A Fast, FREE Way to Keep Extension Cords Connected to Anything

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Keep your sanity intact on the jobsite when you keep extension cords connected.

**Spoiler Alert** This is the fast and free way to keep extension cords connected to anything–except you might want to consider an alternative…

Have you ever been on the jobsite, get ready to make a cut with a saw, and find yourself pulling the trigger with absolutely no result? Or even worse…the saw stops in the middle of a cut–sometimes there are no go-backs!

We’ve all been there.

Hands up in the air, twisting around in a bad dance move, searching for the cause, perhaps with a few choice words.

…only to find we’ve unknowingly unplugged the extension cord from the saw cord.

<insert more “choice” words here>

There is a fast–and FREE–solution to keep extension cords connected.

Tie a knot between both the cord coming off the saw and the extension cord.

Take the saw cord and the extension cord and put them in your hand side by side.

Next, tie a knot and then plug the two ends together.

It is not a fancy knot, just an overhand knot. Even better, this solution preventing extension cords from getting disconnected only takes five seconds and it is free.

Now when the extension cord goes over a long distance it will stay plugged in to the power tool. A misplaced foot will no longer cause a saw blade to suddenly stop, preventing a bad cut or even worse, injury.

This is a different method than using the individual ends in the same overhand knot and pulling the cords together.

A bad way to connect extension cords.

This creates stress on the connection.

Tension is showing on the prong connection and cord ends of the extension cords. Notice the gap at the top of the connection as well as a good size kink on the light orange extension cord.

A better shot of the kink caused by pulling the two electrical cords apart.

Definitely don’t do this.

In addition, when an extension cord is connected to a tool with a smaller cord, this second method might tangle the smaller cord on itself, making the attempt pointless.

The larger side is more resistant to bending, while the smaller side will be more accommodating. If there is enough movement the larger cord can work it’s way out of the knot.

The larger electrical cord starts slipping out.

And eventually the smaller electrical cord gets knotted on itself.

The first method is a clear winner here:

The one caveat is the “correct” method should only be a temporary fix.

Cords should be unplugged as soon as the tool is no longer needed. They should certainly not be stored like this.

There are three problems that both the correct and incorrect version share:

1. The knotted part can heat up, especially since we are talking about power tools here. Translation: fire hazard.
2. You are using precious extension cord space. You may be losing up to a few feet with the right way.
3. Electrical cords, both on the tools themselves and the extension cord, are not intended to tightly bend like this. Over time the cord will wear out.

As much as it sounds like this was a clickbait article, safety is always first on the jobsite. Bodily harm and fire prevention is important. If you do require this capability on a more regular basis you should consider a cord connection device like a Cord Protect or Cordsafe. A cord connection device not only keeps the connection secure and eliminates the problems listed above, but some, like the ones linked, are also weather resistant.

Keep extension cords connected–and weather resistant–with a cord connection device like this Cord Protect.

These devices use gaskets to keep the cords securely in place and also make the connection weather resistant.

Just plug the ends together, put it in the device and lock them up inside.

To see it in action as well as how it works when you pull on this fix, check out the following video:

Here is my reasoning for producing two videos on this subject:

• The second video explains and gives you the action shots behind this post.
• The first is to raise awareness for this kind of a fix. If you search for “how to keep extension cords together”, “how to keep extension cords from unplugging”, or “how do I stop my extension cords from pulling apart”, you’ll see the same 17 second to 1:33 minute videos up close to the top of the search results. A couple of these show the way that stresses the connection. While this method WILL keep extension cords connected, rather than raining on their parade, as many comments do, anyone can step up and be a part of the improved answer. We can all learn something new!

When I first started this article I thought it was going to be about a five sentence article, perfect for an expected lower turnout for this post since it is Christmas. But when I saw the results that are out there, shaky knowledge on electricity and knowing there are limitations on even the closer-to-correct and free way, getting the word out there on a my own VERY short video seems like the right thing to do. Let’s face it, many more people will click on a 42 second video to glean knowledge quickly than on my 5:47 minute dissertation. While I want to share the backstory on why it is better, getting the more correct answer out there is a win for society.