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painted over electric outlets

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
Bought a house to flip and the previous owner has painted over all of the electrical outlets. Any idea of how to get the paint off? I don't want to change 30+ outlets!
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
So hours of your time to remove paint is worth less than $100? Change'm out for crying out loud! If you insist the only thing I could think of is soak them in a very thin level of remover face down, wipe and dry thourghly or use some sort of buffing wheel ................
 

ki0ho

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
By trying to clean them you are asking for serious trouble down the road!!!
Replace them.....more than likely you will get gunk in side whitch willcause bad conections..and posable fire hasard!!! spend a little money and be safer....or try to collect on the fire insurance later.....:hammer:
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Same thing in our house when we bought it 17 years ago. Several of the outlets had been painted over to match the decor of the room but that had been several paint jobs ago. I tried scraping the paint off with blade and installing a new faceplate but it was just easier and quicker to install a whole new outlet. I could have tried paint remover to soften the old paint first but getting liquid of any kind on or around electrical outlets makes me nervous.

Just do it!!!!
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Get a short piece of 10awg wire. Strip 1/2 inch of each end. Bend into a U, with the opening width the same as the duplex prong holes.

Insert.

Whalah! Black duplexes!

All you need is some imagination.
 

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
Yeah, I was afraid of that but it doesn't hurt to ask. Thanks all!
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
I would change them and go with the upgraded "tamper proof" that the electrical code now requires . Since you plan to flip it , you can use that as another selling point that the plugs have been child proofed .
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Get a short piece of 10awg wire. Strip 1/2 inch of each end. Bend into a U, with the opening width the same as the duplex prong holes.

Insert.

Whalah! Black duplexes!

All you need is some imagination.

That's basically how I used to get of of high school early only I used the foil from a pack of cigarettes. Roll it up, insert into prong holes, flip on switch, big flash, blown fuse in main panel, everybody sent home early. I was a hero!!!!!
 
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