Hoover 800/Special 825 cord problem

[thevacuumman]

i plugged in my special 825 and it had started smoking from the cord it turned out who ever serviced it before i had got it had cut off part of the stress relief which made it not fit in the switch cover and the black wire came off and touched the white wire and tripped the circuit breaker of my house

 

[electrolux~137]

Try this again and maybe short out your home's electric meter if the master circuit breaker or fuse doesn't blow fast enough (completely possible - speaking from first-hand "live and learn" experience), then you'll figure out why it's not a good idea to plug in any old appliance without first testing it on diagnostic equipment (e.g., a Vacutronic tester)!

Furthermore, firing up an old vacuum cleaner to full power that may have sat for decades without being run, can damage or permanently harm the motor. That's what Variacs (variable-voltage transformers) are for.

 

[electrolux~137]

Variac:

 

[74simon]

Originally there would have been a small A-shaped piece of fibreboard that went behind the switch plate, and the thread that lines the flex would have been tied to it, to prevent the cord being pulled out.

Your best bet would be to get something to clamp the flex to behind the switch plate - a cable tie maybe? Also, if the flex needs changing, I'd personally upgrade it to a three core one, earthing it on one of the switch plate screws for safety's sake.