If you already have a painted electrical outlet and notice that your phone charger keeps turning on and off, stop using it immediately. If you want to paint your outlet, make sure to use non-conductive paint. Stick to painting the outlet cover, which is the part that you can see even when something is plugged in.
As I already explained earlier, you should stick to painting the electrical outlet cover only. Also, you must unscrew it from the wall and then paint it. Even a single drop of paint in the socket is enough to cause a short. Spray paint is the easiest to apply and find. Avoid metallic, pearlescent, and other types of paint that contain tiny flakes of metal. The first thing you should do is remove the outlet cover. Most outlet covers are held by a couple of slotted or flathead screws that you can remove in seconds.
Once the screws are out, pop the outlet cover using a sharp plastic tool, such as a plastic knife or guitar pick. Again, use something non-conductive and thin to pop the tabs. You must remove the outlet cover if you want to paint it. Before you do anything else, allow the outlet cover to dry completely. Put it out in the sun to accelerate the process. This is now optional, but you can use a piece of sandpaper to roughen up the surface. A primer, also known as an undercoat, is the first layer you apply to the electrical outlet cover.
You must use a primer whenever you paint plastic. Janet Pizaro on Oct 04, Helpful Reply. William on Oct 04, Johnchip on Oct 04, Lynne on Oct 05, Zeke on Oct 05, William on Oct 05, Emily on Oct 05, Emily on Oct 06, Kay on Oct 05, Elizabeth Richardson on Mar 02, But you must never spray paint directly onto the outlet. Some people do this and say it is fine. But paint and electricity can be a fire hazard. Once you have unscrewed the outlet, place it face-up on your work surface.
Hold the can about 5 inches away from the outlet and give it a light spray. Depending on the color you have chosen, you will likely need a few layers. Removing the outlet from the wall is just as important with wall paint as with spray paint. With wall paint, you will need a special plastic paint primer. But, before applying anything, you need to give the outlet a wipe down before applying anything.
Outlets gather a lot of dust and dirt. So use a dry cloth to carefully wipe off any dust. Apply a single layer of a specific plastic paint primer. Leave it to dry. And then apply a second coat. Once the primer has dried, you can start painting. You will likely need a few coats of paint. So just keep applying layers and leaving it to dry in between coats. Now you know the best ways to paint an electrical outlet, here are some tips that will help you to do it perfectly.
As the last thing you want to do is injure yourself in the process. Table of Contents -. Tamper resistant outlets which are designed for safety, i. The paint may stop the operation of the tamper-resistant mechanism from closing properly when the outlet is not in use. If there are sparks called arcing by electricians or a buzzing sounds you should again check further the cause and correct any safety issues.
Read more about sparking and its causes. In locations like kitchens, garages, damp locations and bathrooms, this can be a real safety issue. Any outlets receptacles that have been painted over or that have drywall mud on them should be replaced.
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