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I have read a number of times that one of the largest causes of electrical fires is extension cords. As a consequence of this, we have requirements that every location along a wall be within 6 feet of a receptacle, so that no extension cord is needed to reach it. We have the 24" rule for countertops. Now we're adding "AFCIs on every residential 15/20A circuit." Etc.

I have read posts by Joe T. indicating that fire officials hate extension cords with great passion, and will do all that they can to minimize/eliminate them.

All of which begs what seems like it should be an obvious question: If we're going to create all these regulations to mitigate the effects of faulty extension cords, why don't we just require that extension cords be safer???

95+% of the extension cords in the store are total crud. It's not really a mystery that they cause fires. (I remember a thread in one of the photo forums here, of a "surge strip" in a fire station was seriously blackened from overheating. When I asked why the breaker hadn't tripped, the response was essentially that a 15 amp power strip isn't actually intended to operate safely at the limits of a 15 or 20 amp circuit. frown )

So what's the deal here? It's clearly recognized that cheap extension cords are a dangerous problem. And we don't seem to be shy about creating laws and regulations to deal with the situation, because fire regulations and the NEC already have a number of requirement designed to mitigate the extension cord problem. So why don't we do the obvious thing, and have requirements at the UL level that extension cords actually be robust, and actually be up to the task of operating safely on 15 and 20 amp circuits?
I have some inflatable holiday decorations that have just the thing to make extension cords safer. The plug has a teeny-tiny fuse in it that blows at something like 6 amps.

Maybe we should try to get UL to require that the cord be protected by an appropriately sized fuse in order to be Listed.

If you need more amps, you just need to buy a beefier extension cord (with a commensurately larger fuse).
This has also been a thorn in my side for a long time. Extension cords allow any bonehead to play Electrician - think about it: they give someone the legal ability to run power without any form of guidance. "Cable size? What's that? They make different cable sizes? Why? I'll just get the cheapest one..."

I actually provide a list of extension cord "dos and do-nots" to customers that are planning some sort of event, but would bet they often don't even take a gander at it.

I think it's all about marketing and pricing. Joe-schmoe is not likely to spend the extra few bucks on a GFCI or even a breaker/fuse protected cable. And, in the event that it tripped, you can bet the wire cutters and black tape would come out to bypass that little "inconvenience".

You're right that this issue is more important than a lot of "product-placement" laws that are being pushed through the NEC. After all, isn't that their main objective - preventing fires? Some people up there seem to have misplaced their focus.
Reducing the 'need' for extension cord use in new construction and renovation by requiring receptacle spacing is the intent of the NEC. As are kitchen countertop and island requirements for receptacles. Remember, the NEC is not a 'design' tool.

The 'use' of extension cords, be they 2 wire 'zip' cord, or 10/3 HD, is not an NEC issue, nor is it the responsibility of the electrician, or electrical contractor. THe EC/sparky has to answer for his 'cords' only, and I have both seen and once 'owned' ratty ones.

The 'cause of fire' debate....YES, an overloaded cord can and will start a fire. A cord under a carpet can cause a fire; cord in walls, thru doorways, under doors, and a multitude of other inproper uses can and do cause fires.

A solution to the fire issue? Educate the end users? IMHO, fat chance. Mandatory fuses in cords based on the amperage of the conductor....GREAT IDEA! Cutters and tape? probably in the same aisle at the store! Power strips...a great item, as are extension cords....when used as intended and designed.

NEC issues?? Not IMHO, but a NEMA or NFPA item..

THe 'quality' of the store cords being 'crud'; I guess it depends what store. The old addage of 'ya get what ya pay for'!

We have regulations/laws for almost everything, but there is no way to instill common sense, nor make stupidity a felony.

Now I need some input as AFCI is not required here in NJ, and I have limited knowledge of it:
Going from memory, AFCI of some type are supposed to detect an arc in supply cords (lamp cord, etc) which IMHO is a prime cause of fires. The 'required' AFCI only detects arcs in the 'house' (permanent) wiring. IF this is a true fact, then why not require the 'to utilization' AFCI??

Hey Ghost....maybe YOU should persue the fuse thing...you may have a $$$$$ idea! Remember the bubble cover?

Sorry for the rant
Require ALL extension cords to be rated for the full current of the circuit and outlaw 15A receptacles on 20A circuits. That way there is no need for fuses or anything.
In Europe there atre only 1mm2 and 1.5mm2 extension cords, both of which are rated for 16A when in free air (i.e. not buried in walls). Only Euro plugs rated 2.5A can have smaller cords, but there aren't any extension cords for those.

