Choosing The Right Power Cable: Top Tips

When choosing the correct power cord for household appliances and office devices, people often make costly mistakes by blindly selecting products they think will suit their needs. However, choosing the wrong products can only cause more problems and bring more expenses.

On the other hand, most people simply go with the longest and cheapest option, which is also wrong. The trick to making an informed decision and intelligent purchase is to know how to choose the suitable power cable for your specific needs.

To do that, you’ll need to inform yourself of the main factors to consider when deciding which extension cord power cord and extension cable to use. There is a wide range of hardware specifications to take into consideration when buying new power cables.

You need to consider why you need power cables. Each device, appliance, and workstation in your home and office requires a matching power cord. With that in mind, let’s get deeper into details regarding power cords to help you make the right decision.

Power cable plugs: Two-prong vs. three-prong

Two of the most common power cable options you’ll find in almost every household and office are two-prong NEMA 1-15 and three-prong NEMA 5-15. Two-prong NEMA 1-15 is the perfect choice for various devices such as TVs, charger cords, lamps, electric fans, and so on.

However, NEMA 1-15 cords aren’t grounded; therefore, they can’t be used for supporting high-powered devices such as microwaves and refrigerators. You’ll need NEMA 5-15 for that. It is a three-prong power cord that comes with a round pin for ground wire use.

Wire gauge

There is a wide selection of wire gauges for household and office extension cables. Which one you choose depends on the application. If you need to support heavy-duty items, you’ll need a thicker gauge cable. Thicker gauge cables allow more power to flow through it and are an excellent option for distances.

There are four standard wire gauge sizes for NEMA 5-15 plugs:

• 10 AWG – 10 AWG power cords are perfect for supporting standard household outlets and electric vehicles, fridges, boats, RVs, and more. The thick 10-gauge wire is an excellent solution for powering devices with lengths up to 10 ft away.
• 12 AWG – perfect for contractors and other similar settings, the 12-gauge extension cords are specially designed for power devices and tools. They enable easy data flow, 100 ft usage, and applications where you need to eliminate any drop in power. 12-gauge is also an excellent solution for situations where accessibility to outlets is minimal.

• 14 AWG – if you need a power cable with the ability to supply a maximum of 15 amps up to 50 ft from a household/office outlet, 14-gauge cords are the right option. They are perfect for powering high-power devices such as power equipment, dehumidifiers, and other devices. Since they are so versatile, they are ideal for both household and office devices.
• 16 AWG – coming with a maximum output of 10-13 amps depending on the length of the cable, 16-gauge cords are more commonly known as the orange extension cables that you can see in almost every office, basement, garage, and similar establishment. This power cord is an excellent option for powering a wide range of household appliances and office devices, including power tools, electric trimmers, and more.

It’s always better to go with a thicker gauge cord than the recommended. Some people prefer thinner gauge wire with a right-angle power cable, but this solution could cause more issues because your devices and appliances do not have enough power to run. If you want to avoid malfunctioning and devices burning out, choose a thicker gauge cable.

Outer jacket

Outer jacket is one of the essential factors when choosing the suitable power cable for your unique needs. For example, if you plan to use a power cord outdoors in colder temperatures, a regular power cord might become much harder to work with due to coldness.

Colder temperatures tend to stiffen up the power cable, making them hard to manage and use. In such situations, power cords with all-weather outer jackets are a much better solution. When choosing a power cord for outdoor use, go with the SJEOW standard for power cables.

SJEOW stands for:

• S – service grade
• J – hard service
• E – thermoplastic elastomer
• O – oil resistant
• W – wet location-rated conductors and sunlight resistant jacket

Now, since you have some basic understanding of important things to know about power cords, let’s move on with the best tips and practices for choosing the correct power cord for your needs, as well as safety tips for working with power cords.

Tips for buying the correct power cord

Here are some points to consider for choosing a suitable cable.

Always buy a longer cable than you need!

Since you can never correctly guess how long a power cord should be for a specific use, it’s always better to buy a longer cable to get some extra room for error. Longer wires are always helpful, more convenient, and safer too.

Of course, you can always connect one cable to another. Still, you risk adding electrical resistance between your device and the outlet that can cause voltage drops, making your devices and power tools run at lower power. Since this can start a fire, melt your cords, and cause other problems, you can avoid all this by simply buying a longer cable.

Choose thicker cords for more power!

In applications where more power is needed, thicker cords always work better. The thicker the wires, the more power the cable can safely carry. This is vital for electrical applications over longer distances.

Any cable should run low-power devices and gear like stereo, battery chargers, and lights. However, if you want to safely run power tools like wet/dry vacs, saws, and drills at peak power, you’ll need a cord for maximum power.

Here is how to choose the correct length and thickness:

• 25 feet – 14 AWG (14/3)
• 50 feet – 12 AWG (12/3)
• 100 feet – 10 AWG (10/3)

Opt for cables that can handle 15 amps!

