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Electrical Wiring

sparking plug and burn marks on plug prongs

17 years ago

Hello--Whenever I plug an orange 25ft 16G extension cord into a wall outlet in my living room, there is a spark/small pop upon insertion. It seems like the spark comes from the left (white wire) side. Yesterday, I just noticed that there were electrical burn marks on the tips of the cord's prongs. I replaced the outlet with a new one but the spark remains (and burns).

The outlet is in the older part of the house with no ground wires running along the circuit. The extension cord is attached to a surge protector in the basement (where a 20" TV, stereo, DVD are attached).

What causes the spark and burn marks? Do I need to replace the receptacle again b/c of the burning? Do I need to replace the extension cord??

Thanks for the help!

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Comments (5)

normel
17 years ago
The spark occurs because you have devices plugged in to the cord that draw power even when turned off. Unplug everything from the cord and plug it in, the spark will disappear.

BTW, use a thicker cord (12 or 14ga) for increased safety.
jason1083
17 years ago
you might want to consider adding a outlet in the basement for the tv or putting the cord in the basement.
IMO extension cords in permanent/semi permanent uses over a long distance are a hazard.
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davidandkasie
17 years ago
also, i would turn off the switch on the surge protector before pluggin in. this will eliminate the spark. if anything gets damaged from a startup surge, it would end up being the protector which is easily replaced.
terrafox72
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks All--Yes, the basement is extremely limited with respect to outlets and needs to be updated. Glad to know why the sparks are occurring. So to clarify, do I need to replace the receptacle?...I'll be replacing the cord with the 12 or 14G in the meantime.
pjb999
17 years ago
It wouldn't hurt to replace the receptacle....if it's older, chances are the contact's poor and would be contributing to the arcing, in fact, if it is bit marginal and is wired in the backstab (where the wires are just stripped then pushed into the back of the receptacle, not wrapped correctly around the screws on the side, that may contribute.

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