How to fix a twisted extension cord?

[Jimmy9190]

I have a 100 foot standard outdoor use extension cord, the plain 16 gauge orange type. Over the years it has become kinked and twisted pretty badly. It is bad enough now that it is difficult and frustrating to use the cord. I am considering letting it sit in the sun to get pliable and then stretching it out in the yard so maybe I can untwist it by hand. Does anyone here have any tips or tricks to get it back straight again? Thanks for any help on this.

 

[GreeCguy]

You're on the right path - I've done that a number of times myself, tie it between two trees or fence posts and stretch it out with some tension on it. Pull it a little tighter ever couple of days, (but not too tight). Let it sit for a few weeks in the summer sun and keep working it. It will get better, maybe not back to original, but the longer it sits, the better it will get.

 

[GreeCguy]

I'm assuming it doesn't have any knots in it - you'll have to work those loose before you stretch it. When undoing a knot, remember what my grandmother used to say, "don't pull it, shake it."

 

[SuperDave456]

I had an extension cord go bad a few weeks back.
That 16 gauge wire is very thin and fragile, it's the insulation that gives it strength.

On mine the wire had separated from the plug. Stripping it back and replacing the plug with an aftermarket version fixed it. However, I did notice how incredibly thin the wires were.

Just be careful when stretching, these things are Made in China by the lowest bidder. I think the plug that I used doubled the price of the cord I put it on.

I lay out my 90' one in my front yard and warmed it up in the sun, then made sure it was straight as I coiled it back up.

 

[robshelton]

I have had good results attaching one end of the cord to something solid (tree, truck, etc) and stretching the cord straight. Then at the other end, un-twisting it. If you do it in the sunshine and leave it with a weight on the "Un-twisted" end the majority of the twists will come out.

If you have an ohm meter, I'd recommend checking the resistance of each wire. Some of the cords I have "Un-twisted" turned out to have a lot of corrosion inside the wire jacket and were scrap. Under heavy load they got hot and tripped the breaker.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Thanks for the info. If I can't get it back to normal Home Depot sells the same cord for $16.00. It may be best to just replace it, but I want to try to keep it if I can.

 

[OneEyeJack]

If you're over 40, fix it. If you're under 40, chuck it. In the new world you replace, never fix.

 

[Clevy]

We roll up thousands of foot of cord daily on site. In 20 years I've never twisted up a cord,ever. It happens when a person rolls them in small loops around their elbows. The proper way to roll up a cord is to use big loops. Unrolls in a snap too with big loops.
Each loop should be roughly the length of your arms held up to shoulder height,hands pointing away from yourself.

 

[cptbarkey]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
If you're over 40, fix it. If you're under 40, chuck it. In the new world you replace, never fix.


i would have said this perhaps 10 years ago myself when power cords were pretty cheap. now its a different ballgame.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Well I tried but was unable to get the cord back to a useable condition. I had it out in the sun for a while and really tried to un-twist and straighten it but it just had too many twists and kinks in it. The cord itself was wrinkled very badly all along its surface and I finally gave up on it. I bought a new 100 foot cord for $16.99 at Home Depot. The reason I needed the longer cord or to fix the old 100 foot cord was so I could use it with my new electric weed whacker without having to put several shorter cords together.

The twisted cord was not a complete loss. I used the two ends off the old cord to fix a cord I inherited from my wife's dad. Both plugs on it were bad. Long ago I had replaced the male end on the old twisted cord with a new male plug and I just cut off and spliced in the female end to the cord that I got from my father in law. I did a good job of splicing and taped it up very well, it should be fine to use in the garage if I need it.

 

[jstutz]

you could also take that long twisted up one and make a few 20 footers for use around the house and shop.