Replacement cord grip/strain reliefs for mains/IEC plugs?

Jun 14, 2012 5 Replies

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy a bag (of 50, 100, I don't care how many) replacement little cord grips/strain relief clamps that fit in mains plugs/in-line IEC plugs and such-like? You know, the little plate secured by two screws half an inch apart.



There is a brand of IEC 'kettle lead' connectors which are commonly for sale everywhere but which clearly don't meet British standards. They have a cord grip that isn't made of plastic, it's a piece of fibre-board, rather like circuit board! They are not capable of exerting enough force on a cable to keep it secure in the plug without the grip simply cracking in half. This is not safe. They're s*it. The grip should be plastic and flexible so that it can be tightened to grip the cable powerfully enough.



I don't want to buy several dozen more IEC plugs and change them all. I want to replace the little cord grips for ones that actually secure the cable.



Is such a thing purchasable somewhere?



Michael


They are probably old ones as most of the oldens I ever saw had these fibre versions. Are these the sort that are one sided and the screws go into the body of the plug, or the two sided ones that sit loose in the space provided? Either way, I'g have though some suitable plastic cable ties could be butchered and drilled for this. Brian

I'm surprised they don't have moulded on outlets.

So report them to trading standard before the things kill someone.

Then buy some proper ones that do meet BS rather than trying to bodge a solution.

I've never seen such for sale. The old fibre strips fail as you describe, but FR4 works well, its more than strong enough.

NT

I've not seen the particular brand of IEC plugs, but previous experience wi= th older mains plugs has been that I've never had a fibre cable grip fail, = whereas some of the plastic ones embrittle with age and break with minimal = force. Perhaps the spec for the fibre strip is different on these plugs?

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