Coil Scrap Wire Around a Screwdriver to Shim a Recessed Outlet

The Problem

When drywall gets cut a little generous around a box — or the box sits deep — the outlet's mounting ears have nothing to land on. Tighten the screws and the device floats, flexing backward every time someone pushes in a plug. On metal boxes especially, a wobbling device working its terminals loose over years is how a cosmetic annoyance becomes an electrical one.

The Technique

An electrician's shim made from what's already in the box:

1. Take a piece of scrap #12 solid wire — leftover from the circuit you're working on.
2. Wrap it around a screwdriver shaft several times, making a tight coil like a small spring.
3. Measure the gap between the device ear and the box, and cut the coil to that length.
4. Slip the cut coil over the device's mounting screw, between the ear and the box.
5. Tighten down. The screw compresses the coil into a solid metal standoff, and the outlet pulls up flush and rigid — no float, no flex.

Solid copper doesn't crush or creep, so the device stays as tight as the day it was set.