# Where have all my extension cords gone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 2017, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116 "2017-12-23T04:52:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/21 "2017-12-25T01:03:23Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Not the way \*\*Northern Piper \*\*does it. **KaBOOOM!!!** > > šŸ˜ƒ Must be a Saskatchewan thing ā€“ check out Gorsnakā€™s location: Saskaboom! Northern Piper ā€“ check out magnetic plugs (there was a fellow from U. Sask. developing one a few years ago). ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/22 "2017-12-25T01:15:29Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I feel I am missing some pertinent information here about why you are plugging things into your car. I assume you are not talking about a Nissan Leaf. > **[Block heater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_heater)** > > A block heater is used in cold climates to warm an engine prior to starting. They are mostly used for car engines; however, they have also been used in aircraft engines. > The most common design of block heater is an electrical heating element embedded in the engine block. > Pre-heating of an engine is primarily used to make it easier to start. Added benefits are: > Block heaters or coolant heaters are also found on the diesel engines in standby generators, to reduce the time taken for the generato... I once thought this was a relic from my childhood but even on the Sunshine Coast we have a vehicle at work that requires a block heater for the few days we go below freezing. -DF ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/23 "2017-12-25T01:37:32Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I feel I am missing some pertinent information here about why you are plugging things into your car. I assume you are not talking about a Nissan Leaf. When it is very cold, it is difficult and sometimes not possible to start a car. Neither batteries nor engine oil work as well in the deep freeze. Even when a vehicle in a deep freeze does start, running very cold is hard on it. The commonly used solution to the problem is to gently heat the engine block with a block heater ā€“ thus the problem of occasionally forgetting to unplug before driving off. Assuming that the vehicle has been prepared for the winter with thinner engine oil and a battery in good condition with high cold cranking amps, options include combinations of: Engine block heater (via plug to the house) Battery blanket (via plug to the house) Radiator heater (via plug to the house) There are a couple of options that that do not require a plug to the house, but they are less than optimal: Heated garage (expensive to heat) Fire (Coleman etc.) under the oil pan (useful when off in the bush away from electric outlets and cell towers, but time consuming and obviously risks starting a car fire, not to mention destroying the paved driveway) The other option is to buy a Wrangler (or some other vehicle that has enough extra space in the engine compartment to drop in either a couple of batteries or a huge battery) that will crank the engine easily even during a deep freeze, and then let the engine run for a couple of minutes before driving off (but note that this is harder on the engine than using a block heater). The downside with this is that 6 and 8 cylinder trucks are gasoline thirsty compared to small 4 cylinder cars. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/24 "2017-12-25T01:40:00Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Northern Piper ā€“ check out magnetic plugs (there was a fellow from U. Sask. developing one a few years ago). Ah, the Magnoplug, which was a Kickstarter back in 2014. They have still not delivered. They had _extremely_ optimistic views with regards to how easily they would pass UL certification testing. As chronicled in the 31 and counting Kickstarter updates (I was/am a backer), they first learned that UL wouldnā€™t even consider their device for testing since its exposed contacts put in in violation of the stated rules for mains connectors. They successfully lobbied for a change in that rule, and then proceeded to have their design fail safety testing (something about resistance to rain). They are currently undergoing a second round of tests with a redesigned product. They also re-branded as VoltSafe - apparently someone in their group made off with the initial trademarking or something. It wouldnā€™t shock me (no pun intended) if they never managed to get certification for the product, but they do have pre-orders enabled on their new VoltSafe website. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/25 "2017-12-25T01:45:25Z")
Well that sucks the big lebowski. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/26 "2017-12-25T02:09:11Z")
[Or get one of these puppies. šŸ˜‰](http://www.unimogfreunde.de/technik-tipp/Schwingfeuer/Schwingfeuer.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/27 "2017-12-25T02:23:10Z")
