly (particularly for older homes), so that these types of lurking hazards can be identified and repaired.

Avoid These Kinds of Problems by Hiring an Electrician You Can Trust

Unfortunately, we see these kinds of problematic practices all the time — some electricians are simply more interested in completing the job quickly than doing it correctly. But rest assured, the electricians on the Knightly Electrical Services team do things differently. We never cut corners or take shortcuts. We take great pride in our work and consider our clients’ safety paramount.

Contact us the next time you need electrical repairs, installations, or upgrades. We can even provide an inspection of your home’s existing circuits to help ensure everything is set up properly and your home is safe. But no matter what kind of electrical services you need, we’ll be sure to complete the work in a safe and professional manner, so that you can enjoy the peace of mind you deserve.