How To Repair Your Broken Refrigerator Cord

Posted on: 13 January 2016

If the electrical cord to your refrigerator has become damaged or compromised, you don't need to get a new fridge. All you need to do is remove the damaged cord and attach a new plug. Here is how you can easily fix your broken or damaged refrigerator cord. 

Supplies

  • Wire Cutter
  • Wire Stripper
  • Screwdriver
  • 3-Prong 15 Amp Plug

Set-Up

This is a fairly quick job, so you do not need to remove all the food from your fridge while you do it. However, you should keep the door to your fridge shut and refrain from opening it while you complete this repair in order to keep the cold inside your fridge. 

Unplug your refrigerator from the outlet. Pull your refrigerator out so you can access the cord and the back of your refrigerator. You may need someone to assist you with this step.

Check The Cord

Next, inspect the cord and determine where the damage starts. Use your wire cutters to cut the cord at the location where the damage starts. Set aside the section of cord that you cut off.

Use your wire strippers to pull back the wires on the cord. There should be three different wires that are exposed now. You want to have about an inch of bare wires exposed for each separate wire.

Prepare The New Plug

Take out the new plug. Check and make sure that you purchased a three-prong plug that is certified for 15 amps. Virtually all refrigerators require a 15 amp plug.

Use your screwdriver to remove the holding screws from the plug. Take the butt end, which is the opposite end of where the prongs are, and slide it over the wire. 

Attach The New Plug

Then, take the exposed wires and attach them to the prongs on the plug. The ground wire should be attached to the green screw inside the plug. The hot wire, which should have a smooth plastic sheath around it, is attached to the brass crew inside of the plug. The neutral wire, which should be labeled as such on the plastic wire sheath around it, is attached to the silver screw inside the plug.

Once you have attached the wire to the appropriate plug, tighten the connections that you just made with your screwdriver. 

Make sure that everything is in place, and then plug in the now undamaged cord with its new plug. Test it and make sure that it works before you push your refrigerator back into place.  Talk to an appliance repair part professional for assistance.

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