CPSC Warns: Stop Buying Male-to-Male Extension Cords on Amazon

Electrical extension cords are tremendously helpful for powering units when your gadget’s energy twine isn’t lengthy sufficient to succeed in {an electrical} outlet. Normal extension cords have a so-called male plug that goes into the wall and a feminine plug on the finish the place you’ll be able to plug in your gadget. There’s completely no cause for male-to-male extension cords to exist, however they do. And they’re out there on Amazon, a lot to the exhaustion of federal security regulators.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a wierd new warning on Thursday, telling shoppers they need to cease shopping for male-to-male extension cords on Amazon. The cords are apparently bought to folks beneath the speculation that plugging one finish into a house’s electrical outlet and one other finish right into a gasoline generator will get the house electrified. But you clearly mustn’t do one thing this silly.

“The extension cords have two male ends (a three-prong plug) and are generally used to ‘back-feed’ electricity to a residence during a power outage by connecting a generator to an outlet in the home. When plugged into a generator or outlet, the opposite end has live electricity posing a risk of serious shock or electrocution,” CPSC defined in a publish on its web site.

Again, don’t attempt to do that. It’s idiotic and unsafe. But CSPC felt it wanted to make this warning express.

“Additionally, the flow of electric power in the direction reverse to that of the typical flow of power circumvents safety features of the home’s electrical system and can result in a fire. The short length of some of these cords also encourages use of a generator near the home, which could create a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Furthermore, these cords do not comply with applicable national safety codes, such as National Fire Protection Association 70 (NFPA 70),” the CPSC assertion continues.

If you learn critiques for these sorts of cords on Amazon, you’ll discover folks calling them “suicide cords,” and with good cause. Stop shopping for these cords. They’re not protected.