Repair or replace Hoover cord?

[fan-of-fans]

On my Hoover Slimline, the original cord is extremely stiff. When you unwrap it from the hooks on the machine, it retains the wrapped shape. I've tried flexing it and it just won't flex. I've never seen this happen before. I wonder if it was stored that way for years out in a hot shed or something?

Is there anything I can put on the outer jacket that might make it supple again? Another problem is there is green gooey stuff around the plug prongs. I heard this happens sometimes when there is some reaction in the wire/insulation. Maybe that's what caused it to get stiff? Again it's really weird because I've never seen or heard of a Hoover cord doing this. Or any vacuum cord.

With that in mind I'm thinking I should just replace it. I've looked on eBay but I can't really find any cords that are the right color/vintage Hoover cords. I guess I could just replace it with one of the generic replacement black vacuum cords they sell on there, but I kinda like things close to original.

Any suggestions?

 

[electroluxxxx]

You can try soaking the cord in hot water if it’s not cracked or split, I have done this on several occasions to soften up a stiff cord. As for the green stuff, most likely it’s the start of corrosion and you might be able to clean it up with some rubbing alcohol and a wire brush.

 

[lesinutah]

Flat

Take this with a grain of salt.
Ww take our long cords at work string them in a straight line untangling as you go. You pull the cord towards you it fixes some kinks.
I think if you use like an armor all or interior car cleaner.
If you have battery cleaner or electrical cleaner spray it in the prongs. You can use a metal brush they use to clean batteries with.
These are all suggestions to maybe help your cord last longer.
Les

 

[real1shep]

I would try......

the judicious use of a real heat gun along its length. The stiffness you observed is on a molecular level and the heat may rearrange things. You could also drop the cord in boiling water for ten minutes and then remove.

Yeah, there's spray battery terminal cleaners you can buy at like NAPA....but making a paste of baking soda an water is hard to beat on that kind of corrosion.

There are vendors online that sell cords of various colors, but their target customers are commercial.....Still, it's possible to get the correct color. And I'm talking about cords with the plug ends.

Kevin

 

[fan-of-fans]

Today I tried the suggestions. I boiled the cord for about 10 minutes then let it sit in the hot water for about 20 minutes. The cord did get very flexible while it was still hot. But once it cooled, it got stiff again. Now it has a coiled shape of what it was in the water.

I also tried spraying it with Armor All and trying to let it soak in, but this didn't seem to work.

For now I think I'll just leave it as-is. The cord is usable but it's just not like a cord should be. I hate to replace it with a generic cord, because to me it makes it lose its originality. I like my old vacuums and appliances to have their original cords and plugs, if they still have them.

I don't really use this machine so I guess it's not a big deal for me as it is.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

 

[huskyvacs]

Once vulcanized rubber has degraded, you can never get it back to being pliable again, and if it's cracking apart, soaking it in water is a no-no because you will trap water under the insulation and create a bad situation.

If the cord is that stiff, then the wire sheathing inside the insulation is the the same, and it would not take anything to create a dead short across the hot and neutral wires and explode the cord and start a fire or kill the vacuum. (Yes, explode) I had this happen to me with a 1970's auto work light that had not been used in 30 years. Plugged it in, did not light. Before I could unscrew the bulb to check if it was dead, the cord started whistling like a tea kettle, then BOOM, the cord exploded in the middle and liquefied rubber flew all over the area and the end of the cord burned off and caught fire in the outlet and singed the wall.

I have several antique 1920's cleaners and the cords have been replaced on all of them. I saved the original or last-replaced cord for posterity's sake to keep with the vacuum for future reference, and trust me, there is no way they were ever safe to plug in and use at any point after languishing for 70-80 years. Also as wires age and decay, so does their resistance, and they can heat up at a greater intensity due to wire corrosion, and melt the sheathing off the inner wires, and when they touch and short out, boom.

As is stated on Antiques Roadshow with lamps and other electrical items, replacing cords does not hurt the value of antiques and appliances so long as you get the closest 1:1 match you can in color and appearance. The cord being not original is not detrimental to the value so long as it is close to the original and not some ugly giant orange construction cord on a Tiffany lamp for example. Would you use an antique gas stove if the pipes inside were rusted out and leaking just because they were original? Is it worth the risk of blowing up the house?

For your own safety as well as the safety and preservation of the vacuum itself, just replace the bad cords with a modern day match that is the proper wire gauge and amperage for the vacuum. They make fabric asbestos-free appliance cords in every length, color, and braid type you can imagine now. Same with rubberized scuff-resistant cords like you see on 1960's and newer cleaners. You would never know the cord has been replaced.

Here's the cord on a Singer H-7 that I just got:

 

[bnsd60m9200]

let it soak in dawn (liquid not bubbbles) overnite on the cord. and wipe off. itll give some elasticity back. a light coating of dawn as it just turns to sudsy soap will be enough to not dry out overnite

 

[detroitdirtbag]

I’d get a new cord, a vac shop has them for under $20,

 

[human]

Originality vs. safety...

I think it really comes down to a question of originality vs. safety and whether you plan to actually use the machine or just display it. That cord looks pretty rough and as others have noted, the insulation will eventually crack and allow a dead short. So, if you're going to actually use the vacuum, go ahead and replace the cord. If you can find an OEM cord in good shape, the machine would still be more or less original.

My late father was the same way about his antique cars. He had a 1935 Lincoln four-door convertible with the original canvas top and was afraid to put it down for fear it would disintegrate trying to put it back up. He and his brother had an ongoing argument about this. My uncle maintained it was better to go ahead and replace the old top so the car could be fully enjoyed as it was meant to be but Dad valued the originality more so a year after he died, my mom and sister sold the car with the original top still in place. Of course, Dad was also afraid to drive his collector cars for fear of putting too many miles on them and thus reducing their value. So he enjoyed the knowledge that they were in the garages but seldom, if ever, enjoyed getting them out on the road.