How do I fix the power cord to a prelit Christmas tree?

Question

I have a 3 month old Daschund puppy. And I just realized that he chewed through the power cord to my pre-lit Christmas Tree. It wasnt plugged in, the dog is fine but the tree cord is completely bitten all the way through. And chewed on. Is this fixable? Its a brand new tree. Can i strip off the casing and reconnect the wires somehow? Use electrical tape? Anything? Would that be safe?

Answer 1

Cut the cord at the nearest damage to the lights. Get a plug from a hardware store that you can attach to the ends- they're pretty easy to put together. See a store associate if you need help picking out the right size. You won't need a large industrial strength plug, a small one will do.

If it is too short to reach your outlet then use an extension cord.

Answer 2

well here is what i would do. it kind of depends on your skill level though.
first obtain a piece of pvc pipe, any kind will do for this purpose. it should be a long enough and big enough pipe to slide over the cord when you are done, preventing the dog from doing it again. that's all it is for.

OK, if it is a simple two wire system. cut out the bad section. you may want to buy a short household extension cord and cut the end you plug things into off of it. any way, cut the wires so that one is oh..an inch or more longer than the other, and the same on the other end that you intend to splice together.

twist together a short and a long side, then do the other side the same way. that should put your splices at least an inch apart. if you are comfortable doing it, solder the connections. if not, just get some wire nuts from a home center, the smaller ones will do. twist on the wire nuts as tight as you can, even using pliers to do so if required. then, tape them with electrical tape too. slide the pvc pipe back over the spot, and tape the ends to hold it in place. this will give your wiring job some protection from the dog, and peace of mind that it is triple insulated, and wont shock anyone. you may want to paint the pvc green or whatever. you could use that foam that goes over pipes instead of the pvc. it will be easier to get on if you forget and dont slide the pipe on before you make your connections.

Answer 3

Christmas Tree Extension Cord

Answer 4

The safest thing to do is to remove as much of the cord as possible. Go buy an extension cord and cut off the outlet end. Now either solder the ends together or use some wire nuts. There are also plastic covered metal splices that you pinch onto the wires. Cover up the splice with electrical tape.

I would not just twist the wires together and tape because they can be pulled apart.

Answer 5

The first two answers that I see make sense. I would only add that you can buy short sections of heat-shrinkable black plastic tubing that will provide a more finished appearance and sturdier repair than black electrical tape. You just have to make sure you slip the tubing onto the wire before you join the broken ends. You can still use a bit of tape to hold things together, but use the heat-shrink tubing to cover it up. No sticky tape ends/edges, no mess, looks nice and neat. You can buy the tubing at an electric/electronic supply store (like Radio Shack in USA) or possibly from a large home store like Home Depot, Lowes, or Wal Mart. You can shrink the tubing with a blow dryer or through judicious use of a cigarette lighter. The diameter of the tubing you buy should be just large enough to slip over the repair section, then the heating will shrink it all up tight around the wire splice.

Answer 6

Just cut the bad section of the wire that was damaged. If reconnecting both ends does not leave you enough wire to get to the plug add a piece of wire (same width preferably) be sure and use electrical tape on each individual wire tie.

Answer 7

You can actually buy a new "male" end plug. If you have enough good wire left just cut off the old and replace the end. Under 5 bucks. U.S. If you have to add wire use wire-nuts and tape. Twist everything to the right (clockwise) I agree never just twist and tape. Hope this helps!

Answer 8

cut wire back & make bare. The safest way is to twist + to + , - to - and use a wire nut that can be bought in any electrical dept. of department stores or an electrical supply house. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

No... Did you try to make sure you weren't missing a bulb or they were all in the sockets good? My mom has had her 7ft pre-lit tree for 5 years and it's been ok. We bought a smaller artificial tree when we moved because the 7ft tree was too tall, I think this new one isn't a pre-lit, though. It could have been the tree, though. Bulbs do burn out and nothing does last forever. I don't think you needed to throw it out, could hvae just bought bulbs this year and next year to have extras. But kudos on going tree shopping on Tuesday. I bought a little 3ft tree for my apartment for a whole $4 last year. Kicked butt.