Sometimes it may be necessary to extend the length of a household electrical cable. In fact, this may be very common. Although this may seem extremely simple on paper, it must be done with care and attention.
Therefore, it is important to see in detail how it is possible to extend the length of an electrical cable for domestic use while paying attention to all the steps to be taken and trying to be as accurate as possible.
The first step
As previously mentioned, to well perform this task, it is necessary to take care of your own safety first. Therefore, to avoid unpleasant problems, you must disconnect your electricity grid. In this way, you can make changes to the electricity grid of your home without taking any risks, while operating in maximum protection. After this step, it is a good idea to get the necessary equipment to carry out this task in the best possible way. When you are preparing to extend the length of an electrical cable for domestic use, the tools to be used are: screwdrivers of various shapes and dimensions, the electric cables of course, an insulating material (the insulating tape can be used in this case), soldering material such as paste, tin or in rare cases even the electric welder, plugs whether male or female and finally the strip connector, a particular tool widely used in the field of electronics.
Of course, before proceeding with this task it is of fundamental importance to remember that not all cables can be extended without the intervention of professionals.
Extending electric cables with a strip connector or without it
At this stage, the task is divided into two parts. As a matter of fact, there are two possible cases, whether to use the strip connector or the cable extension or to perform the task, without these elements. Of course, the choice depends on your needs and on the length of the cable. It is, therefore, necessary to analyse the procedure in detail in both possible cases:
– With a strip connector or with a cable extension: if you need a strip connector or a cable extension, you need to remove the protective sheath from the cable you want to lengthen as a first step. The sheath should be removed for a length of about 1 cm. If you are not sure of the length, and if you are in doubt you can use a meter. You can connect the exposed cables to the mammoth by fastening the appropriate screws using the suitable screwdrivers that you have chosen in advance. Once this operation has been completed, it is necessary to weld everything, using the paste but also the electric welder if you want to do a more precise job. If you use the cable extension, you must fix the end between the cable and the cable extension correctly. Once you have completed this task, the modification will be completed.
– Without a strip connector or the cable extension: without the strip connector or the cable extension the operation is very similar but of course, there are some small differences. First of all, you have to get rid of the protection of the cables that need to be connected. At this stage, the ends of the cables are twisted. After this passage, it is necessary to pass to the soldering. The welding must be carried out naturally always with tin or with a soldering iron. At this stage, the modification is finished. However, before reinserting the modified cable in the electrical system, the advice is to use an external power supply. This avoids short circuits or problems resulting from the modification. As if that were not enough, through an external power supply it is also possible to measure the correct level of tension of the cables. As a final step, you must connect everything to the plug.
Some risks that must not be underestimated
If done with the right care, this modification is very easy. However, some risks could arise and shall not be underestimated. First of all, if you are not familiar with this type of work, it is advisable to contact an expert in the field. This will prevent damages that could cause your power supply system to blow up. In addition to this, you should also pay attention to the applicable regulations relating to cable modifications. If these are not permitted, it is better not to attempt any modification to avoid infringing the rules. Finally, great care must be taken when removing the protection of the cables, because if, when doing it you are not sure of what you are doing, during the following welding you may cause real short circuits.