Just realized how many guys skip checking their extension cords for damage

Found a report from a safety group that said over 40% of job site electrical fires start with a bad cord. I pulled mine out of the truck and saw the jacket was cracked right near the plug. Anyone else make a habit of checking these before each job?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden7202mo ago

Come on, that's just fear mongering. Most cords are fine unless you're really abusing them. I've used cracked ones for years with zero issues.

chen.phoenix2mo ago

Ever have a cord spark or get really hot? I had a cheap phone charger melt the plastic near the plug after the outer coating split. Replacing it felt a lot safer than hoping nothing would go wrong.

ramirez.caleb2mo ago

Dang, I totally get that. I had a similar thing happen with an old laptop charger where the wire got a little frayed near the brick. It wasn't even cheap, just old and beat up from rolling it up too tight all the time. One day I plugged it in and the little spark at the connector made me jump, so I just ordered a new one that day. Not worth the risk of a fire or ruining the laptop's port when a replacement is like 20 bucks.