Is there a specific reason why the instructions of some electrical appliances say not to use an extension cord? Some appliances that I can think of are a vaporizer, warm mist humidifier, some TVs, VCRs, and telephones.
The main reason is many extension cords are made out of # 16 wire (or small wire). That will not carry the high current of some devices. I don't see the VCR or telephone needing a bigger wire but a microwave, some laser printers, airconditioners, and other high current devices will draw lots of current. The wiring in the walls for the 120 volt circuits are usually made of # 12 or # 14 wire for 20 or 15 amps of current.
There would not be any problems running a short drop cord to anything if you used # 12 wire and the proper plugs for the drop cord. Well, maybe a tripping hazard if you put where you could step on it , or some fire hazard if the insulation on it got frayed .
Since the poster specifically mentions devices which do not take 'heavy amounts' of electric current my suggested answer would be 'For safety'; since there could be danger of tripping on the wire and/or pulling over an electrical device in say a child's or adult's bedroom, thus spilling water (possibly hot?) in the presence of electricity. A possibly lethal combination! Check life insurance policies; standing in wet slippers or bare feet on a water soaked floor/carpet trying to clean up a broken electric device is not recommended! Also many people have no understanding of electricity and quite blithely will plug a 'heavy' electrical using device such as a 1200 watt microwave into an extension cord designed for, at best, a few small Christmas tree lights and then wonder why the extension cord melts/catches fire and burns the house down. Check house insurance. Although the insurance company might deem that kind of cause 'negligence' by the policy holder! Another mistake can be plugging too many devices into the one extension cord, not of adequate rating/size to carry the total amount of electric current! All seems rather too obvious to ask? But I've seen some horrors!
Gentlemen
This is a important subject and I must compliment you on this discussion.
One other reason for following the manufactures instructions on this issue is that of electrical shock caused by two appliances being at two different or opposite potentials.
A few weeks ago we heard of the Preacher who was electrocuted while standing in the baptismal fount in his church.
He had just reached for a microphone, which in most likelihood was connected to a sound system where the integrity of the grounding system, (if there was one) had most likely been violated. This is, as my experience as a electronics technician, working on electro-communications devices, common place. Inappropriate use of extension cords defeat the manufactures intents to make the product shock proof.
This is the reason that I take the liberty of making comment on the issue.
Albert
not
might
Do you know for sure that it wasn't the other way around? A bad heating element in an ungrounded water heater and a properly grounded sound system would have killed him as well.
I had a commercial sound business for 20 years, and I only found a couple systems that weren't properly grounded. In fact, the racks or backboards had a bare solid copper 8 AWG ground wire tied into the building's grounding system in most locations. A lot of the cabling was in EMT that was bonded to the building's ground system, as well. In some cases I also ran a 14 gauge green THHN wire through the conduit to bond the far end of the conduit back to the rack or backboard.
The only bad installs I found were done with Radio Shack or similar equipment by a fly by night outfit.
-- ? Michael A. Terrell Central Florida
All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a 13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be
26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).--- In the US we have a variety of extension cords available, the variety encompassing choices in both both wire size (AWG, BTW) and length.
As such, we can choose what we need without being forced to buy an extension cord with more copper in it than we need and a fuse which, at 13 amperes, will be largely useless except in the case of a gross short at the load end of the cord.
Here, in the US, we've opted for a circuit breaker in the service panel which can be reset in case of an overload instead of a sacrificial fuse in the extension cord which _must_ be replaced if the extension cord is to be brought back to life.
Makes more sense to me...
---
or policies in my life. I have more important and/or more interesting things to do with my time!
--- Like posting about your ignorance?
---
US? And I thought you chose 110 volts for SAFETY......
--- Whatever the reason, I can guarantee that if you pinch across your
240 mains with both hands at the load end of your fused extension cord and you take a hit across your chest and I do the same at the end of my 120V unfused extension cord I'll have a better chance of surviving the hit than you will.---
110), and I'm still alive.--- Once should have been enough to keep the other five from happening so, more than likely, there's a Darwin Award in your future...
