What should I do if my extension cord feels hot?

Stop using it immediately. Heat is the main warning sign that the cord is working too hard. Also look for discolored or stiff insulation, a burning smell, buzzing sounds, or repeated breaker trips — if you see any of those, unplug and throw it away. Prevent this by not overloading the cord: a 16-gauge cord handles 13 amps (about 1,500 watts), and a space heater alone uses that much, so don’t plug anything else into the same cord. Never daisy-chain cords, and use the shortest cord possible.