If the outer jacket’s just a little scuffed, I’ll wrap it up with heat-shrink tubing or proper electrical tape, but if the copper is showing or it feels stiff and crumbly, I just toss it. Not worth the risk, honestly. A new cord’s way cheaper than a hospital bill.
- I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had luck salvaging cords that looked pretty rough.
- If the copper’s just barely peeking out and the rest of the wire’s still flexible, I’ll cut out the bad section and splice in a new bit with proper connectors and heat-shrink.
- Not saying it’s for everyone, but sometimes it’s worth the effort if you’re on a tight budget or the cord’s a weird size you can’t easily replace.
- That said, if it’s stiff or crumbly, yeah, I’m with you—straight to the trash.
- Just feels wasteful tossing stuff that’s still got some life left, you know?
I’m with you on not tossing cords unless they’re really toast. I’ve patched up a few myself—heat-shrink tubing is a lifesaver, and honestly, sometimes the “Frankenstein” cords outlast the new ones. That said, if the insulation’s brittle or you see green corrosion on the copper, I don’t mess around. Not worth risking a short or worse. Still, it’s wild how much stuff gets thrown out that just needs a little TLC...
- Totally agree on heat-shrink tubing—saved a bunch of old extension cords that way.
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Same here. Once I spot green or that crumbly plastic, it’s game over.if the insulation’s brittle or you see green corrosion on the copper, I don’t mess around.
- Sometimes I’ll salvage the plug ends if they’re decent, but only if the rest is shot.
- Ever tried patching up cords with liquid electrical tape? I’ve had mixed results—sometimes it peels after a while.
- Curious, do you bother testing resistance on older cords, or just go by visual inspection? I usually just eyeball it unless it’s for something critical.
Heat-shrink’s definitely saved my bacon more than once, but I gotta say—I’m a little less quick to toss cords just for a bit of green on the copper. Maybe I’m just stubborn (or cheap?), but if it’s not all the way through and the wire’s still solid, I’ll sometimes clean it up and slap on a fresh wrap. Haven’t burned the house down yet, knock on wood.
Liquid electrical tape though... yeah, that stuff’s like a mystery box. Sometimes it seals up nice, other times it flakes off like old paint. I tried it on a garden light cord last summer and it lasted about three rainstorms before peeling like a sunburn. Maybe better for indoor stuff?
As for resistance testing, honestly, I probably should do it more. I mostly go by the “does this look sketchy” method unless I’m wiring something that’ll be running all day. But I’ve seen some cords that looked fine outside and were a mess inside. Makes me wonder if I’m playing extension cord roulette half the time...