-- John Fields Professional Circuit Designer
Am I to assume here that US electrical cords are terrible compared to UK ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a 13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be
26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).
I don't think I've ever read any instructions, fineprint, terms and conditions, or policies in my life. I have more important and/or more interesting things to do with my time!
Er..... FUSE anyone? Don't tell me they have unfused extension cords in the US? And I thought you chose 110 volts for SAFETY......
I've been electrocuted 6 times at proper mains voltage (240, not your pansy
110), and I'm still alive.-- http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com Truly Amazing Anagrams: Diego Maradona O dear, I\'m a gonad Ricki Martin Ram it in Rick. Kylie Minogue You like minge. Tony Blair PM I\'m Tory plan B Virginia Bottomley I\'m an evil Tory bigot Michael Heseltine Elect him, he\'s alien David Mellor Dildo marvel Dame Agatha Christie I am a right death case Benson and Hedges NHS been a godsend Selina Scott Elastic snot Mel Gibson Big melons Gloria Estefan Large fat noise Chris Rea Rich arse Martina Navratilova Variant rival to a man Gabriela Sabatini Insatiable airbag Irritable Bowel Syndrome O my terrible drains below Evangelist Evil\'s Agent Desperation A Rope Ends It The Morse Code Here Come Dots Mother-in-law Woman Hitler Semolina Is No Meal A Decimal Point I\'m a Dot in Place Eleven plus two Twelve plus one President Clinton, of the USA To copulate, he finds interns Motorway Service Station I eat coronary vomit stews.
ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a 13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be 26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).
conditions, or policies in my life. I have more important and/or more interesting things to do with my time!
the US? And I thought you chose 110 volts for SAFETY......
The standard US outlet is 120 volts and good for either 15 or 20 amps. It is fused or the breaker is rated for one or the other currents. There are almost no drop cords in the US that have fuses or breakers in them. I don't think there is any kind of standard current ratings for them either. Lots of them are listed as from 6 to 18 feet long and some are even 2 conductors without the ground. They are usually only # 16 wire.
That's almost as unsafe as letting Joe Public use a handgun!
We outlawed the old method of fusing each outlet decades ago. 2 conductor wire is only used on the equipment itself if it's double insulated.
P.S. you didn't include "Peter Hucker wrote" at the start of the post, hence I will not see your replies by automatic filtering (I just happened to be in here).
-- http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an ostrich buried its head in the sand (or attempted to do so).
I wasn't talking about using an extension cord with any heavy duty appliances such as a microwave or dryer. I meant the appliances/electronics that I mentioned (vaporizer, single room humidifier, tv, vcr, telephone). I could see where using an extension cord with a vaporizer or humidifier might pose a safety/tripping hazard with some people (especially children) and I understand that. But I wanted to know if there are any other reasons the manuals say not to use them.
I don't see what the problem would be with using a regular extension cord with a vcr, tv, or cordless telephone since they're often located in areas of a room where the cord is not exposed. One of my problems is that my tv, vcr, and cable box can only be put in one area of the room and there is only one outlet there. This means that I can only plug in the tv and cable box. Where am I supposed to plug in the vcr at? That's why I need an extension cord. But of course, the manual says not to use it (and the same thing for the cordless telephone).
If it's a safety reason like people tripping over it then that's something I don't need to worry about. But if there's some other reason then I'd like to know. I think the manufacturers should say why in the manual.
ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a
13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be 26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).Myself, and everyone I know, do not buy an extension cord then use it for one purpose for the rest of its life. They get moved around. You cannot predict what you will want to plug into it in the future. And they are so cheap you may aswell get the 13 amp ones.
It's not useless at all. It prevents the extension cord from overheating, that's what the fuse is for. The fuse in the equipment's plug stops its cable catching fire. To put a fuse of the full capacity of the wall outlet off in the fusebox is stupid, because you will most likely plug a device into that outlet with a low power consumption and a thin cord, which is now not protected.
