Pulled an old power strip out of the garage bin and it literally melted

I found this ancient power strip in my dad's junk drawer last week and plugged my work setup into it for extra outlets. Smelled something burning after 20 minutes and saw the plastic around one socket had actually softened and warped. Anyone else ever nearly start a fire with forgotten electronics?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenixgonzalez1mo ago

Yeah that melted plastic smell is something you don't forget. Old power strips are basically fire hazards waiting to happen, especially if they've been sitting in a damp garage or basement for years. The internal components can corrode or the plastic just gets brittle and can't handle the heat anymore. You're lucky you caught it when you did because those things can go up fast once they start arcing inside. Rule of thumb is if the strip is more than 10 years old or looks yellowed and cracked, trash it and get a new one with surge protection. Also never daisy chain them or plug high draw stuff like space heaters into any power strip at all.

robin_campbell361mo ago

Honestly I’ve used old power strips for years and never had a single issue, people act like they’re ticking bombs but most of the time they just sit there doing nothing.