Trying to replace older receptacles in a house built in the early 50’s, but replacements are too big, specifically too long, to fit the box. Does anyone make compact receptacles for older houses?

I've never heard of such a thing (but that isn't too odd).

Are the new ones too long from one end-slot to the other? By how much?

A picture might help.

Replace with a nice roomy blue box?

There's a brand of shallow receptacles, but if I recall they use a special plug wire adapter, vs direct wiring.

I went with an extender plate to give me the added space in my situation.

What is a receptacle (in this context)?

That’s the problem I’m finding in my house, built 1951

The original receptacle boxes are shallow and tiny, the only fix is to replace with larger and deeper ones.

quote:

Originally posted by Jester814:
What is a receptacle (in this context)?

I took it to mean outlets.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:The original receptacle boxes are shallow and tiny, the only fix is to replace with larger and deeper ones.

HD sells a large selection of "Old Work" boxes that you can use without having to open the wall. Putting in a deeper box will give you plenty of room for the outlet and the wires without forcing it.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:The original receptacle boxes are shallow and tiny, the only fix is to replace with larger and deeper ones.

HD sells a large selection of "Old Work" boxes that you can use without having to open the wall. Putting in a deeper box will give you plenty of room for the outlet and the wires without forcing it.

yes, old work locks onto the inside of the wall instead of onto a stud. I wish I'd have known about that before I tore out a hole to put in a new work box.

Putting in a new blue old work box will help but you have to get the OLD metal box out. That's what I've found to be frustrating. They are most of the time attached to a stud with a fairly stout nail

quote:

Originally posted by phil in indy:
Putting in a new blue old work box will help but you have to get the OLD metal box out. That's what I've found to be frustrating. They are most of the time attached to a stud with a fairly stout nail

Sawzall will handle that in ten seconds. Pry the box loose from the stud with a screwdriver and cut the nails

WARNING: If you are replacing receptacles and the existing wiring has no ground wire, you must not install receptacles with ground connections. Doing so would be both unsafe and a code violation.

^^^What he said.

If you have old metal outlet boxes that seem too "short" for a new duplex receptacle, it's usually because you are trying to install a new, grounded receptacle into the old box. By code, you should be replacing it with one of these. Note how the receptacle body is quite "short" from top to bottom.



https://www.homedepot.com/p/Le...hite-223-W/100356969

If the metal box itself is grounded, like through conduit, you can use a grounded outlet by bonding the ground to the box.

If your goal is to install three-prong receptacles, another way to do it would be to install GFCIs. Three-prong GFCI receptacles are acceptable replacements for a two-prong receptacle. However, this makes your problem of a small box even more severe. If you have an entire house in this situation, and assuming the house is not K-T wired, the best solution would be to install regular three-prong receptacles along with GFCI breakers in the panel. If your panel is too old to have GFCI breakers available, you can upgrade the panel and then install GFCI breakers. This solution, however, would still require you to rewire those outlets where you don't want a GFCI, such as on a freezer or refrigerator circuit.

Of course this solution doesn't help your original problem. However, I have never found, even with an old box, one so small that I wasn't able to fit a standard duplex receptacle into it, especially if you are using the cheaper ones. Sometimes the commercial grade ones can be larger. If you truly cannot get the new receptacles to fit, you can use a box extension, like a Leviton 6197.

https://www.emisupply.com/cata...1be00c5b38a90e672849

Or finally, as has already been suggested, cut out the old box and use an old-work box. If you reach in and cut the nails carefully, you should be able to remove it with no, or minimal, finish work. However, note that, if the circuit is not grounded, you need a GFCI receptacle, as already mentioned.

P.S. When doing retrofits into tiny, old, metal outlet boxes with short, old wires, WAGOs are your best friend.

Another Warning, the old work receptacle boxes are in high demand and low to no inventory.

We found plenty of new work (blue boxes) and zero double gang blue old work boxes and this is in Orlando Lowes, Home Depot and Ace. Ended up having to buy a fiberglass double gang box. There are single gang old work boxes but it was only a few.

Go on Amazon and you'll find them marked up big time to $15 a box and higher. These are in high demand, scalpers are buying them up and marking them up to sell on Ebay and Amazon..

It's the way to go to fix your receptacle problem, good luck on getting them to use.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
WARNING: If you are replacing receptacles and the existing wiring has no ground wire, you must not install receptacles with ground connections. Doing so would be both unsafe and a code violation.

SERIOUSLY Good Post right there...Well 'grounded' advise the bears repeating!

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
WARNING: If you are replacing receptacles and the existing wiring has no ground wire, you must not install receptacles with ground connections. Doing so would be both unsafe and a code violation.

SERIOUSLY Good Post right there...Well 'grounded' advise the bears repeating!

But you can replace it with a non-grounding, two prong receptacle or a GFCI receptacle.

Thanks guys, great info to consider. Wall is lath and plaster, so I hate to open it up unless I have to. My biggest issue was Lowe’s had nothing to solve my issue, but then again, they never do. Local Lowe’s carries nothing in old work supplies that I’ve ever seen. The box is smaller than any I’ve ever seen elsewhere in this house. Existing one has seen better days, just wanted to replace it proactively.

ensigmatic, thanks for your particularly detailed and helpful post. Forgive my ignorance, but now you’ve got me wondering. How is using a 3 to 2 prong adapter, commonly used in homes like mine, any safer than installing and using a modern 3 prong outlet, if neither ground is connected to anything?

In lathe and plaster, I've had good luck with the wing type old work boxes. We have these in abundance at our local Home Depot.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fi...-R9368-EWK/202536086

I like them better than the steel ones with the large back or side locks. The smaller wings are easier to get in behind the lathe, but make for a nice, tight box.

When I've dealt with L&P houses, sometimes the outlet boxes are face mounted with a steel strap that then holds the box. They are very sturdily mounted. I usually just destroy the old box and push it back into the wall, trying to break it loose from that mounting strap. Then I install the new box. Another reason the wing style box works well.

ETA: If you don't own a reciprocating saw and you own a lathe & plaster house, get one.

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
ensigmatic, thanks for your particularly detailed and helpful post. Forgive my ignorance, but now you’ve got me wondering. How is using a 3 to 2 prong adapter, commonly used in homes like mine, any safer than installing and using a modern 3 prong outlet, if neither ground is connected to anything?

It is not any safer, and is prohibited by code. You are not supposed to use those adapters unless you connect the little external tab to a ground. I don't know why they sell them. They seem to always be used in an unsafe manner.

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
ensigmatic, thanks for your particularly detailed and helpful post. Forgive my ignorance, but now you’ve got me wondering. How is using a 3 to 2 prong adapter, commonly used in homes like mine, any safer than installing and using a modern 3 prong outlet, if neither ground is connected to anything?

You're welcome and it's not any safer.

The difference is: When you use a ungrounded-to-grounded adapter you known you're not getting a safety ground on the equipment. When you have a 3-prong plug that doesn't actually provide the safety ground: You don't.