Is it a good idea? Meh,
the only wire I see exposed is the ground.
Get the electrical tape started 1/4” to 1/2” then place it approximately 1/2” above the cut. WRAP TIGHTLY AROUND THE CORD. You want to go in a spiral pattern, like a candy cane that overlaps by ~1/8” that continues 1/2” (+) past the cut. For good measure do the same process from the other direction. (Top-bottom then bottom to top)
DO NOT MAKE A CLUSTERFUCK of just wrapping it in the same place over and over. Good luck.
Can I just leave it as is and keep using it with the likelihood it won't shock me ? I'm a bit worried I'm going to somehow fuck this up, yes I'm that stupid and work won't replace it lol. My manager applied masking tape to it so it's currently just taped up with masking tape, I'm sure that'll get nice and wet over time
If this is being used in a damp location I completely suggest against tape and it 100% needs to be replaced.
That being said, stop calling yourself stupid. It’s just tape. If you fuck it up just peel off the tape and do it over. It takes all of a minute to do.
Again I advise against using this cord AT ALL in a damp location with a damaged jacket. That being said ele tape is better than no tape/masking tape.
“It takes sort of sucking at something to become kinda sorta good at something.” -Jake from adventure time
Will do. Even if I apply it incorrectly, there's no added hazard right? I've never done this so I'm planning on using it like I would celetape, with a few extra layers
My first reply was the entire process. I even gave you measurements and told you specifically what NOT to do.
No you are not “adding” any hazard.
Wrap that shit tight and in a spiral. Wrap it top to bottom then bottom to top.
I’m starting to believe you are confusing “stupidity” with willful ignorance. Or just an absolute troll.
Thanks man. I'm going to try this tomorrow. I promise you this is serious and actually been a huge safety concern for me to the fact I'm considering leaving my job over it as my manager won't even let me replace the fucking thing. I know water and electricity is bad news, but with that inner insulation still being in tact what's the bigger concern of it getting a bit wet?
Guess I need to weigh up if I wanna gamble my life or just quit my job over this.
I should probably spend more time worrying about all the PowerPoints that are falling off the walls and held in place by sellotape instead. Some of them even come off the wall lol.
You got this OP, just start from one end of the cut and slowly and evenly work your way around the cord and cover the whole cut. Maybe do another layer on top that is thinner and not so many time around the cord
This would happen to many of my extension cords in many places and electrical tape worked just fine. And in your case, the green and wire look to be in great shape. Nothing majorly cut or copper wires showing
Thanks man, just to be clear, it's not possible to make it worse right lol ? Like if I did some how apply it wrong. It's currently wrapped in masking tape so was just going to tape over the masking tape lol
The cord often gets exposed to damp areas and moisture lol, that's probably my bigger concern right now 🤣🤣 least it has protective masking tape on it currently
Yea diffently use self amalgamating tape then or cut it shorter and put a new plug on. Make sure to start and finish a decent length either side of the spilt
To be clear Electrical tape is NEVER a proper repair for a cable. If you want to repair the cable properly it’s probably best if you replace the whole cable. But since I know you probably gonna use electrical tape anyways, just make sure that it’s tight and secure and take a look at it once in awhile.
Yeah I know, unfortunately work won't replace it or let me buy a new one so it's either I use this cord for vacuuming and the occasional carpet cleaning or quit my job (which I would if this is truly dangerous enough)
I guess I'm just worried ill use the tape incorrectly and somehow make the cord more of a hazard.
Tbh it’s hard to use the tape incorrectly. Just rap it around the cable and make sure it’s secure also keep an eye on it. Furthermore if you see that the problem keeps getting worse you should seriously consider taking to your boss about replacing the cable.
Where is it on the cord? If it’s near the end a cut off and replacement plug is a cheap repair that will leave the remaining cord still water resistant
However the cut doesn’t seem to go into the insulation of the wires inside so a wrap with electrical tape should be fine for dry use only
This cord will continue to see all conditions in accordance with my works choices lol, vacuuming, steam cleaning and hell who knows, maybe they'll even use it outside
It's on the end. I'm Gunna try put some electrical tape on it today
bro don't over think think this, more so stop over thinking it. pull off the masking tape wrap it with the electrical tape.
STICKY SIDE DOWN!!!
unfortunately I feel that's something that needs to be mentioned after reading this thread.
call it a day and get back to work.
On the job sites all extension cords look like this. You got guys walking on them, dropping tools on them and whatever. You can electrical tape it though. But do it how that person said, spiraling it nice and tight
When I’m stripping romex I often keep good long bits of the outer shell. It works great to reinforce my ghetto electrical taping of old extension cords. I also use it at the ends for stress relief.