You can always make sure you have the correct power cord by checking the amperage rating on the packaging. We recommend you go with a 15 A rating. Avoid indoor/outdoor cables rated for 10 A or 13 A.

15 A fuses or breakers are pretty standard in most residential and commercial electrical panels. You can plug in any equipment or tool with a 15 A cable. More importantly, if the cable is pushed beyond its limits, it will cut off the power.

When it comes to contractor cables, anything up to 300 V will do as it meets workplace safety requirements. In terms of residential voltage in the US, 125 V or 130 V will do just fine.

Cold weather cords are generally more flexible!

Some power cables are simply designed to be more flexible and allow for a broader range of applications. The flexibility of use is crucial for applications at lower temperatures.

The more flexible a power cord is, the more usable it is in tight spaces, easier to store correctly, and stretch across your home or workspace. Opt for power cords listing temperatures below freezing as they are generally more flexible to work with.

Stay away from indoor/outdoor cables with multi-outlet ends

Multi-outlet cables, also known as a banana tap, are commonly seen in residential and commercial properties. However, we don’t recommend using them for running work lights and power tools and equipment due to being easy to overload. If you require serious power, we recommend general-purpose cords with one outlet per cord.

Indoor-only cables

The best option is to go with the less robust indoor cords for lower-power gear like wireless speakers, lamps, and phone chargers. However, most current building codes, including UL, don’t allow the use of extension cables in a permanent installation due to regular wear and tear making them a real fire hazard. Use them for digital devices and appliances that don’t require much power. Keep in mind that indoor cables aren’t weather resistant.

Extension power cables

Let’s quickly cover the three types of extension cords- light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty.

Light-duty power cords

These power cords, designed for light-duty devices, aren’t grounded and come with two plug prongs. You can use them for devices up to 7 amps and other light-duty appliances like clocks, lamps, etc. Recommended cord length:

• 25 feet – 18 AWG
• 50 feet – 16 AWG
• 100 feet – 14 AWG

Medium-duty power cords

Usually grounded, medium-duty cords come with the third wire and can power three plug grounded appliances. You can use them for computers, TVs, and any other similar device that requires up to 10 amps of power.

Recommended cord length:

• 25 feet – 16 AWG
• 50 feet – 14 AWG
• 100 feet – 12 AWG

Heavy-duty power cords

Heavy-duty power cords fit the bill if you need cables that can support 10 to 15 amps of power. These are grounded cables that come with the grounding plug prong and include a third wire. They also have three-slot plugs for powering grounded appliance cables. These cords are perfect for heating appliances and power tools.

Recommended length:

• 25 feet – 14 AWG
• 50 feet – 12 AWG
• 100 feet – 10 AWG

If you’re looking for the best power cables for outdoor purposes that can also resist moisture, look for the cords with a built-in ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection that prevents shock hazards.

Quick safety tips

Taking precautions while working with power cables is extremely important. Since we cannot stress this enough, here are a few quick tips to keep you safe:

• If you’re not using a power cord at the moment, make sure it’s unplugged. Cords are nothing more than a temporary electric solution and should be treated as such.
• When using a power cord indoors or outdoors, make sure you use the correct power cord. Using indoor-rated cords for outdoor use could result in various issues, including getting injured, fire hazards, and more.
• Avoid connecting multiple extension cords by plugging one cord into another, as this could result in a power overload.
• Do not cover power and extension cords with rugs, carpets, or any other similar item. Covering power cords could result in overheating, which can turn a power cord into a fire hazard.
• If an extension cannot fit into a power socket, do not force it in.
• When you plug a cable in, always ensure it is fully plugged into the socket.

Reasons why power cords are dangerous

When you look at a power cord, you can see that it’s nothing more than a bundle of insulated electrical wires. While there’s nothing suspicious about that, the problem is that the electrical current flowing through those wires generates a lot of heat that can quickly turn a simple power cord into a real hazard.

If a power cord overheats, it can melt the plastic insulation and cause fires, short circuits, and more. In most situations, you’ll just power a device or an appliance by plugging it directly into a power outlet using its factory cable.

However, in situations where you don’t have a proper factory cord sized appropriately for the electrical current load and demand, you’ll need to work with what you have. If you exceed the safe load capacity, the consequences could be disastrous. In such cases, always take help from an expert.

Conclusion

We sincerely hope this guide helps you choose the suitable power cable for your commercial and residential needs. Even though it may sound a bit complicated initially, it’s isn’t that hard to get into it once you know what to look for. Keep these tips in consideration when buying power cables, and don’t forget to stay safe while working with power and extension cables.

If you don’t have anyone around who’s an expert in this field, it’s best to consult an electrician when you are tampering with electricity for the first time. So, be well prepared, and there should be no worries.