The absence of an electrical box is your mistake. You must not connect wires outside of electrical boxes. A junction box is crafted to protect the wire connections from water, accidental damage and contain sparks and heat from short circuit or loose connection.
How to fix it?
It’s very simple. Just add a box. When you don’t put your wire connections inside the electrical box, you invite damage. Install a box and reconnect the wires inside it. This box will protect your wire connections from unwanted dirt, access, and moisture.
It is difficult to connect short wires and you must know that poor connections are dangerous. You should leave the wires long enough to protrude at least 3 inch from the box.
How to fix it?
It is easy to fix. Just add 6 inch extensions on the existing short wires. You need push-in wire connectors and you can easily get them at hardware shop.
Unprotected cables are prone to damage. This is the reason why manufacturers always tell their customers to use cable trays if the cables run over or under wall or ceiling framing.
How to fix it?
By using metal conduit, you can protect your unprotected wires. Cable trays are just another option to provide complete protection to your wires hanging onto the wall.
Your next mistake is loose outlet. Loose switches or outlets are not appealing. They are dangerous because loosely connected outlets can move around, causing wires to loosen from the terminals. Loose wires can overheat and arc and result in fire hazard.
How to fix it?
By adding rigid spacers, you can fix the loose outlets. You can do shimming under the screws to form a tight connection to the box. You can avail special spaces from hardware stores easily. Other options include small washers or wire coil wrapped around the screw.
Two slot outlets are commonly used at home and it is tempting to replace them with three-slot outlets. But you should not do it if you don’t have ground.
How to fix it?
If you don’t want to use a ground wire then just don’t add a three-slot receptacle. Install a two-slot outlet instead. If you want to use three-slot receptacle, ensure that there is a ground available. You can use a tester to see if your outlet is grounded. A series of lights reveals whether the outlet is wired correctly or what fault exists.
You can avail such testers at hardware stores.
Cable that is not secured can make connection poor. In metal boxes, there are chances that sharp edges can cut the insulation on the wires. Single plastic boxes don’t need internal cable clamps, but it is important to staple the cable within 8 inch of the box.
How to fix it?
Ensure the sheathing on the cable is trapped under the clamp. There are some electrical junction box covers available in the market that has built-in cable clamps. If your box doesn’t have clamps, you can by them separately from the store.
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