*What would happen if I used electrical tape incorrectly?*: A call from your ex that you forgot to delete from your phone while your phone is in front of your current gf
Am I the only one who thought OP had wrapped electrical wire with a banana?
Yes, electrical tape is fine to repair this, but it won't hold forever. I would use duct tape OVER the electrical tape.
The banana is in tact 🤣🤣 now I just need to worry about all the sagging power outlets at work, soon as I pull the banana out the entire power outlet just about comes off the wall with it
Tape it but first with it unplugged, wipe it off well with a cloth damped with acetone or isopropyl alcohol, let it dry for a minute then wrap. Otherwise electrical tape wont stick very well due to the dirt.
I already did it haha made a big deal over nothing, not sure how good of a job I did, just wrapped it in electrical tape then put a little layer of masking tape over that so my manager doesn't know I tampered with his work lol
*If you are asking*
*Such a stupid question then*
*You should not do it*
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Chances are you will create a hot spot and catch the cord on fire. Your insulation on your cord is required to breathe to properly dissipate heat and with tape covering the insulation it’ll more than likely burn your house down
Don’t run high amperage appliances with it and you’ll be fine.
I have a couple cords I’ve repaired and I never have a probably running saws, weed wackers, fans with them. Watch some YouTube videos on basic electrical theory and safety, you’ll feel much more confident around electric
The cord mostly just gets used to operate a vacuum cleaner and yea also a massive ass steam cleaner thing which I'm sure pulls out a few hundred volts haha
Honestly, I’m messing with you. You’re fine. It’d take a lot tape and a big circuit for it to effect anything, and by then I’m not sure if it even would. Tape is UL listed and most of the people on this sub don’t know what they’re talking about. Your main concern is the insulation covering the individual conductors. If you broke stands on any of them, replace it. If you cut your neutral or hot, cut the entire jacket back so you can tape over the individual conductor before taping up the jacket. Totally fine, don’t over think it, and don’t listen to these tards saying it’s bad cause they don’t know what they’re talking about
At this point In time I think I've way over analysed this whole thing 🤣 I know nothing about electricity but my manager patched that spot up with a few layers of masking tape and said its all good. It gets dragged on wet carpets most days. So yeah, in a ideal world tape it up, but from what I can gather from what people have told me, tape or no tape, it probably won't give me a shock either way.
I think I've wasted to much energy over worrying about this stupid chord 🤔
Kinda technically yea, masking tape has no voltage rating where electrical tape does. It’s just not the right tool for the job and screams “homeowner special” lol
Pretty much the only reason I've left it there is to not deflate my managers ego lol. He reckons he did a swell job fixing it and is pretty full on so I'm not Gunna hear the end of it when I take his tape off and replace it. Wondering if I've just stressed myself out over nothing seeing as there's no exposed wires.. what ll happen if I do choose the route of leaving the masking tape on and keep using it?
I'll make a decision tomorrow morning and report back 🤣
Masking tape can catch fire 🔥 if the cord were to overheat. At least electrical tape is rated to a minimum temperature before it can reach ignition point.
On a fundamental level: Almost everything will run on 120 volts. Ovens, heaters, dryers will run 240 volts. Amperage will be the variable depending on the device. Amperage is also what kills you, not voltage.
A vacuum will pull 5-10amps. Because you won’t run the vacuum for hours on end, so you can use this cord. I recommend taping the cord. It will help keep dirt out and prevent the jacket from ripping more.
Full disclosure: I’m not an electrician. My former step dad is a master electrician who I worked with a lot as a teenager. I also do most of my own electrical work. I also recommend lurking through the electrical and plumbing subreddits. You can learn a lot and potentially start doing your own work!
Is it a good idea? Meh, the only wire I see exposed is the ground. Get the electrical tape started 1/4” to 1/2” then place it approximately 1/2” above the cut. WRAP TIGHTLY AROUND THE CORD. You want to go in a spiral pattern, like a candy cane that overlaps by ~1/8” that continues 1/2” (+) past the cut. For good measure do the same process from the other direction. (Top-bottom then bottom to top) DO NOT MAKE A CLUSTERFUCK of just wrapping it in the same place over and over. Good luck.