One issue might be the US wire size. 16AWG is a bit small for 15 amps and 14 AWG asomewhat beefy for general purpose extension cords.
Originally Posted by ghost307
I have some inflatable holiday decorations that have just the thing to make extension cords safer. The plug has a teeny-tiny fuse in it that blows at something like 6 amps.

Maybe we should try to get UL to require that the cord be protected by an appropriately sized fuse in order to be Listed.


So long as the fuse cannot be replaced easily with one of a higher rating. This is what we get in the U.K. with our fused plugs. The fuses are all the same physical size, and it's not unusual to find a 3 or 5-amp rated cord in which somebody has replaced the fuse with a 13A.
Originally Posted by pauluk
So long as the fuse cannot be replaced easily with one of a higher rating.


A guy on an HGTV (or DIY, or Discovery...) Christmas light show said this ON camera to everyone watching:

"Replace the fuse with a piece of nail and it'll stop blowing."

Ian A.
Originally Posted by Theelectrikid

A guy on an HGTV (or DIY, or Discovery...) Christmas light show said this ON camera to everyone watching:

"Replace the fuse with a piece of nail and it'll stop blowing."


What??!!

I'd heard that TV had been dumbed down, but that's just hideous! frown
What you ask for is no less than a complete re-orientation in the way we write our code.

The die was cast long ago, when it was decided that appliances need not be wired for the circuit ampacity, but only for the appliance needs. Thus, appliances with #16 cords are routinely designed to plug into 20 amp circuits. Heck, for all I know, there are even smaller cords on some appliances! We also decided not to have any form of fuse or circuit breaker on the appliance itself.
Other parts of the world have taken differing approaches ... including fused receptacles, fused appliances, limited power circuits, etc.

The cords are considered as appliances. At some point you have to rely upon people exercising a certain amount of sense.

The fact is that there is nothing that cannot be abused, misused, or broken. A failure often gets our attention; we tend to overlook the countless cords that are properly used, and which operate safely for decades.
I beg to differ! Extension cords are _not_ appliance cords! That's the key difference!
Appliance cords only need to be protected against short circuits, the overload protection is ensured by the appliance itself.
Extension cords have no way of knowing what might be connected to them, so they have to be rated for the full circuit ampacity.
We could require this technology. Each male cord end has to have an RFID chip on it and the receptacle reads the chip and if it trys to pull more current than it should, the power is cut off. It also meets the 2008 tamper resistant rule as there is no power at the receptacle contacts unless the RFID chip is against the receptacle.
Don
That sure sounds like something that will get thrown away the first time it fails.
It's not a matter of my opinion ... but, rather, the position settled upon here (USA) long ago by 'the powers that be.'

Our electrical codes apply only to the permanent wiring. Extension cords are not part of this, so the relevance of the NEC is quite limited.

In short, we expect the user to have a certain amount of sense ... rather than try to 'nanny state' everything into being completely idiot proof. It's a rather basic part of American culture.
Originally Posted by gfretwell
That sure sounds like something that will get thrown away the first time it fails.


Lasko puts fused plugs on their 20" box fans. (The slightly large blue plug.)

I've found about 20 of them in the garbage with blown fuses. Fans are fine, the cheap plugs just fell apart/shorted and blew the fuse. Off with the plug, on with the new, up into the attic waiting for next year's block yard sale. ($15 a pop, anyone want one?)

Quote
Each male cord end has to have an RFID chip on it and the receptacle reads the chip and if it trys to pull more current than it should, the power is cut off. It also meets the 2008 tamper resistant rule as there is no power at the receptacle contacts unless the RFID chip is against the receptacle.
Don


And we're complaining about AFCIs driving up the price of electrical work...

Ian A.
I just had one of those cheap box fans burn up in my garage. You may have cut off an important safety device ... at least to the listing.
I guess the powers to request actions here would be the insurance companies... if they actually had enough electrically knowledged staff. Instead of refusing to insure houses with fuse panels they should do something about undersized extension cords. Another idea: CPSC. Enough recalls of undersized cords "due to the risk of fire" and the manufacturers are good to go.
You did "violate" the fan. My brother has one such fan, and it says not to replace the plug, but the whole appliance.
Originally Posted by classicsat
You did "violate" the fan. My brother has one such fan, and it says not to replace the plug, but the whole appliance.


That's a $20-$25 plug, as all the box fans I've had fail had shorted and melted plugs, not a problem with the fan. And I DON'T buy $5-$10 no-name box fans.

Oh, and there was one that the cat chewed the cord while it was plugged in and shorted it.

Sorry, I was only kidding about the cut-the-plug and sell them thing.

I DO have three with new plugs that I use in my room and in the garage windows when I spray paint.

Ian A.
Ian,
The point is that you are not replacing the plug with one WITH A FUSE. You are in essence bypassing the fusing by doing this.

