Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

cpsc.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 311 posts

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#121

Post by gpm »

Lichtso wrote: post #86

All these cable stories always make me wonder: Is it possible to design a safe gender-less power plug? By that I mean one that has no male and female end but two symmetrical ones. That would not only be safer but also more convenient as there would only be one type of such cable, instead of three: (female-male, female-female, male-male).

USB-C?

Scale up the size as needed... but if you don't have smart devices on each end you have more issues than just the plug... you don't want people plugging wall sockets into wall sockets for obvious reasons.

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#123

Post by NotYourLawyer »

NotYourLawyer wrote: post #81

I bought one of these on Amazon last year for a specific use case, and I’m knowledgeable enough to use it safely. IIRC Amazon pulled the listing a few months later and gave me a refund because it’s obviously a dangerous product.

Can’t edit my comment, but I found the email from Amazon:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has provided us information that indicates that the product listed above may present a substantial product hazard. Specifically, the extension cords may pose a potential shock and electrocution risk to customers.

If you still have this product, we urge you to stop using it immediately and dispose of the product. If you purchased this item for someone else, please notify the recipient immediately. There is no need for you to return the product.

Refunds will be issued to the original payment method used for the purchase, or if the original payment method is no longer available, we will apply an Amazon Gift Card to your account.

The safety and satisfaction of our customers is our highest priority. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you.

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#124

Post by rocket_surgeron »

zibby8 wrote: post #6
NKosmatos wrote: post #3

Quoted post unavailable.

What other use is there for male-to-male cables?

I made one from spare parts I had laying around in 2012 after a derecho knocked out power to my house for eight days.

I used it to connect a generator to the circuit that my refrigerator, my daughter's CPAP, a fan, and some lights were connected to.

They were selling generators off a back of a truck as fast as they could be brought into the state. I managed to snag a generator but extension cords and power strips were sold out in a 500 mile radius.

I flipped the main breaker and turned off everything else except the outdoor circuit and the one in the kitchen the refrigerator was on. That way I could run the generator outside, on my deck, connected to the outdoor circuit and power the kitchen circuit. The kitchen circuit has two outlets so my only long extension cord went from the second outlet to my daughter's bedroom to power her CPAP and phones, two table lamps, and a reciprocating fan were powered off the other plug of that outlet.

"But you'll backfeed the grid" No, I won't.

"But you'll wire it wrong" No, I won't.

"But you'll shock yourself" No, I won't.

If you think that's dangerous wait until you see the Tesla coil I built 20 years ago, or the 1kW amateur radio amplifier I built when I was 17 based off of plans I found in a magazine from the 60s.

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#125

Post by johnwalkr »

Lichtso wrote: post #86

All these cable stories always make me wonder: Is it possible to design a safe gender-less power plug? By that I mean one that has no male and female end but two symmetrical ones. That would not only be safer but also more convenient as there would only be one type of such cable, instead of three: (female-male, female-female, male-male).

They exist and just have cleverly designed housings that shield both pins and sockets. But it would be a bad idea for household power as it wouldn’t prevent you from doing things such as short two outlets together.

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#126

Post by lfowles »

rdl wrote: post #77
GnarfGnarf wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 1968 Bolivia, the only way you could shower is with these heated heads, because there were no hot water tanks. 220v, with exposed connectors. So anyway I'm standing in the shower under one of these heads, feet in a puddle. I raise my arm to wash an armpit, and the back of my hand touches the bare connector. It tingled a bit.

Multiple people in the military in Iraq died in shower trailers on bases (2003-2008) due to improper wiring. I went into one where you could detect current in metal walls (not in the shower area, but an ungrounded piece of backsplash and shelving above sink...); I had someone stand in front of the door to keep people out and went over to the base electricians to yell at them.

I remember one summer camp I went to as a kid where the showers were "spicy". Much in the same way a 9 volt battery feels on your tongue. In hindsight... what the hell???

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#127

Post by plonk »

BitwiseFool wrote: post #103
elzbardico wrote: post #27

How can folks not see that using such contraption is obviously a shitty idea? That’s why we need to completely overhaul the teaching of physics in middle and high school. Every citizen should have at least a basic understanding of basic physical concepts that allow then to understand why this kind of thing is a bad idea

As a layperson, electricity is one of those things that seems really complex and dangerous to mess with. But we've managed to abstract it down to "plug this cable into a socket" or "flip a switch". I remember doing the V = IR calculations in highschool, the difference between alternating and direct currents, as well as the relationship between volts and amperes. While fascinating, none of that translated to real worl…

We spent hours calculating the impedance and current and resistance and whatever in dozens of complicated circuits in undergrad, and I can't tell you how a basic home electrical installation works. File that under "things that everybody should know but school doesn't want to teach".

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#128

Post by h2odragon »

14 wrote: post #29

When I read the article and it said they sell for $40-$72 my jaw dropped. You could make one of these for under $10 pretty easily. Hell if you were resourceful you could make it for free by finding someone giving away a couple plug in appliances for free and cut the cord and make it. Also I believe these cords are also sold for christmas lights if you hang them the wrong way but if used with a generator I believe the…

the suicide cord is one of those things that you make when you need it. The thing is supposed to look sketchy because it is sketchy. Like big ugly ball of duct tape sketchy.

when you correct the error that required the cord in the first place, you disassemble the suicide cord as penance for having created such a thing, and to ensure that it doesn't find its way into use somewhere else.

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#129

Post by hedora »

acomjean wrote: post #73
josephcsible wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's not a big risk of overcurrent here, since the 15A breaker will trip on overcurrent even when it's being backfed. The main hazard with these suicide cables is of electrocution, both inside your house due to the exposed blades being energized, and of linemen working to restore the power.

This is generally why Solar installs don't work with the power out. They just shut off to prevent back feeding into the grid. (That and I think the dc->ac converter syncs with the 60hz of the US grid) We don't have a battery but if you install a backup battery I believe there is circuity to cut the power off from the grid when powering your house.

Battery backups and generators definitely include an automatic cutoff switch (by law).

Re: CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon

#130

Post by sokoloff »

hedora wrote: post #111
sokoloff wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are reasonably priced (under $100, though not under $3 like a common receptacle) male power inlets. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reliance-Controls-30-Amp-Power-I... is the first one I found on Google (4-wire for 240V center-tapped), but there are many, including a 120V version: https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5278-CWP-Straight-Flanged-Rec... Even these, if hardwired to the building's service, represent some risk,…

Unless it is installed properly, that is just as dangerous as the cord in the article, as long as you remember the "plug generator in last" rule. In particular, both can kill hapless power company employees by unexpectedly backfeeding into downed parts of the grid, and they have similar carbon monoxide/fire hazard issues. (Not that there is anything wrong with the product; I wish they were mandatory, so they'd reliab…

I don't know what percentage of electrical work is inspected, but I would certainly not characterize it as "reliably". There are aisles full of electrical equipment sold at Home Depot and Lowes. The (vast?) majority of that is getting installed with no inspections.
Post reply on HN