Thread: Extension cord hack

I would hate to see what your lead would look like when you tried to straighten it in the temperatures we are having in Canberra at the moment.
Regards

I used to do a bit of rock climbing and I've often stored rope that way. But extension cords? I'm also in Canberra and my 15a cords are like fencing wire right now...

What a jack-ass

The more you bend copper (ie going past its elastic limit) the more it hardens (a process actually called work hardening). The harder it gets the more likely it will break. Once the number of little copper wires reaches a number of breaks the resistance in the remaining wires will be high enough to cause a fire internally to the cable.

If your lucky the arc event will be an internal "pfffft" within the cable insulation without any serious consequences.

If your not you might be kissing your shed or your house goodbye.

NEVER EVER do what was shown in the VID to an extension lead.

Thanks Markw that is good information to have. Thought it was a good idea / hack. Mistaken.

Pah, makes bugger all difference really.
The copper in an extension chord is going to work harden just by using it.
It is a multicore flex, it is meant to flex.

The most important thing about extension cord safety is to make sure the insulation is in good order & that the earth is still connected end to end, inspect & test regularly, you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Pah, makes bugger all difference really.
The copper in an extension chord is going to work harden just by using it.
It is a multicore flex, it is meant to flex.

The most important thing about extension cord safety is to make sure the insulation is in good order & that the earth is still connected end to end, inspect & test regularly, you'll be fine.

With 50 years as a sparky and 9 as a grumpy retiree I am inclined to agree with Markw. The strands will work harden to a degree in normal use but are far more likely to fracture as well if subjected to that type of repeated flexing. And then as Trav and I have mentioned plastic insulation becomes hard and brittle when cold an can break when subjected to that type of treatment. I have seen both functional and sheath insulation broken from bending.

So my advise DO NOT DO IT that way. Roll it up in a reasonable size coil and roll towards the lose end so it can spin any twists out as you go.

That,s my say for what it,s worth

Think I like about that is the way it unrolls, rolling up the conventional way usually unrolls in knots.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Think I like about that is the way it unrolls, rolling up the conventional way usually unrolls in knots.

Unless you use the Roadie Wrap, I think it may have been discussed before. I have used this method for sometime. Not a tangle

Yup, that works too.