I had a scare while I was away from home during a storm. My PC got moved to another room, and my friend helped my mom plug it back in without knowing I usually connect it directly to the wall. Unfortunately, I didn't tell them not to use an extension cord. This extension cord was shared among multiple devices like my monitor, a phone charger, and a WiFi extender. After being plugged in for hours, it caught fire! Thankfully, my friend unplugged it right away and sent me a picture. I'm really worried that it might have damaged my PSU or my whole PC. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm anxious to know what I should expect when I get home. Can anyone give me their thoughts on this?
4 Answers
Your PSU is likely okay. It sounds like the extension cord was overloaded and couldn’t handle all the devices plugged into it.
No way to be sure until you power it on. Just be careful!
Honestly, there's a good chance only the extension cord got fried. Your PC might be just fine!
Was that extension cord really an extension wire or a power strip? I wonder if the fire originated from that device rather than your PC itself.
I didn’t realize there was a difference! The package called it an extension wire, but my friend thinks it might actually be a power strip since it was pretty cheap. And yes, it was definitely the strip that caught fire, not the PC. The fire was small and got put out quickly.
Is it safe to turn it on without changing the PSU first?