Featured Image Credit: ThioJoe/YouTube
We all have that charging cable lying around the house, frayed and posing a real danger, but do we throw it out?
No, we don't. Still, dodgy iPhone cables aside, one YouTuber has managed to get his hands on the so-called 'death cable' that you're not supposed to be able to buy in the USA.
Posting on YouTube, ThioJoe showed off the death cable, and you might be able to see where it gets its name.
Also known as a 'suicide cord' or 'widowmaker cord', the male-to-male extensions are banned due to electrocution, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning concerns.
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There are multiple issues, like the exposed prongs on both ends. It's possible that you could touch the prongs when the other end is plugged in - opening yourself up to potential electrocution.
People are also known for using the cord to connect a generator to their house in the event of a power outage. This is equally dangerous because many will simply plug the generator into an outlet and cause illegal 'backfeeding' that could also electrocute utility workers.
In terms of the cable itself being illegal, ThioJoe noted that the National Electric Code confirms these cords are illegal. Codes have mentioned similar cables as far back as 1987, so you might be wondering how he got his hands on one.
Although he won't reveal which major online company he bought the death cable from, the content creator confirmed he got it through a third-party seller.
ThioJoe isn't the only one to speak out on these cables. Jeff Sargent, a senior electrical specialist at the National Fire Protection Association, explained to Consumer Reports: "If I happen to hold the exposed metal end, there’s a shock hazard."
He adds that the 120 volts provided by a three-pronged male-to-male extension cord is enough to kill you, as is the four-pronged, 250-volt male-to-male cord. Sargent warns that people have been botching these leads together for years.
Fire risks can be caused if you have a generator plugged in with a death cable. When the municipal power comes back on, you've got electricity coming in from two sources which can overload your electrical system.
Finally, you could be exposing your house to carbon monoxide poisoning due to the length of these cables. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned about their length, meaning you'd have to place a generator very close to your home.
About 85 Americans are killed every year from the CO produced by generators.
Basically, these death cables live up to their name. If being illegal wasn't enough, you're putting yourself and those around you in serious danger.
Responding to ThioJoe's video, someone said: "As somebody who used to work in a hardware store, I cannot count on both hands and both feet the number of times I was asked to make one of these cables.
"Every time I would explain to the customer that it was illegal for me to do so and that it was dangerous not just to themselves but to anybody working with electricity in the vicinity to have that cable in existence."
Another added: “This is one of those items that works perfectly fine for its intended use, but it relies on its users being 100 percent competent 100 percent of the time to avoid potential catastrophic outcomes. No consumer level device should exist with that kind of safety profile.”
As for ThioJoe, he avoided being struck by YouTube by showing himself destroying the cable at the end of the video and then destroying both halves.
