Once when at the supper table, I leaned over and whispered urgently to Kate, our host, "Smells like something burning." A bit startled, she got up and went into the cooking area to inspect. At her sudden departure, the conversation around the table fell quiet.
Things went back to normal. It was Kate's partner Alex's birthday party.
However the smell remained and appeared to get more powerful. "Any one else odor something burning?" I asked loudly this time. In the silence that followed, Alex raised his head, sniffed the air, and said, "I believe you are right."
Past the first guest bed room, outside the 2nd recently converted into a study, the odor was perceivably stronger. It appeared something plastic or synthetic was smoldering.
Not understanding what to expect, I cautiously unlocked and flicked on the light. Everything appeared to be normal however the burning odor was strong. Then, I saw an extension cord ranging from an outlet next to the door to a computer system workstation throughout the space. The cable was covered with a carpet. The smell appeared to originate from the carpet. There was no smoke.
After disconnecting the cable, which felt rather hot to the touch, I guardedly turned the edge of the carpet over. I could see a dark smoky brown welt on the under side of the rug and a faint brown line on the carpet. A couple of more minutes and the carpet would most likely have captured fire.
Hearing me call out, Alex and Kate turned up. We opened windows, took the carpet outside, and double-checked to ensure whatever else was all right.
The dinner that resumed was a bit suppressed and when the birthday cake was drawn out the singing and gaiety seemed bit stretched, but we were all happy and thankful to have prevented a possibly severe mishap.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that each year about 4,000 injuries connected with electrical cables need health center visits. About half the injuries is a result of individuals tripping over extension cords.
The CPSC likewise reports about 3,300 domestic fires resulting in 50 deaths and more than 300 injuries each year are due to misuse of extension cords. Running out of outlets while setting up a brand-new computer system, he used an extension cable and covered it with a carpet to avoid tripping.
The cable's score was appropriate for the present being drawn. The carpet over it was acting as a heat trap, the combination a severe fire danger.
The ethical of the story: don't use rugs to cover extension cords. They function as thermal insulators and can trigger electrical cables running under them to overheat. Use specifically created cable covers rather. They are available at your hardware shop, and they are not costly.
Accidents and injuries due to electricity are in fact relatively low. Electrical energy can still be harmful. Imagine what might have happened if nobody was at house, or if it was late in the evening and everyone was asleep.
For micro usb extension cord extra safety tips related to electrical energy, please do a search online. There is an enormous amount of information offered.