How do I find a broken wire?

[mm]

How do I find a broken wire?

I have a 100 foot orange extension cord that doesn't work.

Usually when I cut one in half with a hedge trimmer, it's fairly easy to find the defect. And then I fix it.

Other times I use pins to check continuity near the plug or socket, where cords usually break.

But this time the problem is somewhere in the middle! If I worked for the electric compnay, or the cable company, or even probably the gas company, I'd have some clever tool that find open circuits in the middle of wires, even underground.

Is there something I have around the house or can buy cheaply that will do this?

I found for only 45 dollars an Armada Tone Probe, that works with a tone gneerator, but I guess I want some method that is cheaper!

[Bob Villa]

I bought a non-contact tester for about $5. Plug the cord in and (if it's the black wire ) check the length. If it's the white, you need to use an adapter for the plug to reverse the polarity. (You could jumper

*short* the female end and then check going back to the plug...not the safest!)

[SBH]

You can purchase a non-contact voltage tester @ HF for $7 and it works great.

Im not sure if this will work, but plug in the cord and run the tester along starting from the outlet. I would believe it it will detect power until it hits the bad spot then stop. Someone with better electrical experience will correct me if I'm wrong.

[mm]

That sounds like a great idea. I even have one of those somewhere. And maybe another one somewhere else.

It will be a while before I find them.

[HeyBub]

Here's the link for the $7 tester.

I have one from another manufacturer and it's quite useful.

[Bob Villa]

[e-mail]:

I'm slow...but I did get it!

[Jim Elbrecht]

you sure? You've replaced both ends? Checked your work? If that failed, I'd pull the 100feet through my bare hand a couple times to see where the indent was.

I might try non-contact voltmeter if I had one-- but I'm more likely to make 2 50 foot cords first. One of them will work. If I needed a

25, I might make a couple of them too.

-snip-

I sure wouldn't spend $45 for a tool to fix a $25 [16/3] to $60 [12/3] cord.

Jim

[N8N]

If it's a long 12/3 cord, you can actually spin that as justification to buy another tool. Really, I'm surprised that you don't understand this. :)

nate

[zek]

I typically energize and attach a light. Go along the cord and push sections together. As you said its usually near the ends. The tester trick should also work.

greg

[Bob Villa]

We were already covered...as far as testing for the white wire. TYHOOYA

[Mark Lloyd]

Or any wire you connect hot to.

[Mark Lloyd]

The one I have was sold to fix strings of miniature holiday lights. It would be less useful to some, bacause they don't tell you what it actually does. It's a non-contact voltage tester.

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Thankyou for waking me up. I thought I was just having a bad dream. it was real? I wrote "I wouldn't buy a tool'?

I've got to quit dozing at the keyboard. Sorry if anyone was harmed by my negligence.

Jim

[Bob Villa]

It was covered in the beginning of the thread...let's try to catch- up.

[Sjouke Burry]

A break in some random place means an olmost worn out cable.

Get a new one.

[Metspitzer]

Unless you did something like accidentally (or intentionally) pull the cord with your car, it is unlikely it is broken in the middle. If it were it would probably be noticeable.

My bet is one end or the other. Or an existing splice.

[Bob Villa]

You mean "ohm"most...don't you?

[mm]

The ends I tested.

Well maybe an existing splice, but that would mean I didn't make all my prior splices perfectly. That's an unacceptable position. And I did solder them, and I recall no cold solder.

It's all rolled up now, but when I unroll it, because of all the advice I've gotten, I'll be able to go at it from every vantage point, including the middle. I have no doubt it will be working by early summer.

Thank you all.

[mm]

Thanks. I may be near harbor freight on Thursday.

It turns out the things I had weren't quite the same and I don't think they would work. here.

[mm]

I checked both ends using a pin to pierce the insulation.

Pulling the wire thorugh my bare hand is a very good idea.

That's a thought.

Right. That's what I'm NOT going to do.

It was worth having this thread. I'm sure this won't be the only extension cord I have trouble with.