XIGMATEK Shows Off Fire-proof PSU Cables

[btarunr]

XIGMATEK showed off an interesting innovation for those pyrophobics among you. The company innovated fire-proof PSU cables that, in practice, minimize the chance of an overloaded cable heating up enough to melt the cable-insulation, shorting up, and starting a fire. If the insulation can stand fire from a lighter, it can withstand a heated cable. Most modern PSUs do feature overload protection that turns the PSU off in case a cable is overloaded.



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[Caring1]

If that is true, they should be a standard in housing as electrical fires account for a large number of fires.

 

[RejZoR]

That already applies. House wiring is already insulated with self extinguishing insulation as well as protective tubing with same characteristics.

Good thing about this PSU though, in case of a huge house fire, you'll at least still have the PSU cables intact hehe

 

[Mussels]

i think i've seen two systems with fires from the wiring, both because cheap wires snapped and the 12V met something it should not have.

they should just make it standard on their products and use that safety claim in all their marketing.

 

[Caring1]

That already applies. House wiring is already insulated with self extinguishing insulation as well as protective tubing with same characteristics.

Good thing about this PSU though, in case of a huge house fire, you'll at least still have the PSU cables intact hehe

I didn't think it was yet.
The quickest way to get the copper wiring out is to burn the insulation off, stripping it by hand, cutting the casing off takes too long.

 

[RejZoR]

You burn it off, but that doesn't mean it actually burns. It's still a plastic after all with lower heat threshold than metal inside it, but if you burn it with a flame, insulation should melt but not burn. Unless it's some cheap wire in which case it might burn. But the cables meant for house installation (solid copper wire, each wrapped in it's own colored insulation, inner insulation core wrapping all wires together and external protective wrapping protecting everything together inside) should never do that.

 

[R-T-B]

I didn't think it was yet.
The quickest way to get the copper wiring out is to burn the insulation off, stripping it by hand, cutting the casing off takes too long.

Handy knowledge I guess if time was of the essence... Maybe a tip for copper wire thieves? lol

 

[nem..]

interesting

 

[Ferrum Master]

Maybe a tip for copper wire thieves? lol

I was sure that stealing copper wires was truly only a post soviet trend.

 

[R-T-B]

I was sure that stealing copper wires was truly only a post soviet trend.

Meh, still happens here in the states. Even better: Just recently a bunch of thieves tried to steal fiber optic wiring not realizing cutting it made it worthless and their only "buyers" would be a police sting...

Desperate people are desperate.

 

[techy1]

I was sure that stealing copper wires was truly only a post soviet trend.

I am from post soviet... and when I red that (about burning isolation of to get coper) I was like : "duh.... who does not know that ?"

 

[Mussels]

copper thieves are alive and well in aus too, its the metal itself that holds value - and tradies building a house would love to save a few bucks and pocket the difference.

 

[Ubersonic]

Only fires from PSU cables I have seen had the fire at the connection to the PSU, surely this would make that even more likely (than elsewhere on the cable).

 

[AsRock]

I didn't think it was yet.
The quickest way to get the copper wiring out is to burn the insulation off, stripping it by hand, cutting the casing off takes too long.

I guess no doing that with these lol, all so with cutting you can damage a few wires too.

 

[rtwjunkie]

I was sure that stealing copper wires was truly only a post soviet trend.

This practice is alive and well in New Orleans. It started in the months after Hurricane Katrina when huge sections lay uninhabited for months.

The interest in stealing copper has remained high here, despite all the reconstruction, with theives going to great lengths to secure it.

 

[Basard]

Hey, copper is like 3 bucks a pound you idiots! Any idea how many cigarettes that can buy?! LOL....

This is cool, if you want your computer to start on fire, but still have your rubber PSU wire insulation....

 

[Frick]

Hey, copper is like 3 bucks a pound you idiots! Any idea how many cigarettes that can buy?! LOL....

You don't steal pounds, you steal tons. A few drums of high powered cable will net you quite a lot actually.

It was a huge problem here in civilized sweden. The prices was rushing for a while there, but it has gone down in recent years.