After Beryl I loaned a generator and extension cord to a friend of my wife's. It was just a 2200 watt inverter and I was under the impression they were going to use it to keep their fridge running and maybe some fans. I believe they went out and bought a portable AC and ran that as well. The cord I had was on a reel and was definitely light duty. I got the cord out to use yesterday and was having hell getting it unrolled...




From the outside of the reel everything looked normal but as I unwound it the issue was very apparent. My guess is they ran the cord into their house then put a splitter on it and were running everything off the one extension cord. Very happy they didn't burn their house down. Can't believe they were oblivious to what had to be stinking and smoking like crazy as this thing was melting!

Looks like it was on the spool when it got hot. Probably didn't help that it couldn't dissipate heat.

I'm surprised the breaker didn't pop if they ran everything off of one cord

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

It was caused by inductive heating from using the cord while on the spool for a long time under a decent load

lurker76 said:

---

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

---

This, I keep a plastic container of loaner tools, even have a drill that only goes in reverse in there. Over the years less and less people want to borrow, win win

big ben said:

---

lurker76 said:

---

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

---

This, I keep a plastic container of loaner tools, even have a drill that only goes in reverse in there. Over the years less and less people want to borrow, win win

---

Ben??? Wait a minute… aren't you the truck toolbox guy???

Chetos said:

---

big ben said:

---

lurker76 said:

---

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

---

This, I keep a plastic container of loaner tools, even have a drill that only goes in reverse in there. Over the years less and less people want to borrow, win win

---

Ben??? Wait a minute… aren't you the truck toolbox guy???

---

You selling one cowboy?

lurker76 said:

---

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

---

He loaned it to a friend's wife after a hurricane. Who cares about that crappy cord.

It reads as a warning against overloading cords, not regretting losing a cord

CactusThomas said:

---

lurker76 said:

---

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

---

He loaned it to a friend's wife after a hurricane. Who cares about that crappy cord.

---

Maybe they just didn't know what could and could not be run off it

I had a similar issue using a long 16ga extension cord with a 15a draw, which caused me to do some research on my next cord. Turns out there are a lot of extension cords on the market that aren't heavy enough gauge to handle a 15amp draw. I now use a 12ga cord for my go-to all application over 25' and a 10ga cord for 100'.

lurker76 said:

---

I hate to say it, but this is reason eleventybillion to not loan tools and equipment. It almost never comes back as good as it was loaned out as.

---

Sounds like a great way to go through life. Glad you never need a favor

Update: Same friends asked me for advice on purchasing their own generator prior to the recent weather. Gave them the high points on generators and softly let them know that they melted my cord so that hopefully they didn't do it again with their own equipment. Recommended a heavier cord and hadn't thought much of it since then. Got an unexpected amazon package today and I'm the proud new owner of a 12ga, 100' extension cord courtesy of the folks that melted my old cheap one! I'd say I came out ok in the deal!