Portable Cord repair?

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VirutalElectrician

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I have a 60' hunk of 6/4 portable cord. At the 20/40 point there's about 1.5 Sq inches of the outer jacket missing. It looks like it was chewed by a mouse.

Is there any way to repair the damage? The insulation on the conductors themselves is undamaged.

I've been applying layers of GB liquid electrical tape, which seemed to be doing a decent job until I realized it wasn't bonding to the jacket real well and you can just peel it off!

I'm thinking some kind of rubbery heat shrink type material that has a strong adhesive or you gently melt on with a heat gun.

Any ideas?
 
“Double wall heat shrink” is the type that has the glue added to the inside of the tube ( as opposed to the single wall heat shrink)

Keep an eye on the shrink ratio so you can be sure it will shrink down to the size of the cord when you shrink it. You will need to remove a plug end if it’s a smaller diameter cord.
 
ODonnell said:
www.rescuetape.com

Rescue Tape - The World's #1 Self-Fusing Silicone Tape

Silicone Rescue Tape is the Strongest, Fastest-Fusing Silicone Tape on the Market. Rescue Tape is a silicone tape for emergency and all purpose repairs.
www.rescuetape.com

It is not adhesive, but self bonding.wraps like tape, but friction holds it in place once it is stretched. works for us on lighting multicable when the stage hands damage the outer jacket as you describe
Click to expand...
Having used both tape and tube, I highly recommend using the tube if at all possible. I liked the tape for waterproofing coax connectors.
 
Cold shrinks work well also, especially with some aqua seal at each end.
And no heat required
 
Raychem (now TE Connectivity) used to have a wrappable heat shrink repair sleeve for in-line damage where you wrapped it around the cable, then there was a metal “zipper” that held ridges on the ends together while you heated it and melted the glue. After it cooled off, you cut the metal zipper off flush with the sleeve using a hacksaw. We used to use those on MV cable where the outer jacket was damaged.

Found it;
www.te.com

738571-000 : RAYCHEM Power Cable Wraps

Get 738571-000 RAYCHEM Power Cable Wraps specs, pricing, inventory availability, and more from TE Connectivity. Get a sample or request a quote.
www.te.com www.te.com
 
K8MHZ said:
Having used both tape and tube, I highly recommend using the tube if at all possible. I liked the tape for waterproofing coax connectors.
Click to expand...
Ditto. The heavy heat shrink will be have the required insulation thickness when shrunk.
 
I've been told by a couple of OSHA inspectors that there is no practical way to acceptably repair an extension cord. It is theoretically doable, but has to be restored to its "approved" state which basically means as it came from the factory.
 
Fine quality doubletalk and doesn't even answer the question.

The nitpicking seems to come down on whether it's a factory- or shop-made extension:

Acceptable job-made extension cords. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

www.osha.gov www.osha.gov
"When the temporary wiring consists of shop-made cord sets, etc., using approved parts, as permitted by 1910.305(a)(2) and 1926.405(a)(2), the requirements for listing by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory do not apply."
and

Contractor shop-made extension cords. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

www.osha.gov www.osha.gov
"In regard to electrical contractors assembling cord sets at construction sites, the practice is acceptable, provided the assembled cord sets are constructed in a manner equivalent to those that are factory-assembled and approved"

Eiher way, patching the jacket is probably safe but might not pass muster. OTOH, shortening and re-terminating might.
 
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That OSHA page is truly awe inspiring on the quality of their doublespeak and avoiding truly answering the question. What does "approved state" mean? If a replacement cord cap is UL listed and installed as per manufacturer's instructions, does that qualify as "approved"?

Side note that I caught while reading that;
...any equipment connected by cord and plug... shall be visually inspected before each day's use for external defects, such as deformed or missing pins or insulation damage, and for indications for possible internal damage.
Click to expand...
Really? EACH DAY? Who the heck does that?! On some jobsites I have been on, it would take an entire day to find and inspect each end and the length of every extension cord in use. Nothing would get done!

Side side note: I have a neighbor who for about 5 years, borrowed my hedge trimmer to cut down her lavender every year, and every year she cut the cord. She would buy me a new cord, but I would repair the old ones by just making two shorter cords out of them. Finally I sold the short cords in a garage sale and bought her a cordless hedge trimmer.
 
Just of interest we wouldn't get by repaired cords in the industries where we worked.
 
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