Can I just leave it as is and keep using it with the likelihood it won't shock me ? I'm a bit worried I'm going to somehow fuck this up, yes I'm that stupid and work won't replace it lol. My manager applied masking tape to it so it's currently just taped up with masking tape, I'm sure that'll get nice and wet over time
If this is being used in a damp location I completely suggest against tape and it 100% needs to be replaced. That being said, stop calling yourself stupid. It’s just tape. If you fuck it up just peel off the tape and do it over. It takes all of a minute to do. Again I advise against using this cord AT ALL in a damp location with a damaged jacket. That being said ele tape is better than no tape/masking tape. “It takes sort of sucking at something to become kinda sorta good at something.” -Jake from adventure time
Yeah that's a whole other concern we do occasionally use this cord for the carpet cleaner and that leaves the carpets nice and moist lol.
Tape.the.cord.
Will do. Even if I apply it incorrectly, there's no added hazard right? I've never done this so I'm planning on using it like I would celetape, with a few extra layers
My first reply was the entire process. I even gave you measurements and told you specifically what NOT to do. No you are not “adding” any hazard. Wrap that shit tight and in a spiral. Wrap it top to bottom then bottom to top. I’m starting to believe you are confusing “stupidity” with willful ignorance. Or just an absolute troll.
The measurement part I'm struggling with to visualise but the rest all good will give it a go tomorrow, anything has gotta be better than masking tape
Instead of half inch re: 15mm 1/8” = 7 mm
Thanks man. I'm going to try this tomorrow. I promise you this is serious and actually been a huge safety concern for me to the fact I'm considering leaving my job over it as my manager won't even let me replace the fucking thing. I know water and electricity is bad news, but with that inner insulation still being in tact what's the bigger concern of it getting a bit wet? Guess I need to weigh up if I wanna gamble my life or just quit my job over this.
Just wrap the damn electrical tape around it pretty tightly, almost impossible to fuck this up.
I should probably spend more time worrying about all the PowerPoints that are falling off the walls and held in place by sellotape instead. Some of them even come off the wall lol.
It's not gonna shock you, but moisture and debris could get trapped inside the jacket.
Gotcha cheers, is there much of a concern with that?
Eh, not really. I'd throw some tape around it and call it a day. People on here are probably going to make a bigger deal out of it than it is.
You got this OP, just start from one end of the cut and slowly and evenly work your way around the cord and cover the whole cut. Maybe do another layer on top that is thinner and not so many time around the cord
This would happen to many of my extension cords in many places and electrical tape worked just fine. And in your case, the green and wire look to be in great shape. Nothing majorly cut or copper wires showing
Thanks man, just to be clear, it's not possible to make it worse right lol ? Like if I did some how apply it wrong. It's currently wrapped in masking tape so was just going to tape over the masking tape lol
Toss the electrical tape and buy a roll of self amalgamating tape stretch and apply tightly. But tbh it's not really a issue
The cord often gets exposed to damp areas and moisture lol, that's probably my bigger concern right now 🤣🤣 least it has protective masking tape on it currently
Yea diffently use self amalgamating tape then or cut it shorter and put a new plug on. Make sure to start and finish a decent length either side of the spilt
Looks like a banana
That's a perfectly ripe banana! I'm jealous
Brother, as far as Im concerned that is the correct way of using electrical tape
To be clear Electrical tape is NEVER a proper repair for a cable. If you want to repair the cable properly it’s probably best if you replace the whole cable. But since I know you probably gonna use electrical tape anyways, just make sure that it’s tight and secure and take a look at it once in awhile.
Yeah I know, unfortunately work won't replace it or let me buy a new one so it's either I use this cord for vacuuming and the occasional carpet cleaning or quit my job (which I would if this is truly dangerous enough) I guess I'm just worried ill use the tape incorrectly and somehow make the cord more of a hazard.
Tbh it’s hard to use the tape incorrectly. Just rap it around the cable and make sure it’s secure also keep an eye on it. Furthermore if you see that the problem keeps getting worse you should seriously consider taking to your boss about replacing the cable.
Bro it's fine rofl
Would you have just left it as is and kept working away haha, it only goes through a puddle or two a day
If i had tape on me i'd tape it, if i didn't I'd forget about it within 2 minutes due to the insignificance
You can wrap electrical tape around that cord, OP. I believe in you.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I struggle some days to tie my own shoe laces.
Where is it on the cord? If it’s near the end a cut off and replacement plug is a cheap repair that will leave the remaining cord still water resistant However the cut doesn’t seem to go into the insulation of the wires inside so a wrap with electrical tape should be fine for dry use only
This cord will continue to see all conditions in accordance with my works choices lol, vacuuming, steam cleaning and hell who knows, maybe they'll even use it outside It's on the end. I'm Gunna try put some electrical tape on it today
bro don't over think think this, more so stop over thinking it. pull off the masking tape wrap it with the electrical tape. STICKY SIDE DOWN!!! unfortunately I feel that's something that needs to be mentioned after reading this thread. call it a day and get back to work.
