Sparks occurring when you pull an appliance plug out of a wall socket are typically caused by the sudden interruption of electrical current under an active load. If the appliance is drawing power when yanked from the wall, the sudden break in the circuit forces electricity to momentarily arc across the microscopic gap between the receding metal plug prongs and the internal receptacle contact clips. This phenomenon is especially common with high-wattage heating devices, hair dryers, or space heaters. You can troubleshoot plug arcing easily by turning off appliance power switches before pulling the plug. You can verify that your corrective action is successful when powering down devices prior to disconnection and replacing loose, worn-out receptacles prevents future arcing flashes and protects metal prongs from pitting.
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