The cord for my laptop charger got crunched and some of the outer casing was damaged enough so that I can see the wires inside. The wires themselves seem to be fine and the charger still works, so is it safe to use if I tape it up
Charging cables for laptops, tablets, phones and other mobile devices may take a lot of abuse and can easily become damaged from getting slammed in doors and drawers, chewed by pets or tripped over. While the cord may appear to work fine and electrical tape covers up the exposed wiring inside, consider replacing the charging cable as soon as possible.
Although the wires inside may seem to be unaffected, it may be difficult to see just how damaged they are inside the casing, especially if a toothy pet was responsible. Those wires have electrical current running through them when you have the laptop plugged in, and any unseen damage could lead to an electrical shock or a risk of fire.
While the Web offers many do-it-yourself guides to repairing electrical cords for the technically inclined, ordering a replacement from your laptop’s manufacturer (or another retailer that sells compatible accessories) is probably the safest and quickest way to fix the problem. If you tend to keep the laptop in one place most of the time, protecting its cord with plastic tubing or other protective casing may help keep the replacement cable safer from cats, dogs, feet and other damaging forces. Monoprice and CableOrganizer.com are among the stores that sell such gear.
