Hey, i was fixing a vibrator the other day and found that the electrical cord had an issue so I cut out the bad piece in the cable and spliced it back together. It has 2 wires in the cord, like most things. Question is did it matter what way the wires got put back together since the plug on the end only goes in the wall one way. ie. It has a big side and a smaller side. Dumb question but why is there a big side and smaller side on the plug? Yeah yeah, I am Radio Shack but my knowledge only go as far as Tandy computers ..
Electrical question
- Thread starter Radio_Shack
- Start date
If you're interested in doing good work, that is safe, you should figure that a plug is made to fit in the receptacle only one way for a reason. Good for you, you did, but question time is better before than after doubtful work. They're called polarized plugs BTW. So when you 'repair' an appliance w/ such a plug you should make the small effort it takes to maintain the polarization—same wire to same prong when you finished as when you started your repair. Any system of marking you invented would likely do, or you could have used the marking moulded into most appliance cord wire and almost certainly in your polarized plug example. How else would the assemblers (who know what they're doing) keep it straight? Take a look, one of the two wires will have a ridge or be distinguishable in some similar way. That marked wire is meant always to be the neutral and should go to the fat prong.
Lots of things work no matter which wire is carrying the current inbound, but as a f'rinstance, screwing polarization up means the sides of a lamp socket (and anything touching them) will be live, instead of the button sheltered at the bottom of the socket which is the only thing that's supposed to be. Getting polarization wrong is a bit like locking a fire exit; it's extremely dangerous to people who don't know your little ways. Check your work and fix it pronto.
PS: Unless you soldered the splices and thoroughly insulated them with heatshrink your 'repair' isn't a fix. Buy an extension cord of the appropriate length and same gauge (wire thickness), cut the female end off and use it to replace the entire damaged cord.
Lots of things work no matter which wire is carrying the current inbound, but as a f'rinstance, screwing polarization up means the sides of a lamp socket (and anything touching them) will be live, instead of the button sheltered at the bottom of the socket which is the only thing that's supposed to be. Getting polarization wrong is a bit like locking a fire exit; it's extremely dangerous to people who don't know your little ways. Check your work and fix it pronto.
PS: Unless you soldered the splices and thoroughly insulated them with heatshrink your 'repair' isn't a fix. Buy an extension cord of the appropriate length and same gauge (wire thickness), cut the female end off and use it to replace the entire damaged cord.
Don't splice, it is illegal, change the wire, or put your splice in an approved box.
It does matter which wire because some dude is going to go Rambo and try to fix it while "hot" then ZAP.
Polarity shouldn't matter for the vibrator. Typically it is a resonating coil or an offset weight on a motor. But I would assume there is a controller before vibrator, unless it is only a toggle switch.
It does matter which wire because some dude is going to go Rambo and try to fix it while "hot" then ZAP.
Polarity shouldn't matter for the vibrator. Typically it is a resonating coil or an offset weight on a motor. But I would assume there is a controller before vibrator, unless it is only a toggle switch.
Good point tall M but he was fixing the power cord, not the junction box.
For the record there ARE personal vibrators that run on household current. The CD Girls website is full of chicks using them.
As oj said up there, there is a ridge on all power cords or printing or something to distinguish the two. It is really VERY simple to wire them up correctly.
I certainly hope you didn't just twist them together and cover them with electrical tape......what you should have done is replace the entire cord, or cut the cord at the break and install an approved male plug. While that shortens the power cord it is the good way to do it. Either that or replace the entire cord which is the PERFECT way of doing it. Cord lengths from the manufacturer are there for a reason......
For the record there ARE personal vibrators that run on household current. The CD Girls website is full of chicks using them.
As oj said up there, there is a ridge on all power cords or printing or something to distinguish the two. It is really VERY simple to wire them up correctly.
I certainly hope you didn't just twist them together and cover them with electrical tape......what you should have done is replace the entire cord, or cut the cord at the break and install an approved male plug. While that shortens the power cord it is the good way to do it. Either that or replace the entire cord which is the PERFECT way of doing it. Cord lengths from the manufacturer are there for a reason......
Oh man,
Here is what happened.
First off here is the model of the vibrating device and it is 120 AC:
Hitachi Magic Wand
http://www.healthyandactive.com/hitachi-magic-wand-massager.html?gclid=CNT_2OCu6JMCFRItxwodwytXVw
The thing stopped vibrating or anything (no nothing). My wife like to use it for her clitoris sometimes.
So i took a look at the cord and found a slight tear in the plastic on the cord. I cut 1 inch piece out of the cord and forgot to notice which wire should connect back.
I took the plastic off the wires n both ends and twisted them togather and put black electrical tape on them ensureing nothing can touch between them. I stuffed the spliced ends back into the vib case so as not to be exposed.
The thing works now but not being a vibrator expoert I decided to ask for help from my trusted TERB friends.
great responses so far but bottom line "am I in trouble if I twsited the wrong ends together?"
Thanks!
