Introduction: How to Repair a Cut or Damaged Power Cord
Contractors perform difficult tasks exerting pressure on their bodies and tools. For example, damage to power cords is common. This damage is negligible in some cases whereas it can be a small cut in others. It can be severe in a few instances. Unsurprisingly, manufacturers recommend replacing the cord as a remedy for these situations.
Giving these companies an additional sum of money by purchasing another power cord from them is a step that you can take Alternatively, repairing the damaged area is another move that you can make Doing so would help you reduce your expenses so that you can use those savings on something else. Save your time as well by avoiding unnecessary trips to the hardware shop.
Gather the following materials and tools.
Materials
- Electrical solder, which is a filler material used to form joints between electrical parts
- Heat-shrink tubing that protects the repaired wires from minor abrasions
- Electrical tape that insulates the affected area preventing electrical current from passing through it to items that are lying next to it
Tools
- Soldering iron for heating the splice
- Cutting pliers for trimming the wires
- Utility knife to slice the sheathing that covers the affected area
- Wire strippers to strip short lengths of insulation from the wires
- Heat gun for heating the heat-shrink tubes
Step 1: Trim the Ends and Cut the Sheathing
The damaged part experiences a bit of fraying. It will be uneven compared to the rest of the power cord. Cut this part using pliers. Trim both ends using the same tool and then cut the sheathing. Peel it back, and you will see wires covered with electrical insulation. One of the wires is white while the other one is black. Space them.
Step 2: Strip the Wires
Then use a wire stripper to remove a small part of their insulation. Usually, manufacturers use stranded copper to make these wires. Cutting any strands on these copper wires results in additional problems for you Therefore, exercising care at this stage to avoid this mistake is an excellent idea.
Step 3: Twisting and Soldering
Placing the two ends on alligator clips is a brilliant move because precision work is necessary for this step. Start by slipping a heat shrink tube in position. Pair the white wire with the corresponding one on the other end. Heat the splice with a soldering iron and then apply the electrical solder on them. Do the same thing with the black wire.
Remember, a well-designed soldering iron heats the splice within a short time, and it melts the solder quickly. Check the specifications to determine if your soldering iron is worthy of this task. For example, does it reach 430 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the average melting temperature for electrical solder? Exercise extreme caution at this point so that you do not burn yourself with this iron.
Step 4: Tighten the Heat-Shrink Tubes
Wait until these wires cool before you proceed with this step. Then slide the heat-shrink tubes over the two splices. Apply a low-level of heat on them until they are tight.
Step 5: Wrap the Area With Electrical Tape or Heat-shrink Tube
Finally, cut any overlapping sheathing, remove unnecessary filler string in this affected area, and then wrap it in electrical tap. You can start the entire process again if you find that you have made a mistake along the way.