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

211–220 of 311 posts

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

#211

Post by bombcar »

dave78 wrote: post #191
NotYourLawyer wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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,…

A battery powered transfer pump may be worthwhile as another backup. Had your generator decided not to start you’d be sunk.

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

#212

Post by bluGill »

hedora wrote: post #79

Honestly, they should just mandate a 240V generator port (with a grid cutoff interlock!) on main service boxes moving forward. Ideally, there would be some different standard connector so that the port would only work with inverter-style generators that have constant frequency / voltage as load shifts around. Otherwise, people would end up frying appliance computets with cheap generators. Of course, this would lead t…

If you are running a 110v cord you only care about the fridge, furnace, and sump pump (You might have a different list, but it is something like that). you can arrange for them all to be on the same phase.

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

#213

Post by Old_Thrashbarg »

criddell wrote: post #28

I kind of hate that the notice points to a safety code (NFPA 70 in this case) but in order to see it, you have create an account in order to read it. If you want a copy of the code, you have to pay.

UpCodes cofounder here, couldn't agree more. We're fighting the Law Publishers for free, ungated access to the law. They think they own the laws, it's insane.

Previous Hacker News thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19617073

We host a lot of laws based on the NFPA 70 BTW (see https://up.codes/codes/general). We take a ton of heat for hosting the law, it's messed up.

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

#214

Post by NotYourLawyer »

justsomehnguy wrote: post #162
NotYourLawyer wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. I’ve never tried it out, but I assumed that an RCD / GFCI would trip more or less instantaneously. I’m kind of surprised you felt much of anything.

> To reduce the risk of electrocution, RCDs should operate within 25–40 milliseconds Now divide 1000ms to 50Hz.

20 millisecond-seconds.

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

#215

Post by bombcar »

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…

I bet you could spend some time and find any number of people who have bought $80k electric cars and half-assed the charger installation.

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

#216

Post by bluGill »

mmastrac wrote: post #155
h2odragon wrote: post #2

I recall a holocaust among hand crafted toys, a few years ago: They were enforcing "materiel origin" labeling or something and you couldn't sell home made toys without a lot of paperwork to certify they were lead free. Amazon is too big for laws to apply, and its umbrella apparently covers foreign sellers on its platform. Another fun toy they sell is the "heated shower heads", a tankless water heater element integrat…

I was curious and found this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/IHeat-2-5-kW-1-5-GPM-Electric-Sh... Interesting comments on the reviews: > It worked for a few minutes before blowing the circuit breaker of gfci switch everytime. Good idea but pulls way too much power on an outlet to really be useful. Also you need to keep the water pressure very low, for it to actually warm up, if the pressure is too strong it won't warm it…

> It says to use 10 AWG minimum, but the cord is 12 AWG (which only supports 20A).

You can run 30 amps in 12 gauge wire if the run is short enough, which that cord seems to be.

I think that is the only part of your story that isn't a what...

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

#217

Post by MichaelCollins »

Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #205
xani_ wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ElectroBOOM made his whole career on videos like that. Still can't watch him, I get anxious

Really? I mean, it's all staged/planned. In his earlier videos, like the electric guitar one, even the spark is fake and edited in.

Most of it is fake or calculated (taking real shocks he knows are safe.) Sometimes it's real though, he nearly got himself killed when a Jacob's Ladder fell on his lap. That was real, unintentional, and extremely dangerous.

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

#218

Post by oliveshell »

a2tech wrote: post #165
kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back feeding power from a generator through a receptacle rather than a proper panel interlock.

Thats why I made one. I've upgraded now to a proper panel setup for my generator, but it was a quick and simple solution in the moment.

For anyone who doesn’t see why this is a bad idea:

If you plug your generator in like this, you can backfeed the step-down transformers in your neighborhood, which then step up the voltage from your generator and energize your local utility lines with potentially several thousand volts.

This can be a nasty surprise for utility workers trying to restore power to what they think are de-energized wires.

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

#219

Post by riffic »

criddell wrote: post #28

I kind of hate that the notice points to a safety code (NFPA 70 in this case) but in order to see it, you have create an account in order to read it. If you want a copy of the code, you have to pay.

par for the course with these types of codes though.

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

#220

Post by puffoflogic »

angrygoat wrote: post #78

I've been shocked by one of these – I was setting up some computers, asked for an extension cord, got handed a male-to-male cord. Didn't notice until I plugged one end in, and grabbed the other while fishing around for it while looking. It never occurred to me that it might be male on both ends. The shock was very painful but the RCD tripped and saved my life. I'm quite grateful to the regulators here in Australia th…

Grateful to the same regulators that didn't outlaw suicide cables?
Post reply on HN