Chicago Electric extension cords
2 reports to CPSC, the latest made Dec 28, 2012. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 2reports to CPSC
- Dec 28, 2012the latest report was made
- Oct 15, 2011the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Chicago Electric
- Maker
- CHICAGO ELECTRIC, DIV OF HARBORFREIGHTMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Extension cordsCPSC’s product type: Extension Cords (code 685), in Electronics: Cables, Surge & Power Protection
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| December 2012 | 1 |
| October 2011 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- No one hurt 2 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No one hurt Made Dec 28, 2012, sent to the company Jan 16, 2013, published by CPSC Jan 31, 2013
The product, in the report: 25 Ft. x 12 Gauge Triple Tap Extension Cord with Indicator Light Chicago Electric - item#96710
The extension cord receptacle will not allow a plug to be fully inserted when cold.
- Model
- 96710
- Bought from
- Harbor Frieght Tools
- Bought
- Jun 1, 2012, about then
- Where
- Gwynn Oak, Maryland: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Chicago Electric, made or sold by CHICAGO ELECTRIC, DIV OF HARBORFREIGHT
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
No one hurt Made Oct 15, 2011, sent to the company Oct 24, 2011, published by CPSC Nov 7, 2011
The product, in the report: Replacement female cord connector, 15 amp/125 volt, NEMA 5-15R, UL listed E313749, Molded hard plastic,yellow. Package label states in part “Made in China” Purchased new in a sealed blister pack with instrucions in English
I purchased a replacement cord connector for an extension cord. The connector is a 3 bladed female cord connector (Two 2 flat blades and one U shaped ground blade, NEMA 5-15R configuration) marked for 15 amps and 125 volts AC.
DEFECT: The flat neutral blade is connected internally to the U shaped ground blade (inside the molded housing), creating a pathway for electric current to energize any metal component of an appliance connected through this cord connector.
When plugged into a 120-volt circuit which has a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, this causes the GFCI to trip. This happened to me when I installed the cord connector in accordance with the instructions provided. Therefore, I checked the polarity of the hot and neutral terminals and discovered that the neutral terminal of the cord connector is connected to the U shaped ground blade inside the molded housing of the cord connector
This causes the connector to trip any Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, if present in the circuit the cord is plugged into. Unfortunately, if the defective connector is used in an ordinary 120-volt circuit without a GFCI device, 120 volts can flow through the grounding wire and into any appliance which has a 3 prong plug that is plugged into this defective connector.
Since this incorrect configuration will not trip an ordinary circuit breaker, the user is unaware of the ground fault. Any metal component of an appliance connected through this defective cord connecter would have a full 120 volts available to flow through the unaware user if the user became grounded by touching a water faucet, for example This is a serious shock hazard which could result in death.
- Model
- Item 93687
- UPC
- 7 92363 93687 3
- Serial number
- none on device. packge marked “37043 and 202011”
- Bought from
- Harbor Freight Tools, Inc.
- Bought
- Oct 1, 2011, about then
- Where
- Albuquerque, New Mexico: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 71, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Chicago Electric, made or sold by CHICAGO ELECTRIC, DIV OF HARBORFREIGHT
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
-
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.