DIYbanter - View Single Post - Four socket in old house not powering devices

Scott Lurndal

Stormin Mormon writes:
On 1/28/2016 11:43 AM, wrote:

General lighting receptacles in dwellings are usually 15a. You have
20s in kitchens, laundry and bathrooms.
Homeowners may wire 20s everywhere but builders usually do not.
You just have to look at the balance if 15 to 20 amp breakers in the
panel to see that.

BTW if he backstabbed 10 ga wire (orange romex) into a receptacle he
probably needed to drill out the hole. They are designed to only take
14ga wire. I have seen 12 ga jammed in there but they really had to
work to do it. (speaking about the spring capture back stabber, not
the spec grade where you tighten the screw)

I've not looked at the backs of the socket. Who knows? May
very well be backstabbed. I hope not, those are a PIA to
release the wire.

You don't have a wire cutters? Cut them, discard the cheap
receptacle and replace it with spec-grade.