And, no, she doesnt stuff the magic wand up her ass, at least while I have seen her use it. She won't even let me put my 5" penis up there so I can't see her putting a 12" vib up there. lol
Here is what happened.
First off here is the model of the vibrating device and it is 120 AC:
Hitachi Magic Wand
http://www.healthyandactive.com/hitachi-magic-wand-massager.html?gclid=CNT_2OCu6JMCFRItxwodwytXVw
The thing stopped vibrating or anything (no nothing). My wife like to use it for her clitoris sometimes.
So i took a look at the cord and found a slight tear in the plastic on the cord. I cut 1 inch piece out of the cord and forgot to notice which wire should connect back.
I took the plastic off the wires n both ends and twisted them togather and put black electrical tape on them ensureing nothing can touch between them. I stuffed the spliced ends back into the vib case so as not to be exposed.
The thing works now but not being a vibrator expoert I decided to ask for help from my trusted TERB friends.
great responses so far but bottom line "am I in trouble if I twsited the wrong ends together?"
Thanks!
And, no, she doesnt stuff the magic wand up her ass, at least while I have seen her use it. She won't even let me put my 5" penis up there so I can't see her putting a 12" vib up there. lol
The device will be rated for someone swapping the wires around. That said, having the wires the correct way around adds a level of safety to the design, and that level of safety is now defeated.
Myself, I replace any power cord that has been damaged. As such, I would replace the device automatically. I have been burned once too often with "fixed" and "okay" cords. People tend to wrap their hand around cords. When you get zapped with current your muscles contract. As such, you can't let go. The problems are worse if the cord may get damp or oily. (I'm thinking of industrial environments here, but it applies outside and inside the home too.) If the cord has developed a fault in one location, then it is likely it will develop a fault in another too.
Additionally, the rule of thumb is that if you are going to get shocked, it is much better to be shocked at only one point of body contact (which is survivable), versus two points which is much more likely to have fatal consequences. Always try to handle electrical equipment with only one hand. Not one hand while leaning against a metal surface, not one hand with feet in water, and never with both hands. Since this isn't the industrial kind of vibrator, two point contact may be possible.
I would probably replace the entire power cord at a minimum, and possibly the whole unit. Actually, unless it was plugged into a GFCI (Ground Fault Interrupted) receptacle, I wouldn't use a line powered vibrator at all. Those GFCI receptacles do save lives, I know someone who almost killed herself, and the GFCI stopped her.
Myself, I replace any power cord that has been damaged. As such, I would replace the device automatically. I have been burned once too often with "fixed" and "okay" cords. People tend to wrap their hand around cords. When you get zapped with current your muscles contract. As such, you can't let go. The problems are worse if the cord may get damp or oily. (I'm thinking of industrial environments here, but it applies outside and inside the home too.) If the cord has developed a fault in one location, then it is likely it will develop a fault in another too.
Additionally, the rule of thumb is that if you are going to get shocked, it is much better to be shocked at only one point of body contact (which is survivable), versus two points which is much more likely to have fatal consequences. Always try to handle electrical equipment with only one hand. Not one hand while leaning against a metal surface, not one hand with feet in water, and never with both hands. Since this isn't the industrial kind of vibrator, two point contact may be possible.
I would probably replace the entire power cord at a minimum, and possibly the whole unit. Actually, unless it was plugged into a GFCI (Ground Fault Interrupted) receptacle, I wouldn't use a line powered vibrator at all. Those GFCI receptacles do save lives, I know someone who almost killed herself, and the GFCI stopped her.
OldJones is right on the money the point of the two different size prongs is so that you don’t screw up the polarization of the circuit. As Old Jones wrote "screwing polarization up means the sides of a lamp socket (and anything touching them) will be live, instead of the button sheltered at the bottom of the socket which is the only thing that's supposed to be."
In other words if you visualize electricity as water you have a circuit where the electricity flows all the way through the system and then hits the "valve" where it exits at the pug (which keeps the appliance from running) rather than having the "valve" at the beginning of the circuit - hence no electricity - water flows through the system, it is dry.
In the first case if you try to work on the circuit you will "get wet" water will keep flowing i.e. you will be electrocuted when you serve as the ground for the circuit. In the second case the circuit will be "dry" and once you drain off the water in it you can work on it to your hearts content i.e. it won't be live and you will not be electrocuted.
In other words if you visualize electricity as water you have a circuit where the electricity flows all the way through the system and then hits the "valve" where it exits at the pug (which keeps the appliance from running) rather than having the "valve" at the beginning of the circuit - hence no electricity - water flows through the system, it is dry.
In the first case if you try to work on the circuit you will "get wet" water will keep flowing i.e. you will be electrocuted when you serve as the ground for the circuit. In the second case the circuit will be "dry" and once you drain off the water in it you can work on it to your hearts content i.e. it won't be live and you will not be electrocuted.
Cut the wire in 2 places so that the splices are a couple of inches apart for each wire. If the tape fails they still can't touch.
