Re: Use of Extension Cord

Peter Hucker wrote: 
On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 06:55:03 -0000, Terry <tsanford@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


<littleboyblu87@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1132296526.524082.28640@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Is there a specific reason why the instructions of some electrical
appliances say not to use an extension cord? Some appliances that I can
think of are a vaporizer, warm mist humidifier, some TVs, VCRs, and
telephones.

Since the poster specifically mentions devices which do not take 'heavy
amounts' of electric current my suggested answer would be 'For safety';
since there could be danger of tripping on the wire and/or pulling over an
electrical device in say a child's or adult's bedroom, thus spilling water
(possibly hot?) in the presence of electricity. A possibly lethal
combination!
Check life insurance policies; standing in wet slippers or bare feet on a
water soaked floor/carpet trying to clean up a broken electric device is not
recommended!
Also many people have no understanding of electricity and quite blithely
will plug a 'heavy' electrical using device such as a 1200 watt microwave
into an extension cord designed for, at best, a few small Christmas tree
lights and then wonder why the extension cord melts/catches fire and burns
the house down.


Am I to assume here that US electrical cords are terrible compared to UK ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a 13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be 26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).

Check house insurance. Although the insurance company might
deem that kind of cause 'negligence' by the policy !


I don't think I've ever read any instructions, fineprint, terms and conditions, or policies in my life. I have more important and/or more interesting things to do with my time!

Another mistake can be plugging too many devices into the one extension
cord, not of adequate rating/size to carry the total amount of electric
current!


Er..... FUSE anyone? Don't tell me they have unfused extension cords in the US? And I thought you chose 110 volts for SAFETY......

All seems rather too obvious to ask? But I've seen some horrors!


I've been electrocuted 6 times at proper mains voltage (240, not your pansy 110), and I'm still alive.


One is not "still alive" after being electrocuted.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=electrocute

Or are you talking about reincarnation?

Ed
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Use of Extension Cord
    ... >> appliances say not to use an extension cord? ... > in the presence of electricity. ... I wasn't talking about using an extension cord with any heavy duty ... If it's a safety reason like people tripping over it then that's ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Use of Extension Cord
    ... Some appliances that I can think of are a vaporizer, warm mist humidifier, some TVs, VCRs, and telephones. ... amounts' of electric current my suggested answer would be 'For safety'; since there could be danger of tripping on the wire and/or pulling over an electrical device in say a child's or adult's bedroom, thus spilling water in the presence of electricity. ... Also many people have no understanding of electricity and quite blithely will plug a 'heavy' electrical using device such as a 1200 watt microwave into an extension cord designed for, at best, a few small Christmas tree lights and then wonder why the extension cord melts/catches fire and burns the house down. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Use of Extension Cord
    ... amounts' of electric current my suggested answer would be 'For safety'; since there could be danger of tripping on the wire and/or pulling over an electrical device in say a child's or adult's bedroom, thus spilling water in the presence of electricity. ... Also many people have no understanding of electricity and quite blithely will plug a 'heavy' electrical using device such as a 1200 watt microwave into an extension cord designed for, at best, a few small Christmas tree lights and then wonder why the extension cord melts/catches fire and burns the house down. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Use of Extension Cord
    ... > appliances say not to use an extension cord? ... Also many people have no understanding of electricity and quite blithely ... into an extension cord designed for, at best, a few small Christmas tree ... Check house insurance. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Use of Extension Cord
    ... garden-variety 120V receptacles are physically different from our more expensive 240V receptacles. ... It has very little to do with knowledge of electricity, and everything to do with the perception of safety, so your doubts have nothing to do with it. ... Ask a bunch of people ignorant about electricity whether they'd rather hold onto an extension cord with a fuse in it or an extension cord without a fuse in it and post back with what you find, ... We're not talking about IDE cables, we're talking about extension cords designed to carry mains voltages safely and the requirements for _those_ cables, so knock off the horseshit about what'll be "just fine" and what won't, and post some specifications. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)