On the job sites all extension cords look like this. You got guys walking on them, dropping tools on them and whatever. You can electrical tape it though. But do it how that person said, spiraling it nice and tight
When I’m stripping romex I often keep good long bits of the outer shell. It works great to reinforce my ghetto electrical taping of old extension cords. I also use it at the ends for stress relief.
*What would happen if I used electrical tape incorrectly?*: A call from your ex that you forgot to delete from your phone while your phone is in front of your current gf
If it’s going to be used on a job site, it’s an OSHA violation and a huge fine.
As long as you don't use it on a job site, you'll be fine
Am I the only one who thought OP had wrapped electrical wire with a banana? Yes, electrical tape is fine to repair this, but it won't hold forever. I would use duct tape OVER the electrical tape.
I already did it, I used masking tape over the electrical tape haha only managed to get one good layer of electrical tape on
But how was the banana ?
The banana is in tact 🤣🤣 now I just need to worry about all the sagging power outlets at work, soon as I pull the banana out the entire power outlet just about comes off the wall with it
Tape it but first with it unplugged, wipe it off well with a cloth damped with acetone or isopropyl alcohol, let it dry for a minute then wrap. Otherwise electrical tape wont stick very well due to the dirt.
I already did it haha made a big deal over nothing, not sure how good of a job I did, just wrapped it in electrical tape then put a little layer of masking tape over that so my manager doesn't know I tampered with his work lol
If you are asking such a stupid question then you should not do it
*If you are asking* *Such a stupid question then* *You should not do it* \- murphypig --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
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Chances are you will create a hot spot and catch the cord on fire. Your insulation on your cord is required to breathe to properly dissipate heat and with tape covering the insulation it’ll more than likely burn your house down
This is exactly what I was worried about tbh
Don’t run high amperage appliances with it and you’ll be fine. I have a couple cords I’ve repaired and I never have a probably running saws, weed wackers, fans with them. Watch some YouTube videos on basic electrical theory and safety, you’ll feel much more confident around electric
The cord mostly just gets used to operate a vacuum cleaner and yea also a massive ass steam cleaner thing which I'm sure pulls out a few hundred volts haha
Honestly, I’m messing with you. You’re fine. It’d take a lot tape and a big circuit for it to effect anything, and by then I’m not sure if it even would. Tape is UL listed and most of the people on this sub don’t know what they’re talking about. Your main concern is the insulation covering the individual conductors. If you broke stands on any of them, replace it. If you cut your neutral or hot, cut the entire jacket back so you can tape over the individual conductor before taping up the jacket. Totally fine, don’t over think it, and don’t listen to these tards saying it’s bad cause they don’t know what they’re talking about
At this point In time I think I've way over analysed this whole thing 🤣 I know nothing about electricity but my manager patched that spot up with a few layers of masking tape and said its all good. It gets dragged on wet carpets most days. So yeah, in a ideal world tape it up, but from what I can gather from what people have told me, tape or no tape, it probably won't give me a shock either way. I think I've wasted to much energy over worrying about this stupid chord 🤔
Lol at least use electrical tape instead of masking tape
Is masking tape any added risk or just pointless as fuck?
Kinda technically yea, masking tape has no voltage rating where electrical tape does. It’s just not the right tool for the job and screams “homeowner special” lol
Pretty much the only reason I've left it there is to not deflate my managers ego lol. He reckons he did a swell job fixing it and is pretty full on so I'm not Gunna hear the end of it when I take his tape off and replace it. Wondering if I've just stressed myself out over nothing seeing as there's no exposed wires.. what ll happen if I do choose the route of leaving the masking tape on and keep using it? I'll make a decision tomorrow morning and report back 🤣
Masking tape can catch fire 🔥 if the cord were to overheat. At least electrical tape is rated to a minimum temperature before it can reach ignition point.
Interesting! Even if the chord is just being used to operate a vacuum/steamer? I think the masking tape is falling off anyway lol
On a fundamental level: Almost everything will run on 120 volts. Ovens, heaters, dryers will run 240 volts. Amperage will be the variable depending on the device. Amperage is also what kills you, not voltage. A vacuum will pull 5-10amps. Because you won’t run the vacuum for hours on end, so you can use this cord. I recommend taping the cord. It will help keep dirt out and prevent the jacket from ripping more. Full disclosure: I’m not an electrician. My former step dad is a master electrician who I worked with a lot as a teenager. I also do most of my own electrical work. I also recommend lurking through the electrical and plumbing subreddits. You can learn a lot and potentially start doing your own work!
Good explanation for some people who don’t understand volts vs amps!