Things To Know Before You Buy A Perfect Extension Cord

Extension cord is one of the important stuffs in our daily need. So what is the definition of an extension cord? An extension cord is a length of flexible electrical power cable (flex) with a plug on one end and one or more sockets on the other end (usually of the same type as the plug). The term usually refers to mains (household AC) extensions but is also used to refer to extensions for other types of cabling. If the plug and power outlet are of different types, the term “adapter cord” may be used. Most extension cords range from around two to thirty feet in length although they are made up to 300 feet in length.

Electrical tools and appliances have different power ratings. These rugged, weather-resistant portable cords are designed to accommodate a variety of temporary power requirements. (Note that we’re not talking about extension cords for strictly light-duty indoor use.) But not all extension cords are created equal. An improperly sized extension cord can cause a tool or appliance motor to burn out if allowed to run for too long. It can also cause a dangerous situation if it overheats.

The length of an extension cord is a great measure for safety or rather we can say electricity supply is totally depends upon the length of the extension cord. But on the other hand, the thicker the copper wire, more the electricity it can carry. However, because transmitted power diminishes over distance, longer extension cords require heavier wire to deliver the full current rating required by an appliance. The wire can never be too big, but it can be too small.

So here we have a very useful and very effective calculator, for calculating the length of the extension cord properly. It can actually figure out the length required for using the extension cord properly. If you plan to connect multiple devices to the cord at the same time, add up the current requirements for each device. The power requirements for some devices are listed in watts, rather than amps. Use this formula to convert the rating to amps: Amps = watts/110.

If an extension cord doesn’t include a maximum amperage rating, you can figure out its capacity by looking at its American Wire Gauge (AWG) rating. A lower AWG number indicates a thicker wire and a higher capacity, so the lower the number, the higher the cord’s capacity to deliver power. Gauge is typically listed along with the number of conducting wires in the cord. For example, a 14/3 cord contains 14-gauge wire and has three conductions inside.

Practically this interactive calculator does the same, according to the formula it calculates the actual length. Voltage drop is an essential issue for calculation of the length of the extension cord because the longer the run of wire, the less power that will get to your electrical string trimmer, lawn mower, hedger or other tool.

But, if we put the requirements of the calculator, then the calculator can measure the perfect and useful length for the extension cord practically. So we can conclude that the interactive calculator is a very handy and useful tool for calculating the length of the extension cord, it a great measure for electrical purposes.