Relationship Of Extension Cord with Power

Alt text – relationship of extension cord with power

Your house is made of various components that determine its compactness, security, and stability. Like bricks and mortars that provide a foundation to the house, other features like wiring, plumbing, water, gas supply, and storage enable your home that all the house functions are appropriately covered. Even if one of these essential components is out of place, huge problems related to your house will arise.

Electrical wiring and devices are crucial aspects in the layout of every house as they determine electrical connectivity to the switches inside the house and enable the operation of various appliances and devices.

Why is electrical safety important?

The application of electricity to power an entire house is an age-old phenomenon. No other form of energy can come close to meeting the standard requirements of households. However, with electricity, there’s always the concern about safety because of the seemingly volatile nature of the component. The most common electrical injuries are:

• Electric shocks
• Electrocution
• Burns

Additionally, injuries resulting from electric shocks can cause severe damage to the body, such as:

• Cardiac arrest
• Muscle, nerve, and tissue damage
• Thermal burns
• Impact trauma after experiencing an electrical shock.

Because of all these possibilities, electrical safety is taken quite seriously, and several modifications are made to the wiring and switch apparatus inside houses. Shock preventive fuses and modules like extension cords are used widely to prevent hazards. Additionally, adaptable electrical modules like plugs and power cords provide users with an extra layer of security.

Moreover, you can add components like high-end extension cords, power cords, and extension power cables to maintain a statute of safety in your home and workplace.

Alt text – bulk extension cord wire, power cords

What is an Extension Cord?

An extension cord is a group of electrical wires that have been insulation and have plugs on both ends. When an electrical current flows through a wire, heat is produced. If an electrical current flows through a wire for an extended period, it can overheat and melt the plastic insulation, leading to short circuits and fires.

When you use an appliance's factory cord to connect it straight to an outlet, there usually won't be a problem because the cord's maker sized it to accommodate the appliance's electrical current requirement or load.

Yet, if you use an inadequate extension cable to expand the reach of that appliance cord, you risk exceeding the extension cord's safe load capacity, which could have disastrous consequences.

Extension Cord Power Specifications

1. Amps

The flow or electrical current across the electrical conductor of a household is usually measured by amperes, or "amps.". As the electrical flow increases, so do the number of electrons flowing through the conductor. The copper wires inside an extension cord serve as the conductors in the cord.

2. Voltage

The quantity of electrical force pushing the electrons around is called voltage, or volts. Voltage increases in direct proportion to the electrical power.

The total amount of power utilized in any capacity is measured in watts. The voltage that a light bulb, appliance, or other electrical equipment exudes determines the total usage.

Alt text – bulk extension cord, bulk power cords

3. Gauge

A gauge measures the diameter of the conductors within any electrical device. Gauges are usually used to determine the size and length of an extension cord. There are four different gauges:

• 16 gauge
• 14 gauge extension cord
• 12 gauge
• 10 gauge

A larger gauge will carry power a greater distance without dropping as much voltage as a cord with a smaller gauge. The number of amps or watts that extension cables may safely support determines their rating. As a user, always pick an extension cord with the same total amp and voltage rating as the house's lights, appliances, and other electrical equipment.

An extension cord too small may become overheated and catch fire if the correct gauge size isn’t maintained. The label of the electrical appliance, the instructions, or the owner's manual typically have the voltage printed on them. This helps the user to identify the right kind of electrical cord.

4. Length

When it comes to extension cords, length is important. An extension cord will have more electrical resistance the longer it gets. The quantity of electricity the cord can supply to a device reduces as electrical resistance rises.

For instance, a bigger wire gauge would be okay if you were using a 25-foot extension cord to power an appliance. A 25- to 50-foot 16-gauge extension cord can power up to 13 amps. However, a 100-foot extension cord can only power up to 10 amps, and a 100-foot cord can only power up to 7 amps.

5. Plug and Connector

A plug is usually a non-grounded (two-prong) extension cord with two parallel blades. One side of the plug is considered a male, and the other a female. Ideally, there are two similar slots on the connector's female end and one on the male end.

One slot is broader than the other on both ends, referred to as polarized. The hot and neutral conductors of the extension cable should always match the circuit conductors of the outlet they are plugged into. This is a safety feature. A grounded (three-prong) outlet can always accept a cord that isn't grounded.

The connecter is a grounded (three-prong) extension cord connecting device which is usually polarised and has a third grounding pin or slot. You always use a grounded extension cable when using an appliance with a grounded (three-prong) outlet. For visibility and to indicate that the extension cord is powered, many of Americord’s grounded extension cords have a lighted connector or a bright locking connector.

Alt text – 12-gauge extension cord, 20-amp extension cord

Types of Extension Cords

1. Light-Duty Extension Cords

A light-duty extension cord that resembles a lamp wire and is very thin. Ideally, users should never connect these wires to anything other than very lightweight equipment. When used in variance with electric space heaters and other heat-generating devices like toasters and clothes irons, these pose a particular risk.

Light-duty extension cords frequently lack a grounding wire and prong because they only have two plug prongs. Thus, you should never use them with appliances with a three-prong grounded cord.

