Is this temporary repair to a (non-PC) power supply safe?

kissenger · 15 Mar 2019 at 11:21

So I have an electronic device with a pretty standard power supply/plug. The top prong, which is plastic, has broke off. I need to use this device and it's gonna take me a few days to get a replacement delivered so is it okay to just Gorilla Glue that plastic prong (which because it's plastic I assume is doing nothing important) back on, and maybe connect it to the plug socket via a power strip?

UnworthyBean · 15 Mar 2019 at 11:30

If it's plastic then it's fine. All its doing is opening up the two actual socket holes. For the sake of a couple of quid I'd rather just replace the whole plug, if it snaps off I wouldn't want to try and fish around for it.

BigBoy · 15 Mar 2019 at 11:43

What not just cut the plug off and wire on a new one? Better that than the glue bond breaking and the end of the pin getting stuck in the socket.

Jez · 15 Mar 2019 at 12:37

Just put a new plug on it? Better than the plastic breaking off inside the socket if you glue it. 93p

https://www.screwfix.com/p/diall-13a-fused-plug-white/5751h

cheesyboy · 15 Mar 2019 at 12:46

yup, just rewire the plug.

take a plug from another, unused, device if you don't have time to go out to get one. Just make sure to use the right fuse.

Puzzled · 15 Mar 2019 at 14:46

Might be wrong but think the OP is on about a plug with built in power adaptor not just a normal plug.

kissenger · 15 Mar 2019 at 18:24

MonkeyMan said:
Might be wrong but think the OP is on about a plug with built in power adaptor not just a normal plug.

Yes. This is it. But the plug facia (ie. Just the bit with the 3 prongs) does clip/slide off, so looks like it might be replaceable.

BUDFORCE · 16 Mar 2019 at 10:32

It'll be fine be, to be honest unless you got young children or similar that might tamper with it, the plastic will insulate it just as well glued or not.

I wouldn't have even bothered getting a new one.

MassiveJim · 16 Mar 2019 at 12:52

dont actually need to glue it.
plug the prong in to the socket first, then plug the plug itself in.

as someone above said all the plastic prong serves to do in this case is open up the "gates" that cover up the bottom 2 holes so things cant be poked into the live socket by accident

Slade2 · 18 Mar 2019 at 23:42

This happened to me and I needed to use the device on a trip I was making. I managed to jam the plastic part into an extension lead and took that with me which worked for about 4 months until It was eventually replaced. To be honest I forgot about it since it was working ok without issue. Without a metal pin on the top of the plug its not earthed would be the only issue but as stated before all the small plastic thing does is open the gate so it can take the other two pins, as long as you know this and dont stick anything in the hole while they are open it should be fine.