Cord cut. How do I determine which wire is hot and which is neutral?

[Shawn]

I will be getting my hands on a blu-ray player tomorrow with a cut cord. Soldering in a new power cord will be easy, but I want to make sure I get the polarity correct. I don't have the original cord for reference. I'm guessing it'll be written on the PCB correct?

Here is the best pic I could find. Would blue be hot?

 

[CptCrunch]

easy

plug it in, lick one side of the cord. If you are still conscious, then that one is not live and its the other side.

 

[compuwiz1]

There is no polarity on A/C it does not matter. 1 of 2 ways to connect. Either way will work just fine.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Shawn
I will be getting my hands on a blu-ray player tomorrow with a cut cord. Soldering in a new power cord will be easy, but I want to make sure I get the polarity correct. I don't have the original cord for reference. I'm guessing it'll be written on the PCB correct?

Here is the best pic I could find. Would blue be hot?

Do you have the entire cord? If so, just match the cord pieces...which often have some kind of identifying mark on one side.

If NOT, write to the manufacturer.

 

[PottedMeat]

Wide prong - neutral, narrow - hot?

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Shawn
I will be getting my hands on a blu-ray player tomorrow with a cut cord. Soldering in a new power cord will be easy, but I want to make sure I get the polarity correct. I don't have the original cord for reference. I'm guessing it'll be written on the PCB correct?

Here is the best pic I could find. Would blue be hot?

Do you have the entire cord? If so, just match the cord pieces...which often have some kind of identifying mark on one side.

If NOT, write to the manufacturer.

I have this much of the cord.

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Shawn
I will be getting my hands on a blu-ray player tomorrow with a cut cord. Soldering in a new power cord will be easy, but I want to make sure I get the polarity correct. I don't have the original cord for reference. I'm guessing it'll be written on the PCB correct?

Here is the best pic I could find. Would blue be hot?

Do you have the entire cord? If so, just match the cord pieces...which often have some kind of identifying mark on one side.

If NOT, write to the manufacturer.

I have this much of the cord.

...so it's stolen? If so, both sides are hot.

 

[Shawn]

I don't think so.

 

[sdifox]

err, the original cord have colour coded jacket. the terminal on the board would be marked.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Shawn
I will be getting my hands on a blu-ray player tomorrow with a cut cord. Soldering in a new power cord will be easy, but I want to make sure I get the polarity correct. I don't have the original cord for reference. I'm guessing it'll be written on the PCB correct?

Here is the best pic I could find. Would blue be hot?

Do you have the entire cord? If so, just match the cord pieces...which often have some kind of identifying mark on one side.

If NOT, write to the manufacturer.

I have this much of the cord.

...so it's stolen? If so, both sides are hot.

That's not much cord to work with.

Write to the manufacturer. Ask THEM, or ask for a copy of the schematic.

 

[Elstupido]

Most if not all cords will have what is called an identified conductor which is usually a ribbed insulation or such. This is the neutral which goes to the silver screw of the cord cap

 

[MattCo]

do you have a pic of the other side of the cord? sometimes they have a white line to indicate which is whic

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
There is no polarity on A/C it does not matter. 1 of 2 ways to connect. Either way will work just fine.

Hello! Did anyone read this?

 

[jtvang125]

Most audio/video components have their power supply built inside the unit so any current before the power supply is A/C and thus won't matter.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
There is no polarity on A/C it does not matter. 1 of 2 ways to connect. Either way will work just fine.

Hello! Did anyone read this?

err, you have noticed that 2 prong plugs are actually coded for which is hot right? The smaller one is supposed to be the hot one and the other neutral.

 

[Elstupido]

Polarity sure as hell matters on AC. Reverse the polarity on a lamp socket, and the screwshell on the light bulb you are screwing in is then hot, which can give you a nasty shock. That is why cord caps are polarized.

 

[boomerang]

Assume you have an A/C circuit with two wires. One is black with a wide pronged end and the other is blue with a narrow pronged end.

Which one carries the current?

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Polarity sure as hell matters on AC. Reverse the polarity on a lamp socket, and the screwshell on the light bulb you are screwing in is then hot, which can give you a nasty shock. That is why cord caps are polarized.

And the shell is insulated with cardboard. What happens if you touch the center contact?

 

[Elstupido]

They both technically carry equal current. The blue wire on the narrow prong is the hot wire, the black on the wide prong is the grounded, return conductor, or more widely known as the neutral.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Polarity sure as hell matters on AC. Reverse the polarity on a lamp socket, and the screwshell on the light bulb you are screwing in is then hot, which can give you a nasty shock. That is why cord caps are polarized.

I just went and inspected some of my lamps. The screw terminals on the sockets had no + or -

In the case of an internal power supply it does not matter how the power feed is wired. As for your argument that the screw shell on the lamp would be hot, that is what the insulation around the base of the socket is for.

I used to make lamps and if you look at some of the older plugs both prongs are exactly the same size.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: MattCo
do you have a pic of the other side of the cord? sometimes they have a white line to indicate which is whic

No, but I'll have the player tomorrow.

 

[Elstupido]

The shell on the socket is insulated, but the screwshell on the light bulb isn't. Most people don't touch the metal part of the bulb when replacing, but a lot of do.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Polarity sure as hell matters on AC. Reverse the polarity on a lamp socket, and the screwshell on the light bulb you are screwing in is then hot, which can give you a nasty shock. That is why cord caps are polarized.

I just went and inspected some of my lamps. The screw terminals on the sockets had no + or -

In the case of an internal power supply it does not matter how the power feed is wired. As for your argument that the screw shell on the lamp would be hot, that is what the insulation around the base of the socket is for.

I used to make lamps and if you look at some of the older plugs both prongs are exactly the same size.

There you go. You saved me having to take some pictures. Thank you sir!

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: Elstupido
Polarity sure as hell matters on AC. Reverse the polarity on a lamp socket, and the screwshell on the light bulb you are screwing in is then hot, which can give you a nasty shock. That is why cord caps are polarized.

I just went and inspected some of my lamps. The screw terminals on the sockets had no + or -

In the case of an internal power supply it does not matter how the power feed is wired. As for your argument that the screw shell on the lamp would be hot, that is what the insulation around the base of the socket is for.

I used to make lamps and if you look at some of the older plugs both prongs are exactly the same size.

All I know is I asked someone on AVS whether the plug is polarized and they said it was. If it didn't matter then why would one prong be wider than the other?

 

[Elstupido]

The shell on the socket is insulated, but the screwshell on the light bulb isn't. Most people don't touch the metal part of the bulb when replacing, but a lot of do.