Kinks in Laptop Mains Leads

Steve C · Nov 22, 2024

One of life's mysteries is why do laptop mains leads become kinked after a period of use even when never wound / unwound? I have Dell and HP laptops both having kinked leads.

Stigg · Nov 22, 2024

There's been a lot of kinky stuff going on lately, Steve.

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/windows-12-forum.30563/post-526584

glasskuter · Nov 22, 2024

There's some handy little curly cues that help a lot to keep the kinks out. Put one up close where the cord comes out of the power adapter and another at the base of the plug where it goes into the laptop. If your cable is weak from use you can also put a couple in the middle if it still kinks. These little things are handy for all kinds of cables including phone and tablet chargers. They're good cable identifiers, too. I have them color coded on both ends of every cable that comes out of all my devices.
Like this

Amazon.com

Steve C · Nov 22, 2024

glasskuter said:
There's some handy little curly cues that help a lot to keep the kinks out. Put one up close where the cord comes out of the power adapter and another at the base of the plug where it goes into the laptop. If your cable is weak from use you can also put a couple in the middle if it still kinks. These little things are handy for all kinds of cables including phone and tablet chargers. They're good cable identifiers, too. I have them color coded on both ends of every cable that comes out of all my devices.
Like this

Amazon.com

How did mankind survive before these were available?

glasskuter · Nov 22, 2024

Steve C said:
How did mankind survive before these were available?

LOL. True. But also how something so simple and cheap can simplify one of life's little irritations. The real mystery is why I couldn't have been the one to have the idea of a product that would sell for probably 1000% markup.. I could be sitting on a beach, some where with no worries how I was going to pay for groceries..

Steve C · Nov 22, 2024

glasskuter said:
LOL. True. But also how something so simple and cheap can simplify one of life's little irritations. The real mystery is why I couldn't have been the one to have the idea of a product that would sell for probably 1000% markup.. I could be sitting on a beach, some where with no worries how I was going to pay for groceries..

Tetra Pak is the classic example of that now worth $ billions

Rollback_Jockey · Nov 22, 2024

Hang the cables over a warm radiator, all the kinks will vanish.

LesFerch · Nov 22, 2024

Steve C said:
One of life's mysteries is why do laptop mains leads become kinked after a period of use even when never wound / unwound? I have Dell and HP laptops both having kinked leads.

Apparently it can happen from overheating. Any chance that's the cause in your case?

https://www.reddit.com/r/lightingdesign/comments/s9jvpt/is_there_a_useful_reason_this_cable_is_crinkled

Steve C · Nov 22, 2024

LesFerch said:
Apparently it can happen from overheating. Any chance that's the cause in your case?

https://www.reddit.com/r/lightingdesign/comments/s9jvpt/is_there_a_useful_reason_this_cable_is_crinkled

Not with a low power DC laptop supply!

Ghot · Nov 22, 2024

I tried, but just couldn't find anything about "bent wires", so this will have to suffice.

LesFerch · Nov 22, 2024

Steve C said:
Not with a low power DC laptop supply!

That was my thought as well. I wouldn't expect the power supply to draw enough current to have that effect. Still, I would put my hand on the power cord, and get a sense for the temperature, when your laptop has been running hard for a long time.

FWIW, I've had many different laptops and currently have a Dell. I've never had that issue with my power cords. I never wind them and when I've seen other people with kinky cords, I assumed it was because of winding. Otherwise, I think one of the cord materials has to expand or contract at a different rate than the other materials to have that effect.

Edit: Also, my laptop fan rarely runs since I don't use it for gaming, video processing, or anything else that would draw a lot of power. So, maybe there is something to the heat theory...

hsehestedt · Nov 22, 2024

Odd discussion. In all my years working with computers, I have never even once had a cable "kink" up on me like that. Maybe it only happens on the other side of the pond

EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, I am highly particular about how I store and wrap my cables. Maybe my efforts have simply rewarded me

Berton · Nov 22, 2024

hsehestedt said:
Odd discussion. In all my years working with computers, I have never even once had a cable "kink" up on me like that. Maybe it only happens on the other side of the pond

EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, I am highly particular about how I store and wrap my cables. Maybe my efforts have simply rewarded me

I've not had that happen either but do notice that some power cables and others simply don't like being wound/coiled too tightly. For Notebook AC adapters I wrap the undetachable cable around the length of the 'brick', not the width of it. Sometimes the length of time a cable remains coiled will determine it retaining the shape.

LesFerch · Nov 22, 2024

Berton said:
I've not had that happen either but do notice that some power cables and others simply don't like being wound/coiled too tightly. For Notebook AC adapters I wrap the undetachable cable around the length of the 'brick', not the width of it. Sometimes the length of time a cable remains coiled will determine it retaining the shape.

My recommendation on cords is to never wind them period. If you wind you twist, and most people are not careful enough to precisely unwind to take those twists out every time. I stuff my power cord in a pocket of my backup without coiling it at all and have never had a problem. YMMV.

Anyhow, @Steve C says his cord is kinked and has not been wound, so to me that only leaves material expansion/contraction as an explanation.

Rollback_Jockey · Nov 22, 2024

LesFerch said:
Apparently it can happen from overheating. Any chance that's the cause in your case?

https://www.reddit.com/r/lightingdesign/comments/s9jvpt/is_there_a_useful_reason_this_cable_is_crinkled

That sometimes happens when you draw current through a cable that's not been completely unrolled, the rolled up sections act as a shorted turn in a transformer causing internal heating and heat deformation.

bobkn · Nov 22, 2024

Steve C said:
Not with a low power DC laptop supply!

Cable heating is due to current, not power.

The amperage of a 90W 12V power is the same as a 900W 120V one. (AC or DC doesn't matter.)

The pictured cable appears to be a mains one, though.

bfunke · Nov 22, 2024

Extension cords twist like that when you wind them without laying them out and allowing the free end to roll.

linw · Nov 22, 2024

I have a second hand HP Laptop and it came with a very nobbly power lead.

Wonder if it could happen if the outer sheath was shrunk by leaving it in the sun or close to another heat source?

Maybe another Tutorial from Brink could help here?

Berton · Nov 22, 2024

linw said:
I have a second hand HP Laptop and it came with a very nobbly power lead.

Wonder if it could happen if the outer sheath was shrunk by leaving it in the sun or close to another heat source?

Maybe another Tutorial from Brink could help here?

I'd wrap it around a container like a barrel, bucket or large can and put in heat, get the outer sheath to change shape then not use cool.

Steve C · Nov 22, 2024

I seem to have opened a can of worms!

Kinks in Laptop Mains Leads

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