If the Plug to My Vacuum Cleaner Is Damaged Can It Be Replaced?

What to Look for

• Examine the vacuum cleaner plug to determine if it is damaged. The plug should cover the exposed portion of wires on the end of the cord where the cord insulation ends. Replace the plug if the wires are not covered up, before they have a chance to be damaged also. Common damage to watch out for on the plug itself includes one or more loose prongs or a missing prong.

Removing the Old Plug

• Remove the old plug for replacement by cutting the cord at least 1 inch, and preferably 2 inches, below the end of the plug, using a sharp utility knife. To make sure you get a plug that's compatible to the old one, with the exact number of prongs; just take the old plug with you to the store. Strip between 1 to 2 inches of the plastic insulation covering the cord wires off, using wire strippers.

Installing a New Plug

• If the vacuum cleaner plug has two prongs, the cord will have two wires, one with black insulation and the other with white. Three-prong plugs connect correspond with three wires, with one black insulation, another white and the third green. Remove the casing and insert the cord up into the new plug. The plug normally has colored screw terminals that show you which wire to connect to each one. Connect the black wire to the brass screw, the white wire to the silver screw and the green wire, if there is one, to the green screw. Loosen the screws and tighten them back down with a screwdriver.

Protecting the Plug

• There are simple ways to help protect the plug from damage when you use the vacuum cleaner. A key time is when you finish vacuuming and you aren't near the outlet where the vacuumed is plugged in. Although it's tempting to grab the cord and yank it, jerking the plug out of the outlet, this is a common way for the plug to be damaged. Instead, just walk over and grip the plug, not the end of the cord just behind it, and pull it out. The end of the cord already gets a enough of a workout, constantly bending while you use the vacuum cleaner. Pulling it only helps the cord to eventually break, or you end up pulling the wires off the plug terminals. Also, wrap the cord up on the vacuum cleaner between uses, to avoid it being walked over or damaged in any other way.