Extension Cords as Permanent Wiring
An extension cord is made for temporary use. The electrical code does not allow a cord to stand in for a home’s permanent wiring, such as one run through a wall, ceiling, floor, doorway or window, fastened along a wall, or hidden inside a wall or ceiling.
The rule is Section 400.12 of the National Electrical Code, which the California Electrical Code adopts. It also rules out cords where they are likely to be damaged.
Cords should also be listed by a recognized testing lab, such as UL, Intertek (ETL) or CSA. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that unlisted or counterfeit cords can cause fires or shocks.
Also known as: Extension cord used as permanent wiringFlexible cord as fixed wiringCord through the wall
Why it matters in Santa Cruz County
An extension cord that has become permanent usually means a room is short of outlets, or that something needs its own circuit, like a garage freezer or a home office. The fix is to add the outlet or circuit the cord was standing in for.
Sunrise's take
When we find one on an inspection we note what it is powering, because the right fix depends on the load: a new outlet on an existing circuit, or a dedicated circuit.
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