eli5: Why do some electrical outlets hold your phone/computer charger, etc. while some can’t?

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I’ve noticed that they sometimes hold the thing plugged into the outlet perfectly while some let it slide out with ease.

In: Technology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The springy bits that hold the prongs wear out. You should have those outlets replaced. A loose connection can heat up, either through too high resistance or arcing (sparking between not-quite-connected parts), and cause fires.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Older (or possibly poorly made) outlets eventually wear out and lose their ability to “grip” things in the socket. It’s just the plastic/metal in the socket being worn away and bent slightly out a shape where it doesn’t make as good contact with the plug.