I was getting drafts from my electrical outlets and discovered that there were signifcant holes around the electrical box that I patched up. On one of the electrical outlets, the top screw securing it to the plastic box was screwed in halfway, and then hammered down/flattened.

I tried to straighten the screw out, and then unscrew it to replace, but it broke in half. None of the remaining screw is jutting out, so there is no way to grip it.

Any suggestions on how I can remove this? Is cutting the electrical box the only way? The screws are size 6 so it would be tough to drill into it.

Thanks.

 

Hi wallst32,
-I would remove the box, although this seldom easy. Once you get it out, refit with an "old work" box which has 'ears' that flip out to secure it to the wall as you tighten them.

Do it Right - Do it once.

 

If you have a Dremel with cutoff disk, maybe you can cut a little slot in that little screw? Then remove it with a slot screwdriver.