How to Keep Your Outdoor Extension Cords Dry?

The spring is almost here and it’s again that time of the year when we all shall be sitting in our backyards, with a nice cup of coffee, group of friends and dim (yellow) lights till late night!

Today people are going crazy over the trend of yellow/white series lights, bulbs, etc. Because they make all the difference to your conventional decorating ideas. But we would have to cope with the weather fluctuations as well. Last two days in our city the weather was rainy. We knew that the weather will be better later on this week, and that’s why we kept my chairs under plastic bags to save them from getting wet.

But with the lights, it was a different scenario. We had connected many extension cords together to make the whole set of series work simultaneously.

To protect them from rain and keep them dry, we applied one small DIY trick and it worked well!

That’s why here we are sharing that with you to help you keep your extension cords dry and protect them from the uncertainty of the weather. There are some other small tips as well at the end of the article.

DIY Extension Power Cord Protection Cover:

This trick can come in handy when you have outdoor extension cords, probably where the lawn sprinkler pump sits, under wet surfaces like docks. To keep the extension cords plugged-in and dry, you can create a shield with the following steps as mentioned below:

• Purchase the plastic containers and if you have them at home you can also use them, you don’t necessarily need to buy new ones.
• They are a bit stiff and can be easily set on the ground as a ‘dry box’.
• Start drilling holes at each end of the container. Make sure the holes are big enough to fit in the extension cord but not too big to let other elements like water enter the container.
• Take a utility knife(be careful) and cut up the holes as required.
• Spread the plastic apart with enough space to insert the plug inside the container.
• Put the top back on.
• And you are done!

Keep your extension cord plugs inside it and the container will protect them from the wet and humid weather.

It doesn’t need to be an insane air-tight container. The store-bought version would do just fine. This level of protection is enough. It will work well and keep the power cord off the ground and dry to keep your lights working throughout the season.

Pro Tip: Never Use Metal Tape for this.

Other Methods:Method: 1

• Take an inner tube and cut about a six-inch piece and place it on the one end.
• Plugin the tool and place the other half of the inner tube on the other end.
• And done! It will keep all the water away from your extension cords.

Method: 2

• Take a good quality plastic bag.
• Cover the whole extension power cord and wire together.
• Make a bunch and place them at your choice of place.

User Do’s And Don’tsDon’ts:

Apart from the outdoor usage, there are a number of ways you might be using your extension power cords. One needs to be careful while using them to ensure safety. Following are some of the don’ts along with user guidelines:

• If you have cords that aren’t long enough to make it to the outlet, then move that device closer to the location or install a new outlet. This is to ensure safety around the environment. Do not use them if you have doubt about the length of the cord.
• Never install extension power cord in place of proper electric wiring. Keep them in holes, hidden in floors, ceilings, and walls.
• To ensure that there is no fire hazard, avoid using them through windows, doorways, and other openings.
• If possible avoid the tacking the power cords using nails & staplers onto the surfaces and walls. Doing so you might as well give yourself an electric shock.

Do’s:

If you are following the above-mentioned things, it’s time to change the conventional way and do things differently.

• First and foremost, extension cords are only useful when intended. Use them as a temporary source of power.
• When using it, ensure that it is completely plugged in. After that, attach it to the device you want to power.
• To unplug it, take the cord out the outlet.
• After using it, coil it in a dry and safe location.
• Inspect the cord carefully for any damages before using them.

Extension cords can be a great product to light up your back lawn, garden, or even the insides of your house using your choice of lights. The important thing to keep in mind is to follow the user guideline and keep them dry to avoid any hazards at your home!

This Article is Originally Posted here; https://www.sfcable.com/blog/how-keep-outdoor-extension-cords-dry

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a california based online retailer of all kind of Computers, electronics, electrical accessories, networking accessories, cables, wires. Jennifer has extensive experience in the Electronics industry and blog.