Aha! Thank you, that makes more sense. > [@Muffin](#): > > When it is very cold, it is difficult and sometimes not possible to start a car. I lived in a cold part of New Zealand through most of my life, and it was often difficult to start cars in the cold in the olden days, but I thought we had evolved past that with modern vehicle technology. I guess not, though. I suppose the cold can still wreak havoc. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/28 "2017-12-25T02:37:05Z")
Saskatchewan cold is a bit colder than New Zealand cold. Itā€™s currently 26 below and dropping. But yes, cold weather car starting technology has improved greatly. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/29 "2017-12-25T14:02:17Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Itā€™s also so cold that the props on the hatch gate of my CRV donā€™t hold the gate up. Bopped me on the head just now. I remember that happening on my old 323 in cold weather. Iā€™d ā€œpumpā€ the hatch up and down to warm up the cylinders. Thought about replacing them but they were surprisingly pricey at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/30 "2017-12-25T14:12:16Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Saskatchewan cold is a bit colder than New Zealand cold. Itā€™s currently 26 below and dropping. > > But yes, cold weather car starting technology has improved greatly. Manual choke knobs were evil, whispering ā€œpull my finger, pull my fingerā€ in hopes of persuading you to flood and have to sit and wait, in the deep freeeeeeze. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/31 "2017-12-25T14:31:41Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Saskatchewan cold is a bit colder than New Zealand cold. Now thatā€™s what I call understatement. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/32 "2017-12-25T14:35:37Z")
Call me a wimp but if I lived in a location where I had to plug my car in to get it started in the morning, Iā€™d seriously reconsider my life choices that led me to live there. I mean ā€“ I lived in coastal Maine for a while which, while cold in the winter, _didnā€™t_ require block heaters and I left there for a warmer clime as soon as the navy would let me. ---
**Author:** ![Sveltington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@Sveltington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sveltington)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/33 "2017-12-25T15:46:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Saskatchewan cold is a bit colder than New Zealand cold. Itā€™s currently 26 below and dropping. > > But yes, cold weather car starting technology has improved greatly. Fahrenheit or Celsius? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/34 "2017-12-25T15:49:34Z")
Celsius. Donā€™t know off-hand what that is in Fahrenheit? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/35 "2017-12-25T16:09:29Z")
About -15F. Or -20 [Felsius](https://www.xkcd.com/1923/). šŸ™‚ Darn chilly on anyoneā€™s scale. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/36 "2017-12-25T16:46:02Z")
Just came back in from the Christmas morning backyard Nerf battle with the Cub. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/37 "2017-12-25T18:30:00Z")
Excellent. Have you tried Nerf battle with snow balls instead Nerf balls? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/38 "2017-12-25T20:05:00Z")
Cold + snow = skiing. Thatā€™s why god created Canada. Super-g alpine and gs telemark yesterday, cross-country today, more super-g and telemark tomorrow. Didnā€™t they teach all yā€™all about the cycle of life? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/39 "2017-12-25T20:20:19Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I thought we had evolved past that with modern vehicle technology. Vehicles, including their ignition systems, are designed for most peopleā€™s uses, but not all peopleā€™s uses. It is easy to design a car with a larger battery, but a larger battery would cost slightly more and increase vehicle size and weight which in turn would reduce fuel efficiency slightly. I expect that some bean counter somewhere figured out that they will make more profits by catering to the mass market rather than the cold winter market. For folks living where it is cold, the trick is to identify which sizes of battery will fit in the vehicle, pick the one that has the highest rating for cold cranking amps (and secondarly, the most reserve capacity), and replace it every few years, while at the same time wearing the engine a little more from cold weather starts. Block heaters impropve the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/40 "2017-12-25T23:12:51Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Manual choke knobs were evil, whispering ā€œpull my finger, pull my fingerā€ in hopes of persuading you to flood and have to sit and wait, in the deep freeeeeeze. I remember asking my Dad, ā€œWhatā€™s that for?ā€ His reply: ā€œNever touch it!ā€ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116.md?page=3)