I was installing some new electronics last night and got to the end of my supply of extension cords before I finished the job. I had to dig deep into the cable archives and came across some power cable I had put together for a nightclub installation we had done 30 YEARS AGO!
Someone (probably not me) had taken the time and care to properly “under and over” coil these, tie them up with tie line and store them in a dark road case. I couldn’t believe what great shape they were in. I put them to use right away and didn’t burn the house down-at least not yet!
I thnk the two secrets to the longevity of these cables was that they were stored where no sun light would shine on them, thus no uv radiation to break down the jacket, and, more importantly, they were properly coiled. Any stranded wire (these were fine strands of copper) has a natural twist that needs to be respected when the cables are coiled. Coiling or wrapping them against this twist (e.g. wrapping them around your arm and hand) will quickly lead to permanent kinks and eventually cause enough of the individual strands to break down. Conductivity is reduced, heat is generated and, eventually the cable can get hot enough to melt the jacket.
Next time you have a new extension cord, take the time to coil it properly with an under/over looping method and it will last a long, long time.
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