General > General Technical Chat
Another dangerous Amazon product
Kleinstein:
Some of the cheap US extension cords have another unsafe feature: many have just 2 wires, but one can still use a 3 pin plug with them. The case is just so small that the 3rd (ground) pin is outside the connector.
The loose connectors have 2 problems: a add contact can run hot and be a fire hazzard and when half out the conductors are exposed. It is very uncommon to have isolation over the first few mm of the pins as it is with proper UK, Australia or 2 pin EU plugs.
Solomon_3055:
What if everyone gets a 3 phase CEE connector. I want to be able to charge my phone or operate a 20Kw halogen lamp from the same spot in my house :D
Siwastaja:
--- Quote from: thm_w on November 15, 2023, 10:34:21 pm ---Right, so that sounds like a more important issue than selling a piece of double sided tape.
--- End quote ---
Yes, most definitely. But people are always eager to silence/ban people/things who/which expose seriously faulty practices/designs of others - e.g. by offering partially effective band-aids that underline the problems. I admit fixing the US plug/socket design is too big of a task (and as I have said earlier, Schuko here is not that much better); but requiring fusing of extension cords (at very least low-power variants which cannot be proved fire-proof when connected to an apparently common 20A breaker) within some transition period would be totally reasonable, as the cost to manufacturers is small and more safe extension cords would slowly replace the existing ones in circulation.
Someone:
--- Quote from: Siwastaja on November 16, 2023, 02:28:35 pm ---requiring fusing of extension cords (at very least low-power variants which cannot be proved fire-proof when connected to an apparently common 20A breaker) within some transition period would be totally reasonable, as the cost to manufacturers is small and more safe extension cords would slowly replace the existing ones in circulation.
--- End quote ---
As we had with sheathed mains pins, all new products from XXXX onward must have new cheap/simple safety feature. Easy.
tooki:
--- Quote from: Kleinstein on November 16, 2023, 09:37:52 am ---Some of the cheap US extension cords have another unsafe feature: many have just 2 wires, but one can still use a 3 pin plug with them. The case is just so small that the 3rd (ground) pin is outside the connector.
--- End quote ---
On old ones, perhaps. Extension cords you buy today have little tabs molded onto them to prevent the insertion of grounded plugs into ungrounded extension cords.
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