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Thread: Rat ate my extension cord.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    Rat ate my extension cord.

    He chewed on the outer jacket of the cord and just barely touched the hot wire of the cord. He must have gotten shocked and moved on. Lol The copper is still intact so I neatly wrapped it with electrical tape. Is an extension cord okay to use with electrical tape? I see it all the time, but I think it's kind of a ghetto repair, but this is a 12 gauge 100ft cord that cost about 90 bucks new.

  2. #2
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    Feb 2013
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    I've done that on occasion for expediency but the permanent fix I prefer is to just get a pair of connectors and make two extension cords out of the damaged one.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  3. #3
    I think David suggested the only better repair. If the issue is near an end, I would probably do it. If it is in the middle, I would probably use as is. Or you could look at it versus the most typical use. If you were to cut it and put new ends on, would it still be usable for your most typical use? A shorter cord has less resistance so there is actually a benefit but only if it still "works".

  4. #4
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    May 2018
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    David has the best answer in my opinion. Plus side is you end up with two shorter cords, use what size you need. Meaning use the shortest cord that gets the job done, which maybe both cords plugged together.
    Ron

  5. #5
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    If you don't need or want two shorter cords, I would cut the cord at the break and splice the individual conductors after slipping heat shrink tubing over the whole cord and each individual conductor. If you use adhesive lined heat shrink tubing, the cord will be fine for exterior or interior use. Only downside is the spliced section won't be very flexible.

    A simpler option, if one or both of the ends aren't molded and can be removed, and only one conductor is damaged, is to remove one end, and slide a length of adhesive lined heat shrink down the cable to the damaged area, shrink it in place, and then replace the end.

    [eta:] Using the first method, make sure you slide the overall shrink tubing far away when you shrink the individual pieces, so it doesn't shrink from conducted heat. DAMHIKT.
    Last edited by Paul F Franklin; 10-10-2020 at 12:38 PM.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    If the wires can be separated, slide a piece of electrical tape around each before wrapping up the works. You're right to be leery of this as a lasting repair. It will not be water tight.

    https://www.amazon.com/Electriduct-R...19&s=hi&sr=1-1

  7. #7
    Depends on a number of things, but I'd probably cut the wire and then do as Paul F suggested. I'd solder the wires together and use shrink wrap tubing to protect them. Shrink tubing on each conductor and one more over the whole wire. But that's just to avoid the extra connectors in the link and the possibility of them coming loose in use.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  8. #8
    A long term fix? A shop cat, preferably a feral rescue. Maybe a terrier if you're a dog person?
    Just a Duffer

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Travis Conner View Post
    He chewed on the outer jacket of the cord and just barely touched the hot wire of the cord. He must have gotten shocked and moved on. Lol The copper is still intact so I neatly wrapped it with electrical tape. Is an extension cord okay to use with electrical tape? I see it all the time, but I think it's kind of a ghetto repair, but this is a 12 gauge 100ft cord that cost about 90 bucks new.
    Insurance companies are likely to frown on damaged extension cords, no matter what we think of them. Don’t give them a reason to be unhappy.

  10. #10
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    Any kind of damaged cord is frowned upon on a construction site, to the extent that if the safety guy see a cord end with a missing ground prong, he'll cut the end off, right on the spot. The user of of a taped one will just be told to take it out of service until properly repaired.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    Any kind of damaged cord is frowned upon on a construction site, to the extent that if the safety guy see a cord end with a missing ground prong, he'll cut the end off, right on the spot. The user of of a taped one will just be told to take it out of service until properly repaired.
    More from curiosity and learning perspective: are properly repaired cables also not allowed? If allowed what constitutes a proper repair?

    I have no knowledge of construction site or codes followed there, so the curiosity.

  12. #12
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    liquid electrical tape about $6 it comes in a few colors too.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Anuj Prateek View Post
    More from curiosity and learning perspective: are properly repaired cables also not allowed? If allowed what constitutes a proper repair?

    I have no knowledge of construction site or codes followed there, so the curiosity.

    Have been told by contractors NO REPAIRS or DEFECTS allowed in electric cords by OSHA or safety personal. Actually most work was done with battery power, five different buildings going up now.
    Ron

  14. #14
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    Depends. If you can I would remove one end and slip heat shrink over the repair. If they are molded on ends and too nice to toss I would wrap it with tape and paint the tape with the liquid tape glue stuff. If I cut and splice I cut each wire about one inch longer then the other so there are three different lengths. I twist and solder after heatshrink for each spice is slipped on then a big heat shrink tube covers it all. The different lengths make it almost impossible for the bare wires to touch if they pull apart. You really should do the same for car jumper cables.
    Bil lD

  15. #15
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    Florida
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    Definitely some good ideas for repairing an extension cord. But if the rat just barely touched the copper and nothing’s broken, tape it up good and get on with life. If the wires break, then get serious. Cords get nicked all the time.

    Dan

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