ELECTRICITY

            Up until recently, whenever I thought of my mother, I always regarded her worrying as a negative aspect.  There is a saying that everybody has the right to worry but she abuses the privilege.  I am coming to realize that this trait is not all that negative.  It is something that I am using in my quest to teach fire prevention.  Every worry I have means I become more familiar with the acts it takes to quell that worry.  And I worry about fire safety.  My parents gave me the intelligence to recognize worry and to take the bold step towards what bothered me instead of running away.  So I joined the fire service and the idea of dying by fire, which I consider the most horrific way to go, is tolerable.  A little bit of fear is a good thing.  Little children have no fear for they have not experienced the consequences of their actions.  My daughter would barrel straight for the pool and jump in not knowing she couldn’t swim and that you can’t breathe water.  Thank goodness we also have wisdom to help us through life.  She learned, gained fear as she aged, and now approaches the water with caution.  What does all this have to do with electricity?  Not a whole lot, but applied to everyday life, the principles I have mentioned will save lives. 

            Worry about electricity.  Lightning is electricity in a static form.  Rub your stocking covered feet on the carpet and touch your partner’s ear.  That is lightning on a minute scale.  Lightning is powerful.  Our department has seen houses destroyed by the heat of a lightning strike.  And a lot of those strikes never contacted the houses.  Most lightning strikes connected nearby and traveled in via wiring or piping.   Other strikes contacted a tree 30 feet away and traveled through the earth to the house.  We have taken as many precautions against lightning as we can.  The possibility that disaster can happen is always present but we are protected the best we can be.  We have learned to harness the power of electricity and use it to our advantage.   Our homes are full of electricity.  It is in every wall, every crawl space, every floor, and every room.  What we can’t see, the wiring, is almost never a problem or risk.  What we can see, extension cords, can be a risk.  You see, what is in the walls is sufficient to handle your needs, to handle all parameters or conditions that may happen, with back-up safety features also built in.  The rules and regulations in place when the home was built are not applied when we employ extension cords.  The cords are often too small, too long, or used inappropriately.

            House wiring is usually a heavy, insulation-covered, single strand of wire.  As current travels along a pathway, heat is created by friction.  The heavy wire and insulation of house wiring keeps that current where it belongs.  The wire is usually sized bigger than it needs to be and paired with circuit breakers to handle things such as power surges and equipment failures.  Extension cords, however, are several small, thin strands of wire bundled together.  Of course they are made to be pretty so they fit your décor.  This fact usually means the insulation of extension cords is not as effective at protection as that of home wiring.  Even though the rest of the system is designed to “fault” when there is a problem, extension cords can deteriorate to a dangerous point before the protection mechanisms can be effective.  For the extension cord to be the appropriate size, it would be about three times the size it normally is, but would this work? 

Would this be acceptable to use with that fan or heater?  Can you imagine a cord the size of a garden hose stretched across the floor?  Do they even make cords this big?  So, most extension cords are too small for the application.  There usually isn’t an electrical inspector around to ensure we use the proper sized extension cord. 

            Ever hear the phrase “measure twice, cut once?”  Considering this, can anything besides thank you speeches and Catholic weddings really be too long?  I think so.  Remember the friction mentioned earlier?  The longer the cord, the more work is necessary to push the current through and the more heat is created.  This can be a problem with the extension cord because the insulation isn’t as good as in house wiring.  It is overloaded with heat caused by friction.  The heat in this case only adds wear and tear on the cord insulation.  Another problem can occur if the extension cord is too long. The appliance on the end of the cord isn’t getting enough current to run properly.  When inefficient operation happens, the appliance is stressed; it is trying to take more current than what is available and can’t stop and it is not able to handle the situation and “burns up.”   Extension cords are never made to the exact length you need.  It is common practice to buy the longer one so you are sure to make it.   The excess cord needs to go somewhere, usually coiled up on the floor.  We already know the length is probably too long so there is more heat in the cord.  And this heat is compounded when we bunch the cord up on the floor behind the couch.  A hair dryer doesn’t use as much electricity as a space heater.  Not only is an excessively long extension cord bad for an appliance, so is an undersized extension cord.  That heater will draw much more current and create much more heat than the hair dryer, so an undersized extension cord is also detrimental to appliances because it will be “overloaded.” 

