Why are extension cords hard to use?

[micky]

Have you noticed that extension cords are much harder to use than 30 years ago. It used to be easy to plug something in and pull it out of the triple end, but now it's hard. How come.

It's also hard to get medium weight, 14 gauge, extension cords more than

12 feet long. More than 16' impossible. Have to buy heavy duty. Why?

Also hard to make your own mediumc weight ext. cords. They sell plugs, but not real small ones like there used to be, but iirc really hard to get parts are the triple endings. Also no more of the easy-on plugs or triple endings, where you lift a lever, push the wire in, and push down the lever? Why?

Also no more of the narrow plugs, where you could get 3 stacked side by side in less than 2 inches, or the "cube taps" that took plugs like that. Why?

[Dean Hoffman]

Lawyers or the fear of ? Be thankful the NEC or whoever doesn't require gfci on all extension cords.

[Mike_Duffy]

Also, both ends should have lots of different coloured LEDs'. At the plug end, green or red to say if the outlet is okay, and at the socket end green or red to say if the cord was properly manufactured. You can never be too careful.

[danny burstein]

And, of course, both electrial and thermal fuses.

[gfretwell]

You can't really blame NFPA (the NEC) for that one. U/L hates replacement plugs that they can burn up, that they can pull the wire out of or plugs with exposed parts and they won't list them. Listed plugs you buy are going to be dead front with pretty good cord retention and clamping plate terminal designs. You can't get that in the same footprint as a molded plug.

I am still not sure why you can't find a good 14 or 12ga cordset with molded plugs on each end. The fact that most get sold to commercial users drives the need for junior hard service cord that is water and oil resistant with a pretty tough jacket. (Damaged cords can get you a fine from OSHA on a job site). They will be fat cords but 12 and 14 gauge wire is pretty big itself, even in a Romex that is not listed for hard service. You might find wimpy cordsets at Harbor Fright but they may not be listed and you are getting what you pay for. I would get a cord reel and learn to live with good cords.

[Clare Snyder]

So they don'y accidently fall out and they don't arc and overheat

Because long cords have more voltage drop when they are lighter.

Because they are "unsafe"

See above

[Jeff B. Ezos]

Ever hear of Amazon, Lefty?

16 gauge 100'

14 gauge 100'

[trader_4]

That's what I was thinking. He must be looking for ext cords at the supermarket or something. 14 gauge only 12 ft? WTF?

[micky]

Please, if yo're going to be sarcastic, you should read my posts better. Your second choice is heavy duty and I said I want medium weight.

And your first choice is 3 wire, round cable. Still heavy weight in my opinion. I want medium weight. Lamp cord or even lamp cord with slightly thicker insulation which is what the last 16' foot extension cord I got had. And that I got on Amazon.

But thank you anyhow for the suggestions.

[gfretwell]

That sounds like the "air conditioner" cords, basically big zip cords and usually not "wet" rated. You can certainly find contractor grade cords up to 100' at Home Depot, Lowes or Ace. They use SJOT (or similar) cord stock with molded caps. I also see them in the ubiquitous Harbor Fright fliers cheaper but my guess this is an unlisted piece of Asian crap with god knows what kind of cord or caps.

[trader_4]

16 gauge, 100 ft? WTF I guess it's OK for some Xmas lights, but the typical Democrat would try to run an air compressor on it. And I sure wouldn't call that medium weight.

[Clare Snyder]

What do you want to connect to this 2 wire "speaker cable" cord???? Hopefully nothing that draws more than about 60 - 100 watts of power and definitely nothing that should be grounded - - - -

[danny burstein]

I've actually got a real use for even an... 18 gauge 100 foot cord. Namely a Battery Tender brand name Battery Tender to reach my car outside the home.

(I'm actually using a series of 14 gauge)

It pumps out 3 amps at 12V, takes in about 80 watts...

(The newer ones are a bit more efficient 'cuz California)

[Clare Snyder]

Actually some of the BEST extension cords I have seen - and at very reasonable prices, were at Princess Auto here in Canada - our "equivalent" to "Harbour Fright". They have CSA approval good thick and durable insulation that remains reasonablyflexible in the cold (important up here where it's been down to -17 already this year) and with connectors that stay connected and don't heat up under rated load. An example is a 30 meter (100 ft) 14/3 single end contractor grade cord flexible to -40 for $40 Canadian. Pretty hard to beat the price.

Also a 15 meter 12/3 with triple outlet - same spec, also for $40.00 Canadian.

They also have 50 ft 30 amp generatoe cords for $130 - Regular price is $180 - that's 240 volt (4 wire) with twist-lock.

What Mikey seems to be looking for is a "lampcord" - and why he would ever need anything more than 12 feet is a bit of a mystery.

[Clare Snyder]

Car outdoors? Put a solar tender on it -around here the chippies would finish off the cord

[danny burstein]

nah, not a "leave it for weeks" deal. Just an overnight or so recharge it after, well, umm, someone... someone... left the overhead lights on...

[gfretwell]

Yup you are right, you need a real charger. I doubt you will find an

18 gauge cord tho unless you set the way back machine to some time before the 80s when U/L stopped listing 18 gauge cordsets with receptacles on them. The smallest listed extension cord you can get is 16 gauge.

[gfretwell]

Those 16 gauge work OK for lawn equipment with "universal" (brush) motors in them. It just runs a little slower but it won't burn up like an induction motor running on low voltage. I have a few around here but any cord I am serious about is at least 14 ga, I have some 12ga and one that is real long is 10ga. I don't screw with it unless I am trying to run a lot of big stuff at 150'.

[micky]

Solar can work very well. I must have had a slow leak somewhere 20 years ago but once I put a solar cell on the dash, plugged into cig. lighter, no more problems.

Back in 1967-68 it was a cold chicago winter. Used a 1-amp battery charger all winter, and the car always started I kept the charger inside the hood with only the cord coming out the grill, to make it easy to plug in. Car was 6 volts but I had the charger set on 12 volts, and it had a circuit breaker in it that looked like a clear little Xmas tree light. It would trip after about 15 seconds and reset after 5, so that was 3x a minute, 180 times an hour, 4500 times a day, 100 days = 450,000 times. Later I had to replace the selenium rectifier, but it still works fine 50 years later.

[micky]

BTW, I was never looking for a 100' lamp cord extension cord, just more than 16'. Outside I use iirc 14 gauge. BTW, I leave it lying in the grass all year, in the rain and snow, and though the GFI works, it's only tripped once or twice in 20 years.