Caution, computer/monitor cords

[tdkkart]

Ran across something cute, or not so cute depending, last nite.
I have a stash of computer/monitor cords laying around, I keep the heavier ones when I have extras just in case I need to make a cord for something.
Most don't have real heavy wire in them but they can be used for some stuff.

Anyway, last nite I was temporarily wiring up a duct booster fan, only 1/2 an amp, so one of these cords seemed ideal. Grabbed one, cut the female end off, stripped back the outer insolation and found 3 wires, black, white, bare copper. Cool, this'll be easy, I thought.

Proceeded to hook up the wires as normal, white-white, black black, bare to the fan chassis. Plug it in, ****!!

"Oops" I says.

Wife hears me upstairs, says "that didn't sound good, whenever you say Oops it ain't good"

So WTF is up here?? Double checked, everything looks right.
"Fug-it, it's late, I'll look at it tomorrow".


So, I get the DVm out today and start checking.
Guess which wire ended up hooked to the hot side of the outlet??

That's right, the BARE copper wire was hooked to the hot side of the male end, the white was to the ground, and the black en to the neutral side

Dammitt!! Who the hell thought that was a good idea???

Just a reminder that not all is as it should be.................

 

[Torque1st]

Watch that China made stuff.

 

[Stuey]

Watch that China made stuff.

+1
10 characters

 

[ratman2]

Ran across something cute, or not so cute depending, last nite.
I have a stash of computer/monitor cords laying around, I keep the heavier ones when I have extras just in case I need to make a cord for something.
Most don't have real heavy wire in them but they can be used for some stuff.

Anyway, last nite I was temporarily wiring up a duct booster fan, only 1/2 an amp, so one of these cords seemed ideal. Grabbed one, cut the female end off, stripped back the outer insolation and found 3 wires, black, white, bare copper. Cool, this'll be easy, I thought.

Proceeded to hook up the wires as normal, white-white, black black, bare to the fan chassis. Plug it in, ****!!

"Oops" I says.

Wife hears me upstairs, says "that didn't sound good, whenever you say Oops it ain't good"

So WTF is up here?? Double checked, everything looks right.
"Fug-it, it's late, I'll look at it tomorrow".


So, I get the DVm out today and start checking.
Guess which wire ended up hooked to the hot side of the outlet??

That's right, the BARE copper wire was hooked to the hot side of the male end, the white was to the ground, and the black en to the neutral side

Dammitt!! Who the hell thought that was a good idea???

Just a reminder that not all is as it should be.................

Ouch, This is a GREAT way to blow a computer Power supply (and maybe your motherboard) as well

 

[Mattlt]

Good info.

Probably worth a quick continuity check of the cord before reusing it for other projects.

 

[Tech Guy]

Use a ton of those cables for our power supplies. Never had that happen before but cant hurt to check them out.

 

[Chris Adams]

The Asians (not just China) do NOT always stay with the color code in their wires.
I have cut many of them down for other uses.
DO NOT use color as an indicator of which is which. EVER.

First one I ever cut up Black was common, Green was hot and White was ground.

Seen other patterns since then.
As the OP says, CHECK THEM.


It has to do with the way sup-components are assembled and purchased by the vendors in Asia.

Things are bid in completed units from very small vendors. Their car components are often made/sold the same way.

Visualize a mother, father, six cousins and grandpa working in the back of the house making cords, then selling them to a bulk vendor. The bulk vendor make sure they look a certain way, meet current flow requirements and the proper coating is applied. Then they go in a box with three hundred other families production.
Then it is shipped in the bulk case the company is making, selling, shipping for 7 dollars.

You pay 15 for in from Geeks.com.
That is for a case with power supply.

So the cord has about ten cents invested in it by the vendor.

Of course, if you buy a 24 dollar cord at Best Buy, guess what? It is made the same way.

Just a fact of life when working with ‘lot sourced’ imports from Asia.

 

[lametec]

There's really no need for them to use proper wiring color. The cord is a single piece sealed unit not intended to be cut open and used for other things.

When you cut it open you're on your own.

 

[Costner]

Wiring color really isn't the issue, but a hot wire should be insulated. In this case it was just bare copper and that could be a potential safety issue. How many cords have we seen where the outer protective jacket breaks away from the plug due to stress or where the jacket was nicked or cut a little. Yes the cord should be replaced if this is the case, but we have all used cords that probably should have been repaired or replaced, and in this case it could spell disaster.

Who would think it is a good idea to insulate the ground wire but not the hot is beyond me. Crazy.

 

[Torque1st]

The operator of the sweat shop where the cord is made probably does not know which terminal is hot and does not care. The assembly gets tested to see if certain points are connected and the fake UL/CSA sticker is applied if it passes the test.