Looking to replace power lead wires on several floor/table lamps. Considering extending original length of wire in order to remove need for extension cords. Is there a method of determining the safest maximum length of lampcord for a given power draw ex. 150W bulb, 3 x
60W + 150W tri-light, etc.)?6 Ft. Since outlets are at maximum 12 ft intervals along the walls, 6ft should do.
Underwriters laboratory uses 6' as the max for lamp cord. I'm not sure why.
Longer cords present a tripping hazard.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Save the baby humans - stop partial-birth abortion NOW
I see your point, and read the other posts re: Underwriters 6 ft max, but am wondering what is technically (re: electricity) the safest length for lampcords. I need to run cords from the walls to a central point in a room that is about 15 ft distance from the nearest plug.
Hmmm . . . if cord length is an electrical safety issue, perhaps >>
There is no technical/electrical issue there, the difference between 6' and 15' is nothing to be concerned about. Now 6' and 60'?, maybe. But that would only come into play if you were running somethin a lot heavier than a lightbulb. HTH.
This is Turtle.
I alway knew it was something else that was making them say keep a short cord on it. The wire size is not that important for if it starts to smoke. You can just unplug it. Now if you trip over it. You can get killed that way. Thanks for the info here.
TURTLE
I thought the code was a duplex every 4 ft., Gary...but that's just a guess.
Have a nice week...
Trent
Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
Not just to you, but to all of the "code is code is code" folks who have a cut and dry answer for everything around here...
*REALITY CHECK* ------------- There are millions of older homes in this country.Many of them do not meet code for things like grounding outlets, standardized heights for outlets and switches, and ceiling boxes made to hold a brand new ceiling fan.
A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT OF THEM don't even come close to meeting code for outlets spaced 4' along every wall.
What kind of fantasy world do you folks live in???
You seem to be getting a lot of nonsense, so let's reveiw the real answers. Length-- It makes sense to make the cord longer to eliminate use any length extension cords. The length of cord you use is entirely up to you. Safe length-- From an electrical perspective, the maximum safe length assumes 2 percent power drop and depends on the size of wire. It is highly unlikely you would exceed limit this with a lamp using #18 or #16 wire. Certainly, if you stay under 1000 watts (ten 100 watt bulbs) and under 20 feet either size would be ok. I would tend to buy #16 lamp cord and not the smaller #18 cord. I suggest you look at the little blue tag on extension cords. It usually states the maximum wattage allowed. That will give you a general idea of what is safe.
"Guessing" at what meets code is imprudent. Better to look it up. :-)
Code requirement is that no point on a wall may be more than 6 feet, measured horizontally along the wall, from a receptacle. There's an exception for walls less than 24 inches, and the required spacing is closer in kitchens.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Save the baby humans - stop partial-birth abortion NOW
OK.
This makes no sense at all. Extension cords are a known fire hazard. Making the cord longer is essentially the same thing as using an extension cord. A longer cord or an extension cord can easily be damaged and become a fire hazard. This, in fact, has led to many fires and deaths. In fact, this is the very reason why the NEC now requires AFCI circuits for new installations in bedrooms. The safe solution is to extend the existing circuit to the equipment or install a new circuit.
No, its not, it must be no more than 6 feet long. Why not just wire the house with zip cord then?
That's for kitchen counters, where appliances tend to have shorter cords.
The 6/12 Ft is for wall recpticles elsewhere.
As everyone can see, Dougie...there was no need to look it up! lol
Have a nice week...
Trent
Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
Apparently you needed to, Trentie, since you clearly didn't know.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Save the baby humans - stop partial-birth abortion NOW
No...I didn't need to look it up...you did it for me. I sure hope yer right...at least on one subject. Anyway...thanks Dougie buddy!
P.S. I *TOLD* you I didn't know...DUH!!
ROTFLMAO !!!
I don't know everything, BTW...except that you really ARE a troll!
Have a nice week...
Trent
Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
Extension cord are often considered a fire because people overload them by sticking 3 or 4 appliance on one cord. Making a cord longer gets rid of an extension cord. The length per se is not a problem. What's AFCI? Most (like
99.99 percent) of people are NOT going to extend a circuit.That's BS. There is no law that limits the length of cord you can use to rewire an appliance. And it obviously isn't true that manufacturers must not supply a cord longer than 6 feet, since I can buy all sorts of appliances that have cords that are longer than 6 feet. Hell, my 12 amp vacuum cleaner has a 35 foot cord. Hanging lamps always have long cords (10 feet or more). Heck you couldn't even hang a lamp from the ceiling and reach a socket with a 6 foot cord. Of course you would put a socket up about 6 feet on the wall so you could hang it out 3 feet from the wall. Right? Sorry for the sarcasm... no I'm not. You shouldn't "facts" that can easily be disproved by going to a store and seeing what is available.
You need to realize that the only reason this "electrician" is giving anybody a hard time about this is that he's using it for an excuse to bust my stones.
500V reads every simngle line I write on here, uses a fine toothed comb, as it were. Finds something, -anything- he can try to give me a hard time over, he will. Guaranteed.There's a name on Usenet for his type: Leg-humping pet.
HTH.
Among other things, yes.
That's where you're wrong. A longer cord also subjects it to a greater possibility of physical damage, which can lead to fire hazards.
Yes, it is.
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter..........usually a circuit breaker that acts to turn off the circuit when it detects arcing in wires and cords that may have been pinched or otherwise damaged (such as a jury-rigged lamp with a 15 foot cord on it.)
Which is one reason why there are so many electrical fires in the US.........and the _very_reason why AFCI's are now being required by NEC. The NEC is phasing them in just like they did GFCI's.......by starting with bedrooms. Stats have shown that more fires happen in bedrooms from zip cords that get pinched or damaged than other rooms. It won't be long before the NEC requires other circuits to be AFCI protected in houses.
Try checking the UL listing for the appliance.........if you want to jurg-rig an appliance, by all means, have at it.
Try buying a lamp that has zip cord on it that's longer than 6 feet. If you want to ignore the fact that extra long zip cords are a possible fire hazard......that's your choice. A far as that matter, if you want to wire your house with zip cord, hey, go for it, I could care less. A vacuum cleaner is a portable device that needs a long cord.......are you just going to leave it out after using it? You will also notice that the cord is heavier duty than a zip cord. Hanging lamps have a long cord so they can reach a receptacle, and they aren't subject to damage when swagged. Funny how you didn't mention that you found a table lamp with a 20 foot zip cord on it for sale at a local retail store.
Which of course causes one to wonder why you posted anything in the first place...
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Save the baby humans - stop partial-birth abortion NOW
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