Change Electric Cord Plug

Wiring an electrical plug is a project you can easily do yourself with just a few common tools.

Change electric cord plug.

Long extension cords especially outdoor ones can be costly and though they should work for years the plugs often wear out before the cords do. To replace cords and plugs on a 240 volt appliance such as a dryer or other large appliance purchase a pigtail cord with a plug molded to it. Reassemble the replacement plug and tighten the screws holding it to the cord. Make sure you match the new plug with the type of cord you have.

Then attach the new cord to the base in reverse order for taking it off. Eventually this stretches out the cord wires and separates the sheathing or outer jacket from the plug exposing the cord wires. Buy the new cord before you take the old one off the base of the appliance. Extension cords can be damaged in many different ways from dragging then along the ground to running over them with vehicles or closing them in a door.

The tester s lights will indicate whether the wires are hooked up correctly and the cord is grounded. If the pigtail cord or the appliance is not color coded first attach the center wire of the pigtail to the center terminal screw on the appliance and then connect the remaining wires to the other. Perhaps the most common damage comes from pulling out the cord by the cord not the plug. Replacing the male or female plug on a cord is far less expensive than replacing the entire cord and it s easy to do.

Most hardware stores will have replacement plugs in their electronics sections or near the extension cords. Replace the plastic insulator. While plug designs may vary this project guide will show you how to replace a two wire non polarized plug on a power cord. Then fit a plug in circuit tester onto the cord s other end.

To see if a cord is working properly plug it into a three prong receptacle. The main thing to remember is to buy a plug designed for the wire gauge of the cord. A new plug can help extend the life of your electrical devices. Check the instructions on any new plug you get.

Electrical codes place restrictions on changing the outlet but codes permit changing dryer plug types to match the existing outlets. 2xpcs 15 amp 125 volt straight blade plug plug straight blade grounding 3 wire male extension cord replacement electrical plugs end black 4 3 out of 5 stars 197 9 99 9.