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No matter how careful you are, accidents happen.
One of the most common accidents?
Spilling liquid onto your extension cord, or accidentally dropping the extension cord in water.
Because this is such a common issue, we want to make sure you’re aware of:
- What happens if an extension cord gets wet, and
- What you should do if water gets into the extension cord.
What happens if an extension cord gets wet?
First of all, check what type of liquid entered the extension cord. Pure water on its own does not harm unpowered electrical items.
Fun fact: pure water does not conduct electricity, and is actually an insulator.
Unfortunately, most of the time, water that’s spilled would contain minerals and metals. These foreign matter, when deposited in the internal circuitry of your electrical device can cause:
- A short circuit when powered on, or
- Corrosion over time.
Thankfully, an extension cord is a pretty basic device with no complicated circuity inside, so you should expect minimal or zero damage if your extension cord got wet, so long as it’s powered off quickly and dried off completely before usage.
What to do if water gets into the extension cord?
The most critical action is this – don’t panic!
We discussed previously why liquids entering your extension cord doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the world for your device.
Now, let’s discuss what steps you should take to ensure you can continue using the extension cord safely afterwards.
Step 1: Disconnect from the power source immediately
If your extension cord was plugged in when it got wet, you must disconnect from the power source ASAP.
- First step, make sure your hands are dry. If you have rubber gloves, put them on
- If the extension cord has a switch, turn off the switch immediately to ensure no power is coursing through the device
- Unplug the extension cord from the outlet, and move the extension cord to a dry location
- Finally, unplug all gadgets from the extension cord
Step 2: Dry the extension cord thoroughly
- For the outer casing and the cord: use a dry cloth and wipe down the extension cord. Pay particular attention to the plug and the outlets. Doing this ensures you have removed any residue that is likely to conduct voltage to you
- For the internal parts: you can use a hair dryer (on low heat, or on cool) to get most of the water out
- Afterwards, hang the extension cord to dry or lay it out in front of an electric fan for a couple of hours or days, to allow the water to evaporate and/or drain out.
Step 3: When in doubt, let a technician check
- Once the extension cord is completely dry, you can test it by plugging in just the cord by itself. If the extension cord does not heat up or sputter, then you should be good to go
- However, in case you have any doubts, and if you’re using a Panther Extension Cord, you can have your extension cord checked by the Panther Service Center free of charge. You can find out about Panther’s Lifetime Service Warranty here
We hope this helps the next time you deal with a liquid accident. Want to share your experience to the rest of the Panther community? Comment down below!
Note: This guide is used in instances when you accidentally spill a small amount of liquid on your extension cord. Mote drastic measures must be undertaken if the extension cord and appliances plugged into the cord were submerged during a flood or similar circumstance.
Interested in availing Panther’s Lifetime Service Warranty?
You can check out the mechanics on how to avail through this article.
Alternatively, you can also reach our Panther Service Center through the following channels:
- Leave us a message through our Contact Form
- Message us directly on Facebook
- Drop us an email at wecare.panther@gmail.com
Still Have Questions?
Reading this article should help you figure out the following:
- What happens if an extension cord gets wet, and
- What you should do if water gets into the extension cord.
If you still have questions, feel free to drop a comment below or email us at pantherproduct@gmail.com
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