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Extension Cord Safety - My Husband's theory

18K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  fw2007 
#1 ·
My Dear Husband has run an extension cord along a baseboard behind one of our steam radiators. It is the appropriately sized cord for the only thing that gets plugged into it (Laptop AC cord). Sometimes the cord ends up in contact with the supply pipe for the radiator. He is under the impression that the heat from the radiator will not hurt the cord. This seems hinky to me. All I could find on the UL website said you shouldn't drape it over hot surfaces, such as a radiator. Well, DUH! But what about under it?

Thoughts? Other than finding another husband? :wink:
 
#2 ·
A steam radiator is unlikely to generate the heat needed to really do a number on the cord. That said, if it can be avoided, why not? The ones of great concern are the electric baseboard heaters. There are stickers on them that tell you not to hang drapes, cloth, and so on over them. These have surfaces that conceivably could ignite these types of things.
 
#3 · (Edited)
If the steam enters at the top of the radiator, the underside won't be quite as hot as the upper part. Still, some heat "radiates" downward. (As radiant energy in addition to the heat picked up by air (convection) moving upward (heat rises) through the radiator.)

The radiant energy is enough to accelerate the biodegrading of the extension cord insulation, namely the insulation might start to turn brittle and crack three years from now as opposed to eighteen.
 
#5 ·
The conductors inside should have their rating printed on the cord itself. As for the jacket, I'd have to say that either the NEMA website or the manufacturer would have something.

Wait. You don't know who made your cord, do you?
Let me check a few things. I'll report back.
 
#6 ·
Leah, I checked around and the jacket on the cords have a wide variety of limits. One was as high as 250 deg.F. Most were in the 120-140deg range. Shoot your temp scanner at the radiator at full heat and see what you find. I agree that even though it may not exceed limits, it will probably shorten the life of the cord.

Your husband being who he is, may need docs. on this and if pressed, I could link them. Who is, by the way, much like myself. I almost feel like I should live in Missouri. :whistling2:
 
#13 ·
Extension devices and cords are one of the most dangerous methods out there. Never use an extension cord for permanent use. Even for TV's ect... Protected power extension strips are the exception.
The NEC prohibits the use of cords as you have described. Its a violation and dangerous (fire hazzard). Get rid of that cord today and get an outlet installed.
Having a real problem is about a million to one, but people do win lotteries.
 
#15 ·
The NEC has yet to prove to be a persuasive during a spousal debate in my nearly ten years of marriage. I understand that this is a bad idea. My DH does not. That's why I was hoping to find some 'hard evidence' that putting the extension cord there was a problem.

FYI: he got another new battery for Xmas. It came with another AC cord for the laptop - hence his idea to put the extension cord behind the radiator, so he could have yet another place to plug his computer in.
 
#18 ·
When he goes to work I go to work trying to fix this: http://picasaweb.google.com/lfwade/DIY/photo#5165087161441381858

I get the point. Extension cords bad. Receptacles good. The NEC is that cut and dry and compliance with it is too. I get it. I am not even trying to argue that this is ok. It is a problem. My problem. Because I am the person who gets called to install a new receptacle.

The wall in question is made up of floor to ceiling windows and solid brick walls. I have run receptacles behind the baseboards in other rooms, but doing that would put the receptacle, you guessed it, behind the radiator or more than six feet from DH's desired location to plug-in.

Not to mention the fact that installation behind a 600lb+ radiator might be a bit of a pain, it wouldn't fix the problem because it would still have an electrical cord (albeit the one for the lap top) running under the radiator.

I guess I could cut holes in the 200 year old heart-of-pine flooring and mount a receptacle in the center of the room.:laughing: It might not be what the builder (or the NEC) imagined when the house was built in 1803. I'm not looking for an excuse to go around the NEC - Maybe I should be looking for another husband...
 
#19 ·
I have to agree with the new receptacle. Have a qualified electrician install it where it is needed, so that you don't need the extension cord.
I also like the idea of the extra laptop batteries. The only thing i don't like about running my laptop (an old Dell Inspiron 8100, 1GHZ) on battery is that it automatically steps the processor speed down to conserve battery.

After a fire several years ago in a home in my town where 4 children were killed, after there had been the smell of smoke earlier in the day, and FD was called, only to be unable to locate the source of the smoke, and give them the "all clear", then the fire late at night.
It was caused by a faulty refrigerator in the basement, which was connected to an extension cord which probably had too many things plugged into it, or was too small a cord for the load and caused a voltage drop, thereby causing the compressor on the refrig to eventually overheat (not a newer model with all the overtemp/overcurrent protection).

After this fire, the FD sent notices around warning of the dangers of extension cords.
It's too easy to overload them, and to have them get caught up under something, and get damaged.

Sorry I had to unleash a dragon here, but when someone mentions the word "extension cord" I cringe.
I am currently in the process of rewiring my home to update the wiring, and add new receptacles where they are needed. Still, we don't use extension cords unless they are for temporary use (like when I have a breaker turned off and someone just cannot do without the TV)

Enough said?

Back to my rewiring project.
 
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