How to clean female terminals in 30 Amp extension cord?????

[rv_safetyman]

I have two 30 amp extension cords and both are well used.  Both have signs of being overheated on one leg (blackened finish). 

We are currently on 30 amp service (drawing close to max with both AquaHot and space heater running).  My volt meters show full voltage, but there are signs that we do not have the best "connection".  I just went out and checked the temperature of each spade (slightly exposed) and one leg on one cord is hotter than the rest (one is 114* - rest are in the 80s).   

I have cleaned the male terminals with a file - will do a better job with fine sandpaper when I get a chance.  However, I am not sure how I can get the coating off the female receivers in the cord.  The female end shows signs of heat damage, but not yet excessive.  Want to do some preventive work (if possible) before it gets too bad.

Any suggestions???

Jim

[uncle ned]

I keep both male and female ends covered with dielectric grease. It has been the best thing for me on all electric connections.

uncle Ned

[bevans6]

If I have a cord or wire that shows visible signs of running hot, I replace it.  My feeling is that the damage is done, I don't know the true extent of the damage, and I can't fix it, I can only apply a bandaid.  Kinda sucks when the cord costs a hundred bucks, but there it is.  The problem with the female end of a moulded plug is that they fail from two causes - corrosion, which can be helped with abrasion, and tension on the clamping faces of the receptacle terminals, which in a sealed plug cannot be adjusted, the loosening is due to fatigue anyway, which cannot realistically be un-fatigued, and scrubbing with the little file or strip of sandpaper makes worse in the first place.

Just my two cents worth.

Brian

[Len Silva]

I agree with Brian, you cannot properly clean up or repair the female terminal, especially the sealed ones.  In a pinch, you can put a slight bend or twist in the male pins to get a better connection, but that is temporary at best.

[rv_safetyman]

Unfortunately, the answers so far are about what I expected  

I have some Corrosion X and dielectric grease with me.  Any thoughts on what I might try for a temporary fix?

It looks like there are replacement male and female ends:

http://www.amazon.com/Camco-55245-PowerGrip-Replacement-Plug/dp/B000PGXQNC

I will order replacements and have them shipped to Chattanooga for our arrival for the BCM rally  (will be there Sunday to help Mike set up).

Jim

[Sean]

Well, I actually beg to disagree that repair is impossible.

I have had success on molded receptacle ends by using a piece of emery board, the kind they sell in the cosmetic department at Walgreens, etc. for around four for a dollar.  They are the right thickness to clean both sides of the terminal fairly well, and you can trim them with snips until they are just the right size to fit in the slot.

On many ends, even the clamping force can be corrected.  Heat the end with a hair dryer until the rubber is a bit soft (do not use a heat gun, which will melt it if you are not careful).  Then carefully squeeze the entire end in a vise.  If it is a TT-30, which has angled slots, you will need to squeeze once in each direction, and try to keep the other slot outside the jaws.  Once this is done, you can use a fine-blade screwdriver to adjust the tangs until the blades slide smoothly.

When I buy extension cords, I favor the ones with transparent ends so that I can see exactly what is going on with the terminals.

All that said, yes, the ultimate answer is to replace the ends.  Just remember that add-on ends are never as weatherproof as the molded ones, which is why I like to try to keep the molded ones going as long as possible.  Packing them with dielectric grease is one way to extend the life, and a spritz of contact cleaner occasionally (followed by re-greasing) can also help.

Lastly, remember that many cables and cable ends can be degraded by UV, so keeping the connectors shaded can also extend their lifespan.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Lin]

Being "thrifty", I would first try to save what I had as Sean suggested.  I have cleaned contacts with an emery board, but never did the heat and squeeze.  That's a good one to remember.  Next option for me would be replacing the bad end, which is far cheaper than a new cord.  Although, as mentioned, it is not as weather resistant as the original, one can do a pretty good job with tape and various sealers.  I generally try to keep the cords out of puddles anyway.

[boogiethecat]

My take is that by the time the terminals have gotten hot and crusty, they've also lost their spring temper (if they even had any) and will no longer hold tightly even if you could clean them off.
So cleaning them will only result in early failure again.

Easy fix: Geez- just cut the end off and screw on a good quality Hubble end.  They cost 10-15 bucks but if the rest of the cord is still good, they can't be beat for quality.

[JackConrad]

Jim,
   I have used the Camco replacement ends on our cords. I am very happy with them. When an end starts to look questionable, I cut it off and replace it, removing any wire that shows signs of excessive heat.  Jack