Male to Male Extension Cords & Adapter Dangers
Posted by Stephanie Junek on
One very common question we see has to do with a male to male extension cord and adapters. We want to take the time to share the truth about these products with you because not many people understand the severity of creating these products.
Electrical supply and hardware stores have the supplies you need to put together a cord that has a male plug on both ends.
When creating this type of product from scratch people may not be aware of the safety concerns that go along with it. Maybe they are aware of the dangers and think they will be very careful, and it won’t be a problem. When you create a male to a male extension cord or adapter this product will be very dangerous.
These adapters are extremely common during the holiday season. Some people go looking for a male to male adapter for their Christmas tree lights. They have strung their tree and have two outlets next to each other. Either they don’t want to take it all down and start over or they have no idea they strung their lights backward. Male to male household plug adapters are not supposed to be available on the market because they can create electrical arcing and can cause a fire and burn your tree down, possibly even your home. In this case, you want to take the lights down and make sure you string them in the correct direction.
Double ended male plugs can shock you or someone else in your home or can cause a fire when in contact with any metal. There have been situations where people have been severely injured. Some of these injuries were caused to those people who had no idea the plugs were live. Previous homeowners or someone using the male to male extension cords and products without thinking or even knowing to give that information to the next person in contact with those products.
The very real fact is this is so far from harmless. It is not worth the trouble, injury, and damage this type of product can cause.
You will not find a double ended male plug with any UL safety listing or certifications and they are not recommended for use. If you watch the AC WORKS™ Wisdom video, you will learn more about this topic and find a solution for power outages to replace using this type of cord.
If you have any questions about this topic, please contact your certified electrician or email us and we can find you a proper adapter or extension cord to help you get power where you need it.
Like and subscribe to our video on YouTube and leave a comment about any topics you want to see us cover in the future. We are here to help you find solutions.
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- Tags: 2018, 2019, AC Works, AC Works brand, Back-feeding, christmas lights, Customer Service, Danger, Electric Plug, electrical arcing, Electrical Danger, Electrical Fires, Electrical Safety, Fire Hazard, Household Power, January 2019, Male Adapter, Male Plug adapter, male to male adapter for christmas lights, male to male electrical plug for adapter, male to male extension, Male to male extension cord, male to male extension cord christmas lights, male to male extension cord for generator, male to male extension cord lowes, male to male extension plug, Male to Male Plug, male to male plug adapter, male to male plug for generator, Multi-Plug Adapters, Plug, Plug Types, Power, power adapter, Power Adapters, Power Supply, Residential Power, Residential Use, Safety, Safety Tips, Standard Household Voltage, Technical
Hello Don. You should never use or make a double-sided male plug cord. I’m not sure why that display piece would come with two female ends. I would take it back to the store or ask the manufacturer why they have it that way.
A set of outside candy canes display came with two female plugs. Where can I get two male-to-male connectors? Make one? I am no electrician.
An ‘electrician’ put in a transfer switch in my basement to connect a generator. The outlet on the house was a female type leaving a male-male 30 amp 4 prong cable to connect to the generator that he wired. It carries 240 volts! I am not an electrician but have common sense and was dismayed at his irresponsibility. I will be getting it changed ASAP, code or not, that is a disaster waiting to happen.
Hello Robert. Thank you for your insight! It’s helpful to hear from someone in the industry on this matter. We are just as confused about how people are able to market those cords.
Just found this on amazon – unbelievable –
Linmunster Male-to-Male Extension Cord, Generator Adapter Cord NEMA 5-15P to 5-15P for Transfer Switch, 3-pin Plug-to-Plug 12AWG 125V, Dual-Male Extension Cord Adapter (2FT)
This is the worst nightmare I’ve seen in my 40+ years in electronics. I was a safety Engineer for 15 year and dealt with Underwriter laboratories regularly. I can not believe someone would market something as lethal as this is and the potential of lawsuit from survivors of the person electrocuted by their product. BUT I GUESS YOU CAN NOT FIX STUPID!!!