Outdoor extension cords are such a part of our everyday lives at home and work that we often forget they need a little care and sometimes repair. Whether you're running the vacuum to clean the car or the power drill to fix the fence, an outdoor extension cord is a must-needed item for those unreachable electrical outlets. Care should be taken when working on any electrical cord, and knowing repair an outdoor extension cord correctly and safely is important. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Unplug the defective extension cord from any power outlets.
2. Remove the bad plug. Cut the plug off if it is molded to the wire. If the damaged plug is connected with screws, use a screwdriver to remove the screws in the end of the plug and slide the cover off. This will expose the three wires connected to the prongs on the inside of the plug. Disconnect the three wires from the screws and discard the plug.
3. Cut the extension cable about 3 inches from the end to start with fresh wiring.
4. Strip away about 3/4 inch of the outer insulation using the utility knife. Avoid cutting too deep or it may damage the the wires. Three wires will be exposed: black (hot), white (neutral) and green (ground). Strip away about 1/2 inch of insulation from each of the three wires. Twist the copper braided wiring separately to keep loose strands from making contact with the other wires.
5. Remove the screws from the end of the new plug using the screwdriver, and slide the cover off.
6. Connect the new extension plug to the cord by attaching the white wire to the silver screw, the black wire to the brass screw and the green wire to the green screw.
7. Slide the cover over the new plug and tighten the screws into the end of the plug.
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