A lesson learned the hard way

[nevermind1534]

I'll let the pics do the talking.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs169.snc1/6360_99529284997_617999997_2059816_35109_n.jpg

I'll post some pics that I took of it a little later.

[nevermind1534]

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/7700/img0216crq.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3560/img0221yhp.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8413/img0222noq.jpg

Basically, we smelled burning/melting plastic before this got really bad, but didn't notice it, and assumes that it was just dust in somebody's computer. We noticed it after the wired connection went out, but the wireless was still working (the enet cable melted and shorted out).

There were 6 computers and monitors running off of that cord (if you can count a laptop). In addition to this, it was a long extension cord, was coiled up, and had stuff piled up on top of it.

Funny thing is, the new extension cord that we put out after this didn't even get warm.

Luckily, the power cord, itself didn't melt.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

muffed up man... like rly muffed up..

[Eclecticos]

Do you have a volt meter? You may want to check the outlet, and your ground.
Sound like an overloaded circuit. You should have an electrician reinspect your
fuse box or breaker box, to make sure there is no problem in that area.

[nevermind1534]

Do you have a volt meter? You may want to check the outlet, and your ground.
Sound like an overloaded circuit. You should have an electrician reinspect your
fuse box or breaker box, to make sure there is no problem in that area.


Not my house, though.

I think it was just enough to melt the spool that the cord was on and the enet cable, but not trip the circuit. Could have been a bad power cord, as well, seeing as the other one that we put out didn't even get warm.

[blueonblack]

Too much current through too small a cord, with nowhere for the heat to escape. I had this same thing happen UNDER my house one year when I was running a space heater to thaw a frozen pipe. Cord was too small, too long, and left wrapped in a nice tight insulating coil. The spool didn't melt, but the whole thing was smoking when I found it.

Was the new cord you replaced it with bigger gauge, or shorter in length?

[nevermind1534]

Was the new cord you replaced it with bigger gauge, or shorter in length?

Just shorter in length (and not spooled up, nothing piled up on top of it).

[Oneslowz28]

you should never run more than 10 amps worth of electronics from a wall socket. I am willing to bet you were pulling more amps than that and the breaker also got quite warm. You guys could have burned that house down. The wire in the wall got a little warm too I bet. No offense but that was kinda stupid running that many computers off one outlet. next time spread them out. only run 2 computer / monitor combos off of a single outlet.

[Drum Thumper]

What was the length of the cord that melted? IIRC, laws limit (or used to anyways) extension cords @ 100 ft for this very reason.

[blueonblack]

Just shorter in length (and not spooled up, nothing piled up on top of it).

Shorter makes a lot of difference. Shorter cord=less wire=less resistance=less heat. And of course being loose so it can shed the heat helps also. After the incident at my house I won't use a cord smaller than 12 gauge. Heavy extension cords like that are expensive (over a dollar a foot here) but well worth the peace of mind.

Oneslow is right about the draw off the outlet, but using a long small extension cord really multiplies the problem.

[nevermind1534]

What was the length of the cord that melted? IIRC, laws limit (or used to anyways) extension cords @ 100 ft for this very reason.

It was long. The other one that was put out afterward was only long enough to reach.