Why you should never build (or buy) a male-to-male extension cord

Recent Consumer Product Safety Commission Warning I urge people not to use male to male power cords. Despite being illegal, the product is available online and is supposed to power a building’s main power system from a generator. However, the consequences of doing so can be disastrous. Many hardware stores have warned consumers for years that male-to-male “adaptors” such as holiday lights are unsafe, but these warnings are ignored and lead to preventable accidents. may be connected.

HAZARD OF SHOCK OR ELECTRIC SHOCK

When the cord is plugged into a power source, the other end of the cord becomes “live” and, in the case of male-to-male connectors, the metal tines of the plug become charged and pose a serious shock hazard. The ends also charge conductive objects they come into contact with, such as metal household items. This means that contact with a live cord can result in a shock equivalent to 120v and, under the right circumstances, death. If the live side of the cord is not connected to a breaker or other safety disconnect device, the electricity will not stop even if the circuit is overloaded, so the chance of electrocution in such situations is greater than in normal circumstances. higher.

fire hazard

Unfortunately, electric shock is just one of the many ways a dual male extension cord can harm you. If you’re trying to power a system in your home with a generator, at least it will work in the opposite direction of what it was intended to do. This means that safety features such as circuit breakers can be bypassed and start a fire, causing catastrophic damage to the building they are connected to. If power is restored while the generator is connected to the house, it is also possible to start a fire in the generator, resulting in a generator fire with lots of fuel to burn.

Utility Crew Risk

Bypassing standard safety systems is not only dangerous for people on site using generators. are at risk because their power lines may be electrified unexpectedly. Even if you turn off your home’s main breaker while the generator is in use, the breaker can accidentally turn back on if you don’t have a proper safety system in place.

rRisk of carbon monoxide poisoning

Another hidden danger of using short-ended adapters like the ones sold online for power Generator Here’s something you might not have thought of: The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns about gas.The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning can be increased if generators are running near your home. Smoke from the generator.

Leave the wiring to the professionals

T.His best practice is clearly Leave the wiring to the professionals. An adapter might seem like the perfect fix for a row of Christmas lights oriented the wrong way, but since the male end can be exposed while still plugged into an outlet, this plan is more than worth it. are also dangerous. Unless you are a certified electrician, keep yourself and your neighbors safe by not using these dangerous adapters.