When electrical cables get moved around and bent a lot, sometimes the outer jacket can get ripped and expose the electrical wires inside. This is especially common in frequently used cables like phone and laptop chargers. If you are starting to see exposed wires in your electrical cables, fix them as soon as possible to prevent the problem from getting worse.
Fix minor damage on any type of electrical cable with electrical tape, repair damaged charger cables , or fix more serious damage on electrical cables with heat-shrink tubing. If you have a cable that is extremely worn out and its electrical wires keep getting exposed because of new tears in the outer jacket, it’s probably best to replace it.
Repairing Charger Cables with Sugru
1.Tear open a packet of Sugru and knead it for about 30 seconds. Rip open a pack of single-use Sugru and pull out the silicone rubber putty. Squish it back and forth between your fingers for about 30 seconds to warm it up and make it more moldable.
- Sugru is a type of moldable, adhesive silicone rubber putty that hardens into a rubber-like outer jacket when it cures.
Warning: Do not use Sugru putty for high-voltage cables or DIY electrical work. Only use this method to fix exposed wires in low-voltage cables like electronic device chargers or headphone cords
2.Roll the putty out into a long, thin rectangular shape. Place the putty on a flat surface and roll it back and forth with your fingers until it becomes long and thin. Press it down with your hand until it flattens into more of a rectangle, so you can wrap it around your cable.
- A piece of Sugru that is about as long as the width of your hand will provide good coverage of the exposed wire and relieve strain on the cable to prevent further damage.
3.Wrap the Sugru putty around the damaged area and smooth it out. Center the Sugru over the section of cable with the exposed wire and wrap it around the cable tightly. Press the edges of the putty together where they meet and firmly rub the Sugru with your fingertips to smooth out the seam and remove any fingerprints.
- If the area you’re repairing is close to the wall adapter or power adapter end of the cable, make sure to press the Sugru right up against the power block or the charger plug to create a smooth-looking repair. You can shape it to make it look like a part of the cable.
4. Let the putty cure for 24 hours. Hang the cable up or lay it out on a flat surface somewhere out of the way. Leave it alone for a full 24 hours, so the Sugru has time to cure completely.
- The putty will turn into a strong, flexible protective casing around the exposed wire. This will prevent further damage to the area.
Source: Wikipidea