Use a long extension cable if you have a short one handy.Run multiple high-current tools off a single cord or circuit.
Use a cord that lacks a ground plug (either missing or broken).Keep your extension cords coiled during use.Use cables not properly rated for your tool and the length of cord.Unroll extension cords fully so they aren’t coiled during use.Keep your cables as short as possible for higher current tools.Properly size the wire gauge to the length and current draw required.Understand how much current you need to draw for your tool or appliance.This particularly holds true if you keep the wire in a coil, which creates resistance and a magnetic field that heats up. Use it in that state for too long, and the wire insulation could melt. An undersized extension cable will heat up over time. Secondly, you potentially create a dangerous situation. That’s your tool on an improperly-sized extension cord. If that straw isn’t large enough to deliver air, you struggle to breathe. Think of this like trying to breathe through a straw. First, you can tax the tool motor-causing it to work harder to draw the energy it needs to run. Use an extension cord that doesn’t carry the correct thickness (gauge) wire and you “starve” your tool.īut, you also do something worse. You have to ensure that if your tool requires 15 amps, it gets 15 amps. For larger tools that require them, it’s not enough to simply tap into the temp power pole or a nearby outlet. Why Understanding Wire Gauge and Amps MattersĮveryone on a job site or remodel has some experience with running extension cords.
It helps you understand what happens when using a 100-foot extension cord on a tool with a high current draw. This might be an unusual application for some, but we felt it represented a great scenario.
30 AMP EXTENSION CORD ENDS FULL
With that being the case, only one of our recommendations hit that level, the 100-foot 12-gauge extension cord with a full 15A draw. We also allowed for up to a 5% voltage drop-which some people might consider too high. We also utilized the 2014 NEC Chapter 9, Table 9 numbers for impedance and voltage drop calculations. Assumptions for Sizing Extension Cord Lengthįor our extension cord size chart calculations, we assumed 120V single phase with a power factor of 1. See below for some recommendations on extension cords which should match the above requirements. Consider using the next size up for anything that is at or near 5% or-even better-opting for a shorter cord whenever possible. *Yields a 5% voltage drop-the maximum allowed in our calculations. With that in mind, you typically don’t see 100-foot cords exceeding 15-amp (15A) capacity. If you want to run a 100-foot long extension cord, you have to take into account the fact that you’re essentially creating a huge resistor. We broke our charts down by extension cord length since that’s where most people start when looking for the right gauge cord: 100-foot Extension Cords Getting a firm grasp on understanding wire gauge and amps and how they interrelate can protect your tools and keep you safe. However, if you simply want to know what gauge extension cord you need to support a particular amount of amps, or how long an extension cord you can run without losing power, here you go. If you want to know more, like what is AWG or American Wire Gauge, see below. That’s right, we’re giving you the chart right up front without making you read through paragraphs of text. Extension Cord Size Chart – Wire Gauge vs Length
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