Yes more modern houses here have circuit breakers instead of fuses in the fusebox, and people who are obsessed with safety, I just have fuses.
My point is the circuit breaker or fusebox fuse doesn't know what an overload is. It breaks at the rating of the outlet, not the appliance and it's cord.
conditions, or policies in my life. I have more important and/or more interesting things to do with my time!
Ignorance of what? How dangerous American electrical systems are? They are more or less exactly how we used to do things. Now it's illegal here.
US? And I thought you chose 110 volts for SAFETY......
Because you have circuit breakers. We do too. I don't as it's an old house and I haven't changed them. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether the extension cord is fused or not. If I removed the extension cord fuse, I would be no more likely to survive.
110), and I'm still alive.Electrocution occurs when you have a weak heart. In fact statistics show that most injuries and deaths occuring from electrocution occur due to secondary accidents. Electric drill electrocutes you and you fall off your ladder, etc.
-- http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.
Michael
Your are correct that these sort of problems most often happen when the installer is a fly by night using less than professional equipment.
Also note that in my remarks I had avoided speaking in absolutes since I did not know for absolute fact that their where no other factors involved.
Albert
discussion.
issue
different
standing
connected
was
common
issue.
One is not "still alive" after being electrocuted.
Or are you talking about reincarnation?
Ed
ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a
13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be 26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).purpose for the rest of its life. They get moved around. You cannot predict what you will want to plug into it in the future. And they are so cheap you may aswell get the 13 amp ones.
-- That\'s just foolish. If I need a ten foot extension cord for a floor lamp burning a 100 watt light bulb I certainly wouldn\'t need, or want, a 13 amp monster with a fuse in it when #18 zip cord and a 15 amp breaker in the service panel would be perfectly fine for my use.
ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a
13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be 26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).one purpose for the rest of its life. They get moved around. You cannot predict what you will want to plug into it in the future. And they are so cheap you may aswell get the 13 amp ones.
something else in next to the lamp? Do you never move anything around in your house?
-- Neither of those is to the point, which is that an extension cord with a 13 amp fuse in it is very nearly the same as an outlet with a 15 amp breaker in the service panel.
As far as the electrical hazzard due to the power or current goes , if the total current drain is small such as a VCR, dvd, or telephone then there is no problem. For the TV and all the things like VCR and DVD that go with it, I like to use one of the power strips. Some have a minor surge protector built in. Probably not very effective. I do have a high dollar one on the TV setup and also on the computer equipment. Not that I put too much faith in them, but I got them at a very good price. I think they may have helped save the stuff in the house when a transformer went out on a power pole during a storm. The strips shorted but the equipment was fine. The electronic control on the oven went out.
One other thing you can do is to look around at the stores and you can find a product where you take off the plastic cover on the wall and plug in a much larger adaptor that will have 4 or 6 outlets in it. The screw will hold it to the receptical.
--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com
http://www.petersphotos.com
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On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 18:34:33 GMT, via , "Ralph Mowery" spake thusly:
That's a very common extension cord, and the most likely reason consumers are advised against using them. It is, again, very common for consumers to bypass safety grounds in their use of 'lektrizdy.
On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:50:44 -0000, via , "Peter Hucker" spake thusly:
110), and I'm still alive.Does "electrocute" mean something other than "to cause death with an electric shock" in your corner of the English speaking world? The etymology of the word is "to execute by use of electricity." Very few references allow for the word to also apply to severe injury. Perhaps you are a cat, and have three lives left?
On 19 Nov 2005 21:25:40 -0800, via , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com spake thusly:
The best thing to do is to buy a switched outlet strip with a 15 amp circuit breaker. By design, it will likely also include some minimal surge suppression. The typical extension cord is not meant for permanent applications. Too wimpy; too subject to abuse by overload.
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