# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/61 "2017-12-27T18:19:44Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > And that’s a pretty good reason for having a block heater, even if you have a new car with a high-capacity battery and fresh synthetic oil. Cold starts really are hard on the engine; I’ve been told that starting the engine in really cold weather wears the engine more than 300-500 km of driving when the engine is warm. It wasn’t a good car, and certainly didn’t have synthetic oil, but Winnipeg winters killed one of my cars. Busted the ring gear with only 110,000 km on it. It was a 12 yr old K car that had already been written off by the 1996 hail storm, so it wasn’t a big loss. Have you ever tried pouring regular oil that has been sitting in the trunk of a car in -40°? it is thicker than molasses in January. Without a block heater all of your oil is stuck in your oil pan for several minutes while your engine warms. Did you also know that you can get flat spots on your tires from sitting out in the extreme cold? I really don’t miss winters in the prairies. ---
**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 27, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/62 "2017-12-27T23:34:48Z")
> [@Scoobysnax](#): > > It was a 12 yr old K car My parents had a K car. It made for a good game of name the part. For example: roof – peeled off; paint – peeled off; windshield – fell off; engine – caught on fire; transmission – replaced; everything behind the front seats – squished by a new Delta 88 driven by a 16 year old new driver named Jinx. ---
**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 27, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/63 "2017-12-27T23:50:53Z")
A fun and factually correct post I came across on Facebook: > [@](#): > > Canada. Come for the scenery. Stay because your car won’t start. ---
**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 28, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/64 "2017-12-28T05:21:23Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Aside from when I’m bobbing [in a hot tub](https://images2.imgbox.com/ae/ca/htRIuZps_o.jpg) while gazing up at the stars, I tend to wear clothes when I am outside in the winter that keep me comfy. You look sort of like those Japanese snow monkeys that takes natural saunas! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/590_mhAuZhc/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AGoA4AC5AKKAgwIABABGGUgXShTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBOCQKAfRrwdffRrIg0g_xs01m6bQ "Japanese Snow Monkeys, Jigokudani") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=590_mhAuZhc) ---
**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 28, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/65 "2017-12-28T14:39:09Z")
Parallel evolution in action – it’s taking longer than we thought. ---
**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 28, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/66 "2017-12-28T15:13:02Z")
So maybe that was on of those late night posts that shouldn’t have been made - didn’t mean to call you a monkey! ---
**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 28, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/67 "2017-12-28T15:29:58Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > [Winter dress can be as comfortable as diving into down](https://youtu.be/9SwXFlHWTTU?t=3m38s), but I’ll admit that the process of getting dressed is an embuggerance. > > Here’s an assembly line for getting it all on in the right order when dressing for minimal activity down where Celsius meets Fahrenheit (dress quickly in a cool room to avoid overheating, for perspiration impinges insulative clothing): > > Talcum powder on toes (possibly carcinogenic) > Thin wicking socks > Thin wicking briefs > Thin wicking long bottoms > Thick wool socks > Mid-thick codpiece > Mid-thick long fleece bottoms > Thin wicking top > Second thin wicking top > Mid-thick long fleece top > Thick wool pants with suspenders > Thick down vest > Pack boots with thick felt insulation > Windproof bib pants with suspenders > Windproof knee length thick down parka with full hood, long hood ruff and hood neck cover > Close fitting goggles > Thin wicking full balaclava > Windproof balaclava with breathing chamber and breath deflector > Thin wicking gloves > Thick wicking inner mittens > Windproof and durable outer mittens I’m thinking of Randy in _A Christmas Story_: I can’t put my arms down! I don’t own that quantity of clothing of _any_ sort, never mind cold weather clothing. And **Northern**? If your only experience with warmth was that Florida summer I don’t blame you for preferring 15-degrees, but it’s not 15 now, is it. “It’s a dry heat” counts for something but it only goes so far. My particular whinge point is 105F but others may vary. My standard retort is, “You don’t have to shovel 110.” I just now remembered reading about the the [Alaska Railroad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Railroad) during WWII. It was all steam then and when it was really cold, they had to keep at least one locomotive moving at all times. With all that dripping water, one that stopped would instantly freeze to the rails and the moving one would be used to bunt it back into motion when needed. A frozen one could be loosened up with steam lances and the like, but it was a royal PITA. ---
**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 28, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/68 "2017-12-28T16:18:28Z")
Yeah. Having lived 20 years total in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami, and the real tropics (Panama) I can say from experience that there are few experiences on Earth hotter, stickier, & stupider than an August day in Orlando. Blech to that stuff. Just like blech to 0F / -15C or below. Too much of a good thing is still too much. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/69 "2017-12-28T16:32:55Z")
