As of late September 2026, the fan still runs most afternoons in my Riverside living room. It shares an extension cord with the floor lamp, the cord crosses the room, and a rug goes over it so nobody catches a toe. For years I thought that was the careful version. Cord protected, feet protected, done.
That’s the reflex most of us here in California have with a cord like that. The rug solves the tripping, so the problem looks solved. The trouble is what the rug does to the cord underneath, and none of the safety agencies I read treat it as the careful version.
Have an electrician add an outlet for that cord.You describe the cord under the rug and where it is, then local electricians call about adding an outlet there.“My extension cord runs under a rug and needs an outlet.”→Free for homeowners · Your number stays private
What the CPSC says
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission put it plainly: “Don’t run cords under carpets or rugs since they prevent heat from being released by the cord.” A cord makes heat while it works, and the rug is sitting right on top of it.
Why the rug backfires
The CPSC’s extension cord guidance says overheating can occur at the plug, at the socket, or over the entire length of the cord. That whole length is exactly the part a rug hides. It also says not to run extension cords under carpets, through doorways or under furniture…