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Hot CordsAbout 4,700 residential fires are caused by faulty extension cords every year. One frequent cause of these fires is overheating, which often occurs when appliances are connected to an extension cord that draw more power than the wire of the cord can carry. Many older extension cords were made with small (No. 18 gauge) wire that can overheat at 15 or 20 amps - which means that even a single modern electric appliance could cause such a cord to overheat. Overheating can occur at the plug, at the socket, or over the entire length of the cord. Check the temperature of your extension cords when they're in use. If they are hot to the touch, disconnect the appliances and replace the cord immediately with a new cord with No. 16 or heavier gauge wire. (The lower the number, the heavier the gauge, and the more power the cord can handle.) The difference between extension cord sizes is not obvious, but the new No. 16 cords usually will have the wire size printed on the package. Also, check new cords to make sure they are listed by a recognized national testing laboratory. Source: US Consumer Product Safety Commission Other Safety Articles
Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc., Route 404 & Route 328,
Denton, Maryland 21629 Toll Free: 877-892-0001
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