Small Appliance Cord Repair
A damaged power cord is a safety hazard; damaged cords can start a fire or short out your home's power. In some cases, you can patch up your damaged cord with electrical tape. In other instances, you'll have to replace the damaged end of the cord with a replacement from your hardware store or an old appliance. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Electrical tape
- Replacement cord with plug
- Heat shrink tubing
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Lighter
Instructions
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1
Disconnect your appliance from its power source.
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2
Inspect the cord for damage. If the cord is only slightly damaged and no wire is showing through the insulation, wrap electrical tape over the damaged portion of the cord. If the plug itself is damaged or the internal wires are exposed, you should replace the damaged portion of the cord with a new cord to avoid the risk of electrical fire.
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3
Cut the damaged end off the original power cord, leaving behind whatever portion of the cord is undamaged on the appliance end. Strip the insulation off the first 2 inches of the undamaged section of the cord. Remove the insulation only from the cord, not from the individual wires inside the cord.
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4
Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the end of each of the exposed wires on the undamaged section of the cord connected to your appliance.
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5
Slide a piece of heat shrink that is just wider than the cord and 3 inches long over the entire replacement cord. Slide a piece of heat shrink that is just wider than each of the individual wires and about 1 inch long over each wire.
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6
Twist the exposed section on the black wire into the exposed section of the the black wire on the replacement cable. Solder the wires together with your soldering iron. Repeat this step for each wire, matching each wire on the appliance with the corresponding wire on the replacement cord.
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7
Slide each of the small pieces of heat shrink over the freshly soldered wire junctions. Hold the tubing just over the flame of a lighter to shrink the tubing until it has conformed neatly to the wire beneath. Turn off the lighter if the tubing starts to burn. Slide the large piece of tubing over the entire juncture and use a lighter to shrink the tubing.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to use a replacement cord of about the same size as the original cord with a plug on the end that has the same number of prongs as the original end of the damaged cord.
You can cut a power cord off an old appliance and use it to replace your power cord instead of buying another cord.
If only a small portion of the cord is damaged, you can cut the damaged portion off the appliance side and the plug side and then substitute the plug side for a new replacement cord. Your cord will be shorter but still functional.
Always use caution when working with electricity. Ensure that your appliance is completely disconnected from its power source before attempting to service it.
References
- Photo Credit power plug image by BigDog from Fotolia.com