Just like any other fuse, this one is there for a reason. This is an example of the whole point of this thread.
That's even better....using them when you spray paint!!



OK, I'll throw them out this Sunday. (And the A/C's being used until then.) Sorry for this commotion, and lesson learned: Don't be a hypocrite.

Ian A.
Cords cause fires http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/Photo-Stories/NY-House-Fire-Caused-by-Shorted-Extension-Cord/45$56629
There is NO doubt by myself, and probably all the others here that 'cords' are a cause of fires.

Yes, the 'cord' caused the ignition, but the person who either mis-used the cord, or abused the cord was the 'reason' that the 'cord' started a fire.

When there is a motor vehicle accident, or a fatality, do we say...." death caused by Honda" , most of the time it's "John Smith was arrested for vehicular manslaughter"

A serious house fire (3 dead, one serious burns) in East orange NJ is being blamed on misused extension cords. Seems the users were running space heaters off them. See
Bergen record news article link

quote from article: "An East Orange electrical code official last week blamed the fire on three extension cords used to connect space heaters on the third floor to electrical outlets on the second floor.
Originally Posted by electure
Ian,
The point is that you are not replacing the plug with one WITH A FUSE. You are in essence bypassing the fusing by doing this.

Just like any other fuse, this one is there for a reason. This is an example of the whole point of this thread.


Putting the fuse in the plug must be the stupidest idea that Lasko has ever come up with.

The fuse should be INSIDE the appliance -- I.E. mounted on the motor, or integral to it if you wanna make it really safe and non-user replaceable!!!!!!

If you want to add a second plug to protect the power cord itself, that's another story.

I've thought the same thing: fan stops working, troubleshoot...hey plug's no good. Out with the wire cutters and chop the end off. New plug gets screwed on. Fan is working again. crazy

Ian, if you want to keep your fans but make them safe(r), get an in-line fuse holder and wire it in series with the power leads inside the box fan, or drill the appropriate size hole in the side of the box fan case and fit a panel-mount fuse holder (like what you see used on guitar amps or some electronic devices).
Originally Posted by SvenNYC
I've thought the same thing: fan stops working, troubleshoot...hey plug's no good. Out with the wire cutters and chop the end off. New plug gets screwed on. Fan is working again. crazy


Which is effectively what we get here with the BS1363 fused plug. Bedside lamp wired with tiny 0.5 sq. mm (about 20 AWG) cord, 3A fuse. Lamp blows, taking fuse with it. User replaces lamp, still doesn't work, so checks fuse. Oops, no 3A fuses around the house.

"Oh, shove in a 13 amp for now. I'll change it later."

Later never arrives, of course. That's if he even realizes.

Quite often it's a case of "It's a 13-amp plug, isn't it? A 13-amp fuse must be right."
The US gets around a lot of these problems by making 18ga the minimum size for a line cord and extension cords must be 16ga. There were 18 ga extension cords in the olden days but I hope most of these have been thrown away.
Here at work I've found a few #18 extension cords in use. Have two of them in a desk drawer right now.

I've also seen them occasionally being sold in stores, mis-marked on the paper wrappers as "16-gauge". I bought one once (a 25 footer I belive) for a dollar. It's still at home in the package. eek
Part of the problems is that we live in a free market, and a free soceity, so almost anything can and will be available for "sale".

UL, and other ETL's can only be in so many places to get bogus things off the shelves.

As I said above, it's not the item, it's the user or abuser.

Ian:
Just as a side note, howdo you use the box fan when you spray paint? (Intake or exhaust)

Originally Posted by Hotline1
Ian:
Just as a side note, howdo you use the box fan when you spray paint? (Intake or exhaust)


I use the fans for intake when painting in the garage (with the doors open as well.) Also for exhaust after I'm done or after I move painted signals/parts inside, to get the Ace-equipment enamel smell out of the garage.

The only fans I use for exhaust while painting are fuse-intact fans, or normal window fans. However I no longer paint inside, after this happened.

Ian A.
Ian:
I can't access your link now.. (at Vo-Tech)...I'll check it out Thurs PM at home.

I know you don't want to be a young statistic..it's nice to have the young blood here

Ian, I am a frustrated wanna be painter too. I figured out early on you really need some kind of spray booth. I made a portable one with PVC pipe and poly tarp that works outside if you have a decent day. That really works better. Ventilation is better, you get real light and you don't "paint" the inside of the house. I made this to shoot poly on my kitchen counter tops and cabinets. It worked great. My next painting project is probably going to be a Harley. Do you have some good guns? You can get a pretty decent "touchup" gun for less than $100 that does great on small projects (about 1-2 spray cans worth) but I wouldn't paint a car with one.
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