Why can't I find a polarized replacement plug.

[Marilyn & Bob]

Looking for a replacement plug for our vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner has a rubber coated round cord with insulation and a black (hot) and white (neutral) wire inside the cord. So it needs an ungrounded two prong POLARIZED plug where the wires attach via screw terminals. Plenty of unpolarized plugs with screw terminals as well as polarized two prong "quick attach" plugs that can attach to flat lamp cord, but nothing for this very common use. Any ideas why this is the case? Or better than that, where I can find what I am looking for?

[bob_villa]

[clare]

Put a 3 wire on it and just leave the ground empty. Gives you the polarization protection

[Marilyn & Bob]

I've looked at this one carefully as part of my search. As far as I can tell, this is a "quick attach" type plug that does not have screw on terminals.

[gfretwell]

That one does have screw terminals and they have them at HD/Lowes

[Smarty]

I also think the recommended plug from Amazon above should work properly, and believe I used it for the same purpose you are now asking about.

I used it on an appliance with a round cord, and attached stranded, heavy gauge wires to screw terminals.

Bought mine at Home Depot.

[gregz]

Best solution. I use heavy duty plugs, with two part assembly, with screw own strain relief. Cheap enough at my hardware store.

Greg

[bob haller]

replace original power cord with a new grounded one, attach ground green wire to metal on sweeper colse to motor..

safer vacuum, easy fix

[Stormin Mormon]

Where have you looked? I'd check at a hardware store, with a helpful handy man. I looked on

and typed "polarized electrical plug" in the search box. I got some other items, but several perfectly good plugs that would suit your needs.

No charge, I do this as a service.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

. .

[Stormin Mormon]

Well, you got me, then. I did add "screw terminals" to the search block. I got two very nice plugs in the $15 range, but they are not polarized.

I tried Ebay and Harbor Freight. No joy.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

. .

[TimR]

Vacuum power cords are made to retract. It's not as simple as just putting a new cord on it. With other appliances I'd agree. Drive around on garbage day with wire cutters, take a plug and cord off any decent looking appliance sitting by the curb.

[bob_villa]

I was an appliance repairman for a True Value dealer and rarely saw a vacuum with a retractable cord. But I agree, the best fix is a cord replacement (preferably a new one).

[TimR]

Really? Upright vacs often wrap the cord around hooks, but every cannister vac I've owned retracted the cord into the base. That cord has to be round, rugged, flexible, and the right diameter to work.

[bob_villa]

Where do they say they have a canister vac?

[micky]

Very good.

And save the plug and 6" of cord from appliances one throws away in the future. At least one of them.

But has anyone suggested Ace Hardware or True Value. In many areas they have a lot more stuff than Home Depot.

Or buy a 3 prong plug and cut off or tear out the the ground prong. The remaing two are still polarized iirc.

OP, just looked at the Amazon url, and I dont't think it's quick attach. And I think they sell this at real hardware stores, if not Home Depot.

Now that Amazon is pushing one-day shipping, or even 2 or 3-day, they'd better start giving the shipping charge, because if people want something in 1 to 3 days, they're not going to have time to build up a

35 dollar order. For some reason I think the shipping is quite high if the order is under 35 dollars. And yet they raised the amount for free from 25 to 35 not long ago. Amazon now charges sales tax in Md. and almosty every state soon, because they have put a warehouse in Md. and plan to in the other states. I wonder if their cleverness is on the decline.

[TimR]

They don't say either way, do they?

But cannister vacs outnumber uprights so your claim that retractable cords are rare is false. And I now see that uprights with retractable cords are more common than in the past.

If the vac has a retractable cord, then replacing it is nontrivial for a homeowner, while changing the plug is easy.

It may be that as a repairman you saw few retractables, because one would only bring an expensive model in for repair, and in the past those tended to be the uprights.

[Scott Lurndal]

my 1958 electrolux canister cord doesn't retract, one stores it by winding it around the front air intake.

[bob_villa]

You have to leave the ground prong to insure the polarization, otherwise it could be inserted upside-down! (so you don't remember correctly)

[bob_villa]

In a '14-'15 Review of vacuums it states uprights are the most popular.

[clare]

Why take out the ground? Your house has 3 wire outlets, and only lamp extention cords are 2 wire. And no, most 3 wire plugs are NOT polarized - they don't have to be because it is virtually impossible to plug them in backwards.