            So the best advice is not to use extension cords.  But, like all else in life, that is not practical.  Rules on extension cord use can be simplified to this; use the shortest length as you can, use the largest size as you can, and NEVER leave them alone.  They are like candles, good when you are with them and bad when you are not.  If problems should occur, you can take action if you are with them.  Now, what if they are being used for a more permanent situation?  Unplug them when you leave and try not to use them in a permanent situation.   

            Placement of extension cords is also a concern.  They are often found on the floor behind the couch, entertainment center, or the bed.  These are places where we cannot visually or physically inspect them.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Sometimes they are put under a throw-rug to keep them safe and out of the way.  This is also a bad practice for the reason above and because constant crushing of the insulation of the extension cord will deteriorate it.  I have seen extension cords hung on walls with a nail bent over, not good.  I have seen many extension cords plugged together, not good.  I have seen indoor rated extension cords used outdoors.  This poses a special hazard because the weather and elements are very harsh of the insulation of these cords and they fail quite often.  But what about all the good reasons for having the outdoor decorations that need electricity?  Can you imagine Christmas without that animated Santa Claus?  Or without beautifully colored lights?  So the advice here is the same for cords inside with two exceptions.  One, use an approved outdoor extension cord, not an indoor one.   And two, wrap all the plugs in plastic to “waterproof” the connection.  You would think that water in the connection would pose a risk, and it does, but only to you.  You can get zapped pretty good and have hair like mine, absent, used to be curly hair.    And, for the length of time they are used, and the location of them, extension cords for outdoor holiday decorations are more tolerable than those used inside. 

Ever have a situation in which there are four things to plug into a two place receptacle?  The multi-outlet strip, the ones with six plugs, are very popular.  These have been associated with many fires.  Remember the heat caused by friction?  The outlet strips are often all plastic except for the terminals where the wires connect.  If these terminals overheat, such as when the strip is overloaded or the appliance is too big, they melt the plastic, fall together, short out, and cause a fire.  But aren’t they all doubly protected by a circuit breaker on the strip and the circuit breaker in the main panel box?  Yes, they are, but by the time those protection mechanisms operate, the fire has gained enough strength to grow.  Again, they are tucked behind something so we can’t see them or feel them, and this only adds to the risk.   Remember hearing in a previous article about Underwriters Laboratory and their function in our everyday lives?  They get free goods from the manufacturer, test them under the conditions the manufacturer says they will operate under, and tell us whether or not they preformed as stated.  They won’t put their seal on anything that doesn’t stand up to claims.  So, when shopping for extension cords, look for that seal or an equivalent company’s logo.  Now, even though that seal may be on the extension cord, it doesn’t mean anything if the cord has been altered.  I have seen the plugs removed from extension cords in order to wire them direct.  This is definitely not the intended use and something bad may happen. I have seen extension cords spliced and repaired.  This also voids any claims by the manufacturer and the testing company.

We change the oil in our cars to prolong the engine life and gain maximum return on the investment.  Is there anything that can be changed on an extension cord?  No, so replace them often.  They are not that big of an investment.  Careful, proper use is the best investment. 

Extension cords are one of life’s necessary evils.  We can live without them, but it would be a little difficult.  Use them properly and sporadically, and you should be safe.  Please contact me with any concerns. I have several videos available for anyone to borrow covering several topics.  I also have an excellent video showing, in real time, a living room fire and how fast it occurs.  Thank you for your time.

Jim Carroll
Fire Prevention Education Officer
Grand Traverse Fire Department