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Just to be clear, this is about the prong, not the outlet!

Today I set up an outdoor fountain and plugged it into an outdoor extension cord to reach the outdoor outlet I have. When I went back inside, I unplugged the cord from the outlet, leaving the prong on the ground. So to repeat, the cord was not plugged in, it was just chilling on the ground.

It just stormed a bunch here and I'm worried that the rain ruined the extension cord. I've never had outdoor electric anything before so I don't know what to do with cords when they're not plugged in and protected by the outlet bubble. I don't intend to leave anything plugged in 24/7.

I've tried searching and haven't found any other answers online, only ones regarding plugged in cords. Thank you to anyone who can help!

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    Just be sure it’s dry before plugging in
    – Kris
    Commented Aug 10, 2021 at 23:26
  • 2
    When not using them they should be put away. Most extension cords will be okay if they get wet when not in use, but let them dry before using again. Lawn mowers like chewing up cords left on the ground.
    – crip659
    Commented Aug 10, 2021 at 23:33
  • If it is an outdoor rated extension cord as it should it will be OK.
    – Gil
    Commented Aug 11, 2021 at 1:06

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One rain storm will not cause enough corrosion on the contacts of the extension cord to cause you any worry. A dozen rain storms won't, really.

Generally, you're not going to damage the cord just because it gets wet. The hazard is when the water becomes an electrical conductor shorting out between the prongs. So long as it's dry, you've avoided that risk.

Wait until the cord has dried out before using it, then plug it in.

You'll probably want to unplug the fountain from the other end, just to be sure that any moisture that got in there during the rain gets a chance to dry thoroughly, too.

As a general rule, you'll want to unplug the extension cord and put it away when it's not in use. This will eliminate it as a trip hazard, prevent it from getting run over/destroyed by the lawn mower, and it ensures that it will be dry next time you want to use it, so you won't have to worry about it. But, if you want to leave it out, feel free to do so, just make sure it's well dried before plugging anything into to it.

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  • The hazard is when the water becomes an electrical conductor shorting out between the prongs. Yes, that is a hazard. But a far more dangerous hidden hazard is: Water touches one prong and all the way to the outside of the cord. Person touches that wet part of the outside (e.g., to disconnect) and gets a shock due to current flowing from that prong through their body to the physical (wet too...) ground. An actual short between two prongs is a bit of a surprise when it happens but not life-threatening.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Aug 11, 2021 at 15:27

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