Fire Shield is a next generation extension cord with built-in intelligence to sense cord damage and shut off the power before a fire can start. No other extension cord has this capability.
Industry statistics indicate there is a cord fire approximately every 6 minutes. The most frequent causes of such fires are short circuits, overloading, damage, and/or misuse of extension cords.
A special shield surrounds each of the insulated conductors of the Fire Shield Extension Cord. The shield is continuously monitored by electronics in the plug head. When a dangerous electrical condition is detected by current leaking to the shield, power is shut off before a fire can start.
Fire Shield differ from GFCI's and ground conductors. Grounded conductors only provide a path to ground. GFCI’s detect ground faults. Neither detects the breakdown in the insulation of a standard extension cord, which can lead to an arcing condition that may start a fire. By utilizing a sensing shield around the insulated Fire Shield conductors combined with intelligent electronics in the plug head, Fire Shield can detect damage in the cord such as series faults (broken and frayed conductors) and parallel faults (insulation damage between the live conductors), and shut off the power before a fire can start.
Unintentional misuse of extension cords is the main reason for cord fires. Cords may be crimped, pinched, frayed, overloaded, overheated, or just worn out. Any of these conditions can lead to an extension cord fire. Fire Shield can detect any leakage currents from these conditions and shut off power before a fire can occur.
The cord fire protection is a function of the special shield and relates to the Fire Shield extension cord only.
Fire Shiled should be used anywhere you use standard extension cords or power strips; in children’s rooms, pet areas, with space heaters, electric blankets, waterbeds, etc. Children and pets have been known to bite or chew electrical cords. Fire Shield, with its built-in intelligence may provide protection in these circumstances. Fire Shield Safety Extension Cords should also be used during the holidays with Christmas trees and other holiday decorations because of the tendency to overload extension cords.
Standard surge protectors only provide protection against power surges, which is important. However, standard surge protectors do not provide cord fire prevention. TRC has recently introduced a next generation line of Fire Shield Surge Protectors that not only protects against power surges, but also provides cord fire prevention.
Fire Shield cords are now required at many colleges as the only power strip allowed in college dorms. This is due to students overloading the strips, or tacking the cords to walls or pinching the cords between doors or around corners. All these issues can and will cause fires.
