UL certification and insurance

You have to check with your insurance provider. Some will accept non-UL and some won't. If they say they will, get it in writing. If the house burns down, and the non-UL power cord causes it, then they will take that to court to try to get out of paying the claim. The rule for dealing with insurance companies is that if you give them a way to get out of paying a claim, they will take it, and leave you flat. They are run by lawyers and accountants, not humanitarians.

They do, it's just they are not readily visible. The UL certification is for the plug and connector, not the whole cord per se. Plugs have to meet basic UL standards (UL 498) for electrical devices. The cord manufacturers do not make the plug/connector - they get them from Hubbell, Bryant, etc. The UL rating is given to the plug/connector manufacturer and not the guy that pieces the cord together. Interesting side bar: if the cord (or any other elecrtical product) is sold in stores or distributed through a dealer network, it has to meet UL/IEEE/NEC requirements for grounding, etc., but no such requirement if sold direct.

Some connectors also have what's called an "IP Suitability Rating" which rates the ability to prevent dirt and moisture (ingress protextion). An IP20 rating is common for plugs. The IP20 rating means that particles of 12.5mm or greater are effectively blocked (the "2") but no water or moisture is blocked (the "0").

Don't worry that cords will cause a fire. That's more easily accomplished by oversized circuit breakers and other audiophile wiring "improvements".

I believe the cord must be submitted to UL for testing and certification. If there is a UL label on the cord then it is certified.

There is no provision in an insurance policy that precludes recovery for an otherwise covered loss solely because a powercord, or for that matter, any other electrical device in the home is not UL listed. Write a letter to your agent requesting an underwriting-certified copy of your policy, send it to him/her via registered mail. Then, once you have the policy, make yourself different than 99% of the population and READ IT.

If a powercord /device in your house caused a fire, and that could be proven with forensic evidence, your insurance company would pay your claim less deductible, then pursue recovery from the manufacturer of that cord/ device.

TWL: What exactly is the source of your information that some will accept non-UL cords and some will not?