Wow!!! That was close...

[Robert Tarr]

Here is a shot of an extension cord that had a short in it. 54635

I feel lucky to still have a shop. I have always been leary of these types of cord caddies (or any cord caddy, for that matter) as I know that continuous loops of copper + current = heat. I picked up a couple of these yellow caddies at a wood working show and have enjoyed them, but have always been shy of running a high draw tool/heater on the other end. Well, if you can make it out in the picture, the cord is charred and the plastic is melted off of 1/2 of the caddy.

This is intended to be a bit of a PSA...please check your cords often and be aware of tightly wrapped cords in a high amp draw scenario.

Be safe.

Robert

[Robert Tarr]

Better shot...

[Jim Becker]

Ouch! Nasty, Robert...'glad you caught it before things went "poof"!

[Chris Barton]

Ohh, glad you'er OK and noticed this. A good point to bring to the forums! Thanks.

[Rennie Heuer]

Robert,

Thanks for the heads up. I have a cord reel in my shop, only use it when I take work outdoors. I'll be sure to keep a close eye on it in the future.

[Karin Voorhis]

Wow good catch. I am glad you posted this for others I should of thought about that. 2 weeks ago I just found the same thing with one of mine. scary stuff there.

[Ken Belisle]

What level of load/draw did you have on that cord?? What was the wire size of the extension and how long is it?? The reason I'm curious is that I have one of those retracting cord reels in my shop and seldom have more than 6' - 10' of the 25' cord pulled out. Used mostly for routers (not big 3HP table router) and the occassional corded drill, so now I'm wondering if there is a problem/danger with the cable that stays wound up.

Thanks for the post..........

[Jim Becker]

Ken, best practice is to use as short of an extension cord as you need for the job, within reason. Most folks don't need more than 6-10' of "extra" length from the tool cord and in most cases, shouldn't need any extension cord if they put outlets where convenient. I keep a 10' 14 gage heavy extension for those times I need the flexiblity, but try not to use it unless it's really necessary. I also have a few 4' heavy cords for the same reason. The long ones stay in the garage for the hedge trimmer...

[John Ricci]

An extention cable should never be left coiled while under a load, it becomes a big induction coil. I spent many years wiring location filming units and one of the rules for ext. cords was if the cable was longer than what you needed (we used 25' and 50' 12/3 for 120v) to reach, then the excess cable was laid out in a random pile and tucked out of the way. No coils:mad:!

[Earl Reid]

If you want to see what a coiled cord does, take the cord from your wife' vac cleaner and hold a few wraps in your hand, it gets very hot in a short time.
Earl

[Alex Berkovsky]

Glad I read this thread... my TS ext cord is coiled neatly and zip tied. Running into the garage to cut the zip ties and uncoil it. :eek:

[Aaron Koehl]

I have two of these..

There's a big warning label on mine on both the unit and packaging that says to completely uncoil before use.

[Don Bullock]

Ken, best practice is to use as short of an extension cord as you need for the job, within reason. Most folks don't need more than 6-10' of "extra" length from the tool cord and in most cases, shouldn't need any extension cord if they put outlets where convenient. I keep a 10' 14 gage heavy extension for those times I need the flexiblity, but try not to use it unless it's really necessary. I also have a few 4' heavy cords for the same reason. The long ones stay in the garage for the hedge trimmer...

That's very good advice Jim. Unfortunately for those of us who have "tempory" shops set up in a garage outlets that are close to the tools can be a problem. The 10' or shorter 14 gage cord, as you say, should do the job in most cases. I have my shop set up to use only one tool at a time and I use the same 14 gage cord for all of them. Yes, it is combersome, but it keeps me from overloading my circuit.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, Don...longer isn't always better! ;) The investment in a couple of short extension cords for in-shop use isn't all that much and they don't take up much room when they are not in use. My shorties are those simple grey three-wire "appliance" extensions. My 10' is an orange one that I've had for a long time. They do come in handy from time to time.

[Dave Anderson NH]

While we're on the subject of extension cords a warning. When you buy a new extension cord for the shop examine the packaging and the cord carefully to find out what the AWG (wire gage) is. Particularly for power tool use I would recommend using 12gage wire. Most cords sold in the home center and other stores are 14 gage and are undersized for all but the shortest lengths and the lowest amperage draw tools. The small amount of extra money and effort you expend getting the 12 gage wired cords is well worth it. The added resistance in the undersized wire of an extension cord has 2 effects, both bad. The cords can heat up, and you are robbed of the power that is turned into the heat. In extreme cases of high amp tools, you could melt the insulation jacket and/or cause a fire. If you really need a super long run or cord, make your own from parts available in the electrical section of your local big box store. My 220v 2hp lathe runs off a AWG10gage heavy duty cord and is 25 feet from the wall box. It only cost me about $30 and 10 minutes to make it up.