Damaged cord safe to use?

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Level 1

12 points

Damaged cord safe to use?

My cat recently developed the bad habit of chewing on wires, and this morning he bit the cord on my charger. It seems like the bite only broke through that outer layer of rubber. I can see just a tiny portion of the thin twisted wires below. The charger is still working, and the damage seems pretty minimal. I've seen tutorials on how to fix the cord, but I don't have experience with electrical repairs. Is the charger still safe to use (at least temporarily) if I repair it with electrical tape?

Posted on Sep 13, 2010 4:48 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

JoeyR

Level 6

8,305 points

Sep 14, 2010 10:19 AM in response to lasnap

Damaged power cords are never something to take chances with. Especially with something like a cat bite. While it may "appear" to have only gone through the outer coating, cats very seldom chew lightly on something they decide to chomp on. There is a reasonable chance your cat's teeth may have punctured the coating on the individual cables inside as well (it would be sort of difficult to actually puncture the outer cover without touching the inner wires. While the chances of shorting are fairly small... I wouldn't be content with just taping it up. If you decide to tape it, I would suggest only leaving it plugged in when you are around. Don't leave it plugged in when you're away.

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Answer 2

Lyssa

Level 8

41,405 points

Sep 13, 2010 6:58 PM in response to lasnap

I had a similar issue with my iBook's power cord--something else caused the wiring to be exposed.

I wrapped it in electrical tape and continued to use the adapter.

If you can afford a new one, invest in a replacement as soon as possible. Continuing to use this one until the new one arrives, provided you wrap the wires in electrical tape, shouldn't be an issue. You may not want to leave the computer/power cord unattended, just in case.

~Lyssa

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Answer 3

lasnap Author

Level 1

12 points

Sep 14, 2010 11:27 AM in response to lasnap

Thank you all for your responses. I'm definitely somewhat concerned that the cord could be a fire hazard, and I do plan to purchase a new power adapter very soon, probably from eBay to save some money. In the meantime, I've taped the cord so the wire is no longer exposed, and I plan to use the charger sparingly and only when I can keep an eye on it. Thanks again for your suggestions!

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Answer 4

macbig

Level 4

1,680 points

Sep 13, 2010 5:07 PM in response to lasnap

Since it's still working, the wiring probably isn't damaged. I would just wrap the damaged section with electrical tape.

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Answer 5

etresoft

Level 9

56,356 points

Sep 14, 2010 12:16 PM in response to lasnap

I would feel better about your taping job than anything from eBay. There are fakes on eBay that have incorrect labeling and might not work and could damage your Mac. They are only $79 at the Apple Store. Maybe they will take a used cat in exchange.

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Answer 6

etresoft

Level 9

56,356 points

Sep 13, 2010 6:43 PM in response to lasnap

lasnap wrote:
Is the charger still safe to use (at least temporarily) if I repair it with electrical tape?

No. That is a serious fire risk. Get it replaced immediately.

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