Neither one of my vehicles has an engine block heater so I’m at the mercy of the weather. No problems starting so far. The pickup did have factory-installed engine block heater but it never got transferred over when they replaced the engine. The cord is still there though. ---
**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 29, 2017, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/70 "2017-12-29T03:43:39Z")
Some vehicles are ready to receive a block heater but do not come with a block heater. If you have one of those vehicles, you could have a block heater installed inexpensively. ---
**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 29, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/71 "2017-12-29T15:15:06Z")
Neglected to mention, going back to the extension cord issue, that back home everyone’s cords are accounted for, having been on duty plugging essential gear into generators for the past 3 months as the grid sllloooooowwwwllyyy gets rebuilt. Yeah we get catastrophic storms but at least the temperature stays within the “survive without technology” band year-round. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/72 "2017-12-29T18:37:55Z")
Presently -31 with a -42 wind chill in Cool Pool and an over night low of -37 C. I’m a backer of the Magnoplug/Volt Safe as well and am patiently waiting. I did consider getting one of the Beta models they offered but changed my mind. Synthetic oil makes a pretty significant difference at these kind of temps and the post about the big ass battery was spot on. I managed to stuff an 1150 cca battery in my 92 Cherokee and the first time it fired up I thought it was going to torque the motor off the mounts! 😃 Even now, I have an 850 cca AGM in my Legacy and the original was 550. Bobcat Goldthwait did a bit about how insane Canada’s weather is. He’s absolutely right, BTW. Why do we live in a place where exposed skin will freeze in less than a minute? Mostly bragging rights… And my car won’t start. 🙂 I now have two extension cords in the car because I’m basically too lazy to remove one of them and I’m secretly worried that if I take one away the other will go looking for its friend. ---
**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 29, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/73 "2017-12-29T19:03:10Z")
Sometimes you can’t win for trying. Last night my vehicle started up with a bang, but I still had to go buy an extension cord to reach from my office to another office due to a breaker popping after-hours. ---
**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 31, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/74 "2017-12-31T23:47:48Z")
National Post 2017 January 31: “[Saskatoon is colder than both the north and south poles](http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/mars-and-the-north-pole-are-warmer-than-winnipeg-a-guide-to-how-damned-cold-it-is)” ---
**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:** [January 1, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/75 "2018-01-01T00:12:30Z")
That’s December 27, 2017. Just a few days ago. The article mentions that the Montreal Fire Department had a problem and one fire because the water was freezing in the hose. And Ottawa is colder than Ulan Bator, Mongolia, winning the " coldest national capital" award. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/76 "2018-01-01T00:14:21Z")
Just taking the Cub to see “Ferdinand” at the movies. -42 C be damned! It’s just a bit of windchill. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/77 "2018-01-01T00:35:37Z")
That’s my attitude–weather be damned; I’m heading out with some friends tonight! ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/78 "2018-01-01T21:59:55Z")
Saw a quote on my Friend’s FB the other day that made me laugh; “Easterners! Extreme cold weather coming! Prepare your emergency supplies and ensure you have a generator and blankets and 3 days food and water at the ready! Westerners, wear your heavy coat.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/79 "2018-01-01T22:49:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Where have all my extension cords gone? Cf. Avram Davidson’s “[Or All the Sea with Oysters](http://fantasticworlds-jordan179.blogspot.com/2012/07/retro-review-or-all-seas-with-oysters.html).” ---
**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:** [May 14, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116/80 "2018-05-14T05:54:41Z")
Woo-hoo! I got through the winter without having to buy a second new extension cord! Just tucked the one bought in December away in the shed with the rest of the winter gear. Only one per year! I’m getting better at this this “unplug the friggin’ cord, idjit!” thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-all-my-extension-cords-gone/805116.md?page=5)