Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Last night while watching HGTV's Income Property the host called the homeowner out on something they did....I did it too!
An extension cord through a wall/floor. They had this orange extension cord running through the wall and floor, insulated, etc.
Fire hazzard is what it was called.
Me? I have a dehumidifier under my kitchen. I ran an outdoor grade extension cord 3 feet from the plug in to the appliance below the floor. This is renovation so I simply drilled a hole at the edge of the floor- where it meets the wall and put Great Stuff to seal the hole.
I wasn't thinking it was a fire hazzard as it's only 3 feet and it's just 3/4 inch plywood.
Some of those orange outdoor extension cords are pretty flimsy (high wire gauge) and not intended to carry a constant current load from a household appliance - even over 3 feet. While the risk probably varies with the quality of the cord and whether the cord is subjected to any stresses, it's probably never a wise idea.
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
1,501 posts, read 11,750,050 times
Reputation: 1135
Extension cords are not made to be permanent. Ever. The insulation on an outdoor extension cord is not rated for permanently being exposed to the elements (it sounds like this is in a crawl space?), and the wire in them is not rated for a constant load.
Another thought on your particular situation, if the dehumidifier overflows or there is otherwise a puddle down there, you could also end up with a shock hazard as the extension cord sits in water. Unless you happened to hit one of the GFIs in the kitchen.
Am I right that this is a crawl space? It sounds like you are using a temporary fix to a permanent problem?
Amongst the earliest things I did was remove all the "temporary" extension cords the previous owner used around the garage. Not that having actual wire meant anything ... Romex, in white PVC, outdoors.
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
1,501 posts, read 11,750,050 times
Reputation: 1135
Quote:
Originally Posted by Narfcake
Amongst the earliest things I did was remove all the "temporary" extension cords the previous owner used around the garage. Not that having actual wire meant anything ... Romex, in white PVC, outdoors.
Needless to say, I ripped that out too.
My husband did some work for a friend who bought a foreclosure. Lamp wire used to run circuits through walls
Obviously, what you are doing works on the short term, but there are a number of issues with it. If you peel the insulation on an extension cord, you'll note that the wire is stranded to be able to flex without too many of the strands breaking. Household wiring is solid and meant to sit in one position. The solid wire will only corrode at the surface, and the current carrying capacity of the wire can remain for decades without any problem. Stranded wire can corrode on a much larger surface, some strands may break, causing the current to have to flow through fewer (hotter) strands, and yes, a fire can be caused.
Walls and floors are the main fire breaks or fire containment methods. When you make holes, you compromise that. When you run wire in walls or in a floor, it becomes inaccessible if it starts sparking or creating a fire. It pays to use the right wire.
A way to do this better is to buy a GFI outlet, a junction box, and a few feet of the proper wire. If local code requires conduit for you, then you get that and the connectors as well. Feed from the nearest socket using the screw connectors (not the push in connectors).
To do it right, you would add a complete new circuit, but we have a circuit in our home that passed code and serves a utility room and socket underneath it for a well pump (and/or dehumidifier).
Yes, temporary fix- I needed electricity to my dehumidifier until I can seal up the concrete this next spring.
I had unplugged the dehumidifer (from the inside-extension cord) because it seems cool weather reduces humidity- even w/ Tropical Storm Ida- the water poured and poured but my trenches just let the water flow under my home and out the other side, down the hill.
Chances are one in a million it would cause a fire. Fires happend every day somewhere, to someone.. Do you feel lucky....?
There are reasons to have building codes
I agree NOT a good idea. My current home has some running through the laundry chute...I am not sure what they are connected to. I had almost forgotten about them prior to reading this post. This really isn't an uncommon thing to find in older homes especially if cost cutting measures and do it yourself work is evident in other areas. Yet one more reason to hire a good home inspector.
would someone please point me to the copper wire that is "rated for continuous load"?
the cord is not outdoors; a crawl space is a damp location, not a wet location. the cord is not being moved either.
we wire entire office buildings and industrial complexes with stranded wire; its more common than solid, which is mostly only used within the romex for residential wiring.
its not a recommended practice, but in this scenario, i do not agree that it is a fire hazard. the extension cord cord is mostly likely of a higher quality than the cord attached to the appliance; so now what's the weakest link?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
