6 Ways To Care For Your Laptop Power Cords

By Author: Jennifer Truong
Total Articles: 95
Comment this article

Is your digital world looking lonely without your laptop? Is it that your battery has stopped charging? When you plug your laptop into a power source, you'll notice a tiny LED light, ensuring everything is fine. But the opposite happens when there's no such animation. 
This surely indicates that something is completely wrong and leads to frustration. You may immediately run to a PC repair shop for a costly repair. Won’t you? But this isn't always the case. Therefore, there are many reasons why your charging has stopped, such as laptop power cords. So to help you, here are some ways you can take care of your power cord. 

Examine your Power Cords 

To make sure your power cord's life is extended, the best thing you can do is to examine it. Look for breaks and unusual bending. Because these are tiny and sensitive PC tools, they can easily wrap and bend, leading to physical damage. So if you see any unusual shape, then simply replace the affected end of the power cord.

Avoid tight Wrapping 

Do you wrap your laptop ...
... power cord too tightly? Even though you want to keep it organized, it can shorten life and damage the wires. The tight patterns put continuous stress on the thin copper conductors inside the power cords. As a result, it leads to breakage. So remember to lose your laptop power cord and do not crimp the wires. Instead, wrap them each time differently. 

Avoid Sharp Edges 

Do you often move your power cords from one place to another? Do you have a specific charging hub? If it is a sharp surface, know that table edges will destroy your power cord. The rubber protecting the wire gets easily worn away. So make sure your charging hub doesn't have any sharp edges. 

Keep the Power Cord away from the Water

Electronic devices and water don't mix well together. A tiny accident can cause complete damage to your laptop or can lead to electrocution. Therefore it is important to keep your laptop power cords away from water. For instance, you shouldn't charge your laptop in the kitchen or bathroom. Besides, if near water, disconnect it, move it immediately and make sure it is completely dry. 

Stock Different Cords 

Another thing you can do to ensure the long life of your laptop power cords is to keep a stock of multiple cords. When one breaks down or seems unusual you can reduce the wear and tear of both by using another. For instance, you can store an extra cord for travelling and leave others in your bedroom. This will prevent pulling, wrapping and stretching, thereby increasing their life span. 

Seek Professional Help

Exhausted all of your options? Tired of trying everything? The next best solution would be to seek help from professionals. Because laptops and their machinery can be complex, it is better to leave them in the hands of professionals. So reach out to your laptop’s manufacturer or contact an expert. 
How to Repair Your Laptop Power Cord?
Is your power cord in bad condition? Wondering if you can repair it? Well, here is how you can repair your laptop power cord:
Step 1: Get all the Necessary Tools 
The very first thing you need to do is get all the necessary tools for the work to be done. The tools you'll require are as follows:

Soldering iron 
Vise
Multimeter
Wire cutter 
Flathead screwdriver 
Utility knife 
Super glue 
Hot glue gun 
Electrical tape 

Step 2: Start the Work 
Once you've all the tools, start the work. Firstly ensure that your power cord is disconnected. Check both sides- laptop as well as outlet.
Step 3: Look for Problems 
Now look for problems and cut out the problem using cutting tools. Once done, now you must have two pieces of your power cord. Next, make room for it later and slide a section of heat shrink tubing down onto one of the wire segments.
Step 4: Peel Back the Insulation 
The next step is to peel back the insulation from the wires using a wire stripping tool. Here you will need to cut the cord down again. 
Make sure to take extreme caution not to cut too deeply. Then twist the inner wires together as you proceed through each layer to ensure that they stay together.
Step 5: Add Heat
Now the individual strands should be knotted together and both sides should be peeled. For this, take the middle wire and twist it around to connect the two sides. Then, using the now-hot soldering iron, apply a small amount of solder. 
Wait until it cools and then cover the wires with electrical tape. Ensure that electrical tape completely encases the innermost wire to prevent a short circuit and fire. Now as you work your way up to the outermost layer, repeat these steps for each layer.
Step 6: Test 
Now you've to check and test to ensure everything is functioning perfectly. Leave your final connection free of electrical tape and verify that every connection on your adapter is safe. Besides, to ensure that you can rapidly cut off electricity and plug the adapter into a surge strip. 
Remember to keep your hand on the power switch. If everything functions as it should, raise the heat shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it with a hair drier or soldering iron. Next, to prevent the tubing from melting, keep shifting the heat source.
Use Superior Quality Wires 
We at SFCable are your best partner for all your electronic needs. Be it power cords or cable, we have a wide range of products with lifetime warranties. You can enjoy the same shipping and exceptional after-sales customer support at reasonable prices.  

Visit: 6 Ways To Care For Your Laptop Power Cords

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a California based online retailer of all kind of cables, wires, cords, and other related accessories for computers and other consumer electronics. SF Cable is well known in the market for providing high-quality products at low prices by sourcing them directly from manufacturers. Jennifer has extensive experience in the cable industry and has been instrumental in the growth of SF Cable and in establishing it as one of the leading providers of cables online.