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

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

#191

Post by dave78 »

NotYourLawyer wrote: post #148
hajile wrote: post #89

It's not mentioned, but this is DEADLY for innocent linemen too. They check the line before working and it's dead. They start work and some idiot without a proper transfer switch backfeeds through the transformer hitting them with 14k volts.

How often does this actually happen? I would hope that almost anyone using one of these have the sense to turn off their main breaker.

If not enforced mechanically, it's really easy to forget though. The last time I needed to power my house with a generator, it was because the power went out during a horrendous thunderstorm at 3am. We have a sump pit with a battery-powered backup, but when I checked on it right after the power went out I discovered the backup couldn't keep up with the volume of water coming in (it had been raining for hours already, and we ended up getting over 6" of rain that night).

I had less than 10 minutes from being awoken at 3am to having to have the generator up and running to prevent our basement from getting flooded. And of course, we had nothing but flashlights and there was a thunderstorm raging outside (where I obviously needed to set up the generator).

It would have been way, way too easy to forget one the many critical steps (and critical order of steps) in that scenario to use a suicide cord safely.

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

#192

Post by hedora »

sokoloff wrote: post #186
hedora wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Inspections are hard to avoid when you build a new house, or perform major renovations. If the outlet were required at that point in time, there wouldn't be a temptation to improperly retrofit the outlet in later.

Most building codes (as adopted by the AHJs) do not require systems not part of the job to be brought up to current code if they met code at the time of install, are in good repair, and are not being significantly worked on. You can add an addition without converting all the old bedroom breakers to AFCI. (That represents a much higher safety risk than any generator inlet could possibly be.)

Well yeah, but if the addition (or your new EV, which might actually support working as a home backup battery) requires a new panel, then the port would be required.

On the other hand, generators are rapidly becoming obsolete, so this might be akin to requiring installation of upgraded coal shoots.

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

#193

Post by hedora »

kube-system wrote: post #177
hedora wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's $100-200 in extra parts. California already forces people to spend $1000's on LED compatible dimmers and moisture / motion sensing switches (spoiler alert: none of these things work properly, and they all have a high first year failure rate). They also have fascination with putting power outlets in useless places.

California has a lot of electrical requirements that other states don't have... like battery backups on garage door openers.

Wow. I guess the anti-entrapment pull cord isn't enough? I wonder if you can you put in a wheelchair accessible egress door instead.

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

#194

Post by kube-system »

jaywalk wrote: post #85
TheDudeMan wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably because the alternative is to not have power during the (increasingly common) blackouts. I'm assuming that is the alternative due to there not being a proper way to accomplish this goal that does not cost thousands of dollars.

I highly doubt that having an electrician come out to install an outdoor inlet would cost thousands of dollars.

My city charges $300 just to pull a permit, and an electrician charges $100 just to show up. Then at minimum you'll need a new branch circuit, breaker, conduit, fittings, outdoor box, wire, interlock kit, and the outlet. And you better hope your breaker box has availability for a new branch and that it's recent enough for an interlock kit. If not, you'll need to replace the entire panel and all circuit breakers. And in my jurisdiction, grounding requirements had recently changed, and my local inspector required that I bring the grounding up to code in order to have any work approved.

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

#195

Post by mrweasel »

kube-system wrote: post #179
mrweasel wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And why a warning? Why not tell Amazon to remove the items. I feel like most countries have a regulatory authority that has rules banning dangerous product like this.

This is that authority. The purpose of the warning is for people who have already purchased it. And because the CPSC is likely aware that Amazon Marketplace listings are akin to playing whack-a-mole with overseas drop shippers.

Okay, that makes more sense. Still a little weird that they can request that Amazon remove these items or face fines, regardless of it being a drop shipper.

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

#196

Post by kube-system »

hedora wrote: post #193
kube-system wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California has a lot of electrical requirements that other states don't have... like battery backups on garage door openers.

Wow. I guess the anti-entrapment pull cord isn't enough? I wonder if you can you put in a wheelchair accessible egress door instead.

I believe it was done as a result of incidents during wildfires. People lost power, couldn't open their garage door, and died in their home. It does make sense for accessibility reasons.

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

#197

Post by mikestew »

isoprophlex wrote: post #40
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

One look at the image and my immediate reaction is "no way anyone would be stupid enough to buy something like this" It's like an utterly evil version of that "HDMI to Gardena" meme, only it actually exists and Amazon carries it... https://external-preview.redd.it/AOlxnd9E3WMW3KID3LhjpL3o70s...

One look at that image, and the reaction of a lot of people would be "they wouldn't sell it if it weren't safe".

Should the nanny state prevent the sale of such things? Well, ignoring that the nanny state disallows the sale of things like cannabis in many locations, I argue that people who are smarter than average can make things that the person of average intelligence is likely to unsafely use. We can post all of the dismissive comments we like, but a lot of people are $SOMETHING_OTHER_THAN_ELECTRICIAN_OR_PHYSICIST. If you look at that item and your reaction is "unsafe", well, good for you and thank your preferred deity for the privilege you've been given. Now see if you can spare a thought for those to whom it is not obvious. You've got your blindspots, too, but it doesn't necessarily make you stupid.

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

#198

Post by dave78 »

alistairSH wrote: post #146

Wow. I didn't think these were a thing. Because it's such a terrible idea. Wow. Hanging Christmas lights isn't that hard. Lay'em out, attach them to each other, plug into wall to test, then and only then hang them. Kind of like the old measure twice, cut once for woodworking. And the generator usage. WTF? Who buys a $1000+ generator and then half-assess the installation? (rhetorical question) Power inlets aren't part…

> Power inlets aren't particularly expensive (relative to the cost of the generator, or burning down the house, or death).

Most portable generators that people would buy to power their house during an outage are in the $500-$800 range (e.g. https://www.harborfreight.com/generators-engines/generators/...).

In another post I noted the costs, but proper installation of a generator inlet at my house, done DIY but to code with a permit and inspection, would cost me $480 just in parts. For the vast majority of people, this is not a DIY job as it involves opening the main panel, so for most they will need an electrician.

So, I'd argue that a proper power inlet is actually quite expensive, roughly equal to the cost of a low-end generator (the type most people are going to be buying for an occasional outage situation). Though I certainly agree with the last part ("relative to the cost of...burning down the house or death").

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

#200

Post by geocrasher »

fullstop wrote: post #53
mmastrac wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At some point they just became too big for government to manage compliance with existing laws - that should have a sign that it was time to start looking at breaking them up. I cannot believe the volume of crap I'm getting from Amazon. The quality of products has nose-dived and I no longer trust them for purchasing easily-counterfeited items (like SD cards).

That, and the brands are clearly from a Chinese Name Generator, so you end up with Rabbitgoo branded products. Once those start to fail or enough people leave bad reviews the company disappears and pops up again as Luckyfang. It's whack-a-mole, and untrustworthy. If I wanted those products I'd shop aliexpress.

This is my sentiment, too. I tried to shop for $20-30 dress shirts in 6XLT, and it was a hot mess of availability and off brands. No thanks. Spent $70 at a local store instead.
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