A broken electrical cord is a problem that every household faces due to various reasons. Either a pet chews the cord, or a child tears it off while playing. A surge of power can also burn the insulation of the wire. Old wiring also tends to crack or break due to lack of maintenance. Whatever the cause, a broken electrical cord is extremely dangerous for your house and the people living in it. You should get it repaired right away.
Does your budget do not allow you any extra expense? That is why you are probably here! Although it is highly advised to call a professional electrical repair service for severe electrical faults, a broken wire is something you can attempt by yourself. We have listed down the steps you can attempt to fix the broken cord by yourself.
Caution: Any electrical repair should not be carried out without taking safety precautions. Wear a pair of insulated gloves and leather slippers.
Step 1: Unplug the cord/ Turn Off the Power.
The very first step to attempt any electrical fix is to unplug the cord/appliance from the electrical outlet or turn of the main power supply in case of severe damage to the electrical outlet or another home wiring.
If you want to repair an electrical cord, there must be no electricity while fixing it. An energized cord, significantly if it is damaged, is a significant safety hazard.
Note*: A plugged-in damaged cord would be energized, so do not unplug it abruptly.
Touching an energized cord could be a risk of electrocution. To remove the wire safely from the plug, grab it from the plug and pull it out.
Step 2: Look for the damages to the power cord
Once you have unplugged it safely, check for the damages to the cord. Run your hands over the cord and look for unusually warm spots or prongs on its ends.
The parts which are warm and have prongs are the faulty ones. Look for other damages like severe tears, burns, and cuts. Minor ones can be neglected if the insulation is still intact.
Step 3: Know what plug you are dealing with
Some of the appliances have plugs with polarized caps and cords. In case you want to repair a polarized plug, you would need to connect wires to the suitable blades during repairing.
Mostly the polarized plugs are in older appliances and cords. To make sure which plugs you are working on, check for the following identity checks:
A polarized plug has a single way of plugging it into an electrical outlet.
There is a connection of the caps to a two-wire cable. It will be easy to identify the two wires.
A polarized cord would have a ridge throughout its long side.
Conductors are of different colors.
Furthermore, the details printed on the plug/ cable will help you differentiate between a polarized and non-polarized one. In case you need to repair a polarized plug, you want to ensure to connect wires to the suitable blades during the process.
Step 4: Repair
Once you have managed to locate the faulty parts in the power cord, you need to cut it. Cut should be close to the damaged part, so you do not lose much of the cord’s length.
You will see the following wires once you cut the damaged part:
Black, brown, or red – hot
Yellow or green – earth or ground
Gray, blue, or white – neutral
Connect the neutral wire to the wide blade. The ground blade should be attached to a ground wire and hot wire to the narrow blade.
Before you continue, ensure that you have connected everything properly. If you connect them the wrong way, it may lead to a blown fuse or other major problems.
Step 5: Final Step
It is time to conceal and tighten everything. Once you have tightened the cap connectors, it is time to test the cord. Do not directly plug the cord into an outlet. Make sure the power is turned off to the outlet, then plug the cord and test it.
If it works fine, then congratulations, you have repaired the cord by yourself. But if it doesn’t, return to the previous step and check if any wires are loose or not connected properly.
CONCLUSION:
If the problem persists, it is highly likely that your cord needs to be replaced. The cords are not usually expensive and should be replaced if they keep wearing and tearing to avoid hazardous events. If you don’t want to replace the cord, then call for professional electrical repair service and get it repaired properly.