Light-duty electrical appliances consuming up to 7 amps, such as lamps and clocks and

• 18-gauge wire for cords up to 25 feet in length.
• 16 gauge wire for cords up to 50 feet in length.
• 14-gauge length for a 100-foot extension cord

2. Medium-Duty Extension Cord

As the name suggests, medium-duty extension cords are used for medium-sized appliances. They usually use a third wire and plug prong for grounding. They have plugs that can accommodate grounded, three-prong appliance wires.

The most common medium-sized extension cord is the 10 amp-capable used for devices such as computers, televisions, and other electronic equipment. Adjustable lengths in medium-duty extension cords are

• 16-gauge wire for cords up to 25 feet in length.
• 14-gauge wire cord length up to 50 feet
• 12-gauge wire length up to 100 feet

3. Heavy-Duty Extension Cords

Heavy-duty extension cords usually draw up to 10 to 15 amps and are ideal for heavy-duty extension cables. These are always grounded extension cables, including three slots on the plug for grounded appliance cords and a third wire for grounding.

These extension cords are utilized for heating devices and instruments requiring up to 15 amps of electricity. They come in the following adjustable lengths

• Use 14-gauge wire for cords up to 25 feet in length.
• Use 12-gauge wire for cords up to 50 feet in length.
• Use 10-gauge wire for cords up to 100 feet in length.

Additionally, the usage of extension cords depends on the specific instructions provided by the appliance manufacturer.

Alt text – 20-amp power strip, 220 extension cord

Benefits of Extension Cords

1. Fire Hazards Preventions

The potential for electrical fires is one of the most frequent electrical hazards. Many fatalities are caused each year by industrial and household fires brought on by improper electrical management and circuit exposure.

Damaged wires in the circuits are discovered as soon as possible, and their propensity to cause inflammation is reduced. One of the primary purposes of an extension cord is to prevent these ground faults.

Also, in older homes with deteriorated wiring, future fires could start if the bulk wires are under too much stress due to wear and tear in their insulation. So, these outdated outlets should be replaced by the much more automated extension cords

A flat plug extension cord can save lives by preventing your home or business from electrical implosions.

2. Electrocution Avoidance

A significant preventive feature of extension outlets is their adequate capacity to protect safety from electrocution and mitigate fire-related threats. Everyone has experienced uneasy feelings of electrical shocks at some point. However, they are nothing compared to full-scale electrocution, which can leave a victim permanently disabled or dead.

Electrical power connectors are equipped with automatic sensors that effectively monitor the flow of electricity to prevent this terrible scenario. The three-pronged plugs on the cords either reroute any unusual movement or distortion in the path of the electricity or completely cut off the circuit.

Furthermore, some extension circuits wholly shut off the electricity if there is any irregularity in the current flow. In theory, this shields the user from

3. Restriction of damage to electrical components

Electrical equipment is prone to severe wear and tear like any tangible component. The circuit is reasonably likely to sustain substantial damage if they are not upright.

This could result in leakage, which would stop the flow of electricity to the outlet. Equipment damage or implosion vulnerability can result during extended durations of interruption.

Hence, you must either install a brand-new extension apparatus or replace all your existing outlets with new switches to ensure the longevity of your electrical equipment.

In older power cables and circuits, cracks also start to show up. Therefore, it is always wise to retrofit them with extension outlets to guard against harm to your electrical devices.

4. Legal Protocols

Extension cords offer safe electrical services and save many lives because of their preventative features. These characteristics have incorporated extension outlets into numerous administrative laws and statutory requirements. Under these circumstances, extension outlets must be installed in new residences, and protections are also in place for older properties.

You should install extension outlets for your and your family's protection, even if no plans exist. Also, you can add the necessary extensions for future occupants if you intend to renovate your home or rent it out.

5. Money –Saving

Using obsolete outlets for your electrical circuits is proven to worsen the problem of high electricity costs. Contemporary extension outlets are known for being very energy-efficient and lowering electricity costs.

How much power does an extension cord consume?

Because extension cords exist in various lengths and gauges, the power drawn will also depend on the device you're using. The answer to this question is not specific because each household comprises different wiring, and the cost of electricity also varies.

However, using a thicker and shorter cord will consume less voltage and require less power from the outlet to make up the difference.

Additionally, it should be noted that cord thickness is measured in gauge, and the thicker the cord is, the lower the gauge number. All these factors and more determine the total power any extension cord consumes.

Extension cords wear and tear

Like all objects, Extension cords also undergo the same wear and tear. However, they can last long since they are used for such sturdy requirements and electrical resistance. The insulation in these cords is very powerful and can withstand the harshest exposures.

A standard electrical wire is made of metal, typically copper, which has a relatively low electrical resistance and facilitates the easy flow of energy through it.

In contrast, the covering wrapped around the wire is typically made of plastic, rubber, or any other substance with very high electrical resistance, effectively creating a barrier to prevent electricity from escaping.

Conclusion

The most prominent advantage of extension outlets is that it provides users with a sense of safety and security. They highly restrict the chances of fire hazards and electrocutions, which traditional wiring and devices fail to prevent. The advanced qualities of the extension outlets make them a necessary instrument in any modern home in today’s day and age.