Make Exterior Receptacles Safer With An In-use Outlet Cover

Add an in-use cover to exterior outlets to keep plugs dry during use and reduce the chance of shocks and water damage.

by Gary Wentz

From The Family Handyman

If you keep anything plugged into an outdoor outlet during wet weather — a pond pump, Christmas lights, a low-voltage lighting transformer — the plug is bound to get wet and create a potentially dangerous shock hazard.

The solution is an in-use outlet cover, which keeps the outlet sheltered and dry even while a cord is plugged in. That reduces the risk of shocks and keeps GFCI outlets from getting wet and shutting off power. In-use covers help to protect your walls too.When a standard outlet cover is held open by a cord, it can let water into your walls—not much water, but enough to encourage slow wood rot and peeling paint.

Click Image to enlarge.
Unscrew the old outlet cover and pull off the foam gasket behind it. Press the new gasket over the outlet and screw on the in-use cover.

Home centers and hardware stores carry in-use covers to accommodate horizontal, vertical, rectangular and duplex outlets. A tough metal cover like the one shown here costs about $10. The gasket that comes with the cover forms a watertight seal over smooth surfaces, but seal around the cover with caulk if you have rough brick or stucco siding.

From The Family Handyman - July/August 2006

• • Exterior Projects
• • Exterior Maintenance
• • Electrical Projects

• Use Oversize Cover Plates To Hide Gaps Around Outlets
• To hide bad or sloppy cuts around electrical switches and outlets, use an oversize cover plate.
• 
• Install an Outdoor Light and Outlet
• Install and wire a post-mounted exterior light and GFCI outlet.
• 
• Preventing Shocks From Outdoor Outlets
• Keep outside receptacles and outlets dry with a metal in-use cover
• 

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During weekly visits to my allergist, I've noticed a lot of inattentive parents with ill-behaved children in the waiting room. So I was impressed one day to see a mother with her little boy, helping him sound out the words on a sign.Finally he mastered it and his mother cheered, "That's great! Now sit there. I'll be back in 15 minutes." What did the sign say? "Children must not be left unattended."

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