Stop buying cheap extension cords for outdoor holiday lights, learned that after my $12 string melted on Christmas Eve

I had a string of those green dollar store cords catch fire at the plug last year in Portland, so now I only use 14-gauge cords from the hardware store rated for at least 13 amps, has anyone else had a close call with cheap cords during the holidays?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_ramirez3d ago

You know what's scary about those cheap cords? I had the exact same thing happen with a multi-color light string from the hardware store, but it was the plug that got hot enough to melt the plastic casing around the prongs. Now I always check the cord gauge before buying anything, and I also make sure whatever I'm plugging into an outdoor outlet has a weatherproof cover that actually seals tight. The real trick though is to use a heavy duty timer instead of just relying on the light's built in timer, because those cheap timers can fail too and cause the same kind of problem. Also, if you're running lights along a gutter or roof line, try to keep the cords off the ground where water pools, that's what got my last set.

jamienguyen3d ago

That whole "built in timer" thing is just another way companies cut corners, isn't it. It seems like everything these days is made to barely work until the warranty runs out.

jones.brooke3d ago

Read an article from a home safety group that said most holiday electrical fires start from cord failures, not the lights themselves. @jamienguyen is right about the timers too, I switched to a mechanical timer after my digital one shorted out in the rain last December.

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