Yes, I know I'm a little OT here, but I am packing for Parowan :)

I recall someone once telling me that extension cords larger than 14
gauge (maybe he said 16) are a waste of money because the plugs at
each end are not rated for anything higher than what a 16 gauge wire
can provide.

Is this true in general?

I want to pack a 50 foot extension cord to use with the motorhome (on
a 20 amp circuit) and I want to get something "gauge appropriate".

-ted/2NO

On Jun 20, 10:06*am, Tuno > wrote:
> Yes, I know I'm a little OT here, but I am packing for Parowan :)
>
> I recall someone once telling me that extension cords larger than 14
> gauge (maybe he said 16) are a waste of money because the plugs at
> each end are not rated for anything higher than what a 16 gauge wire
> can provide.
>
> Is this true in general?
>
> I want to pack a 50 foot extension cord to use with the motorhome (on
> a 20 amp circuit) and I want to get something "gauge appropriate".
>
> -ted/2NO

I carry 2 50' 30A cords with a 30>15 adapter. Bulky but low loss.
Appropriate gauge is a function of length as will as amps.

On Jun 20, 7:06*am, Tuno > wrote:
> Yes, I know I'm a little OT here, but I am packing for Parowan :)
>
> I recall someone once telling me that extension cords larger than 14
> gauge (maybe he said 16) are a waste of money because the plugs at
> each end are not rated for anything higher than what a 16 gauge wire
> can provide.
>
> Is this true in general?
>
> I want to pack a 50 foot extension cord to use with the motorhome (on
> a 20 amp circuit) and I want to get something "gauge appropriate".
>
> -ted/2NO

Ted

What the person probably meant is the standard electrical plugs and
sockets are rated by current, it is not really whether the pins or
junction between the pins and wire will carry the current (although in
the long run that is a part of the NEMA design) but what wiring and
breaker is behind that socket in the wall. An outlet intended to
supply 20 Amps whould have a NMEA 5-20R outlet wth a T-shaped neutral.
Ideally you would look for an extension cord that also had 5-20
connectors at each end. If you find a cord with 5-20 connectors and
its 50' long it will be rated for 20 amps. But a nice heavy cord with
5-15 connectors will plug into a 5-20 socket.

See what other marking to look for here
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/electrical_incidents/flexiblecords.html

See the range of NMEA connectors at http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/dept_id_963.htm
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector


Darryl

"Tuno" > wrote in message
...
> I want to pack a 50 foot extension cord to use with the motorhome (on
> a 20 amp circuit) and I want to get something "gauge appropriate".

In general, you need at least a #12 conductor to safely conduct 20 amps
(#14 for 15 amps). For a 50 foot 20-amp cable, I would prefer #10 for less
voltage drop (highest efficiency).

Vaughn

a 50 ft cable introduces 100 feet of wire for voltage drop
calculation. For 20 amp load, here's the voltage drops:

10 ga --> 2.4 volts
12 ga --> 3.7 volts
14 ga --> 5.9 volts

I wouldn't have much hesitation about using a 14 gauge cable if that's
what I had but if I were going out to buy one I'd look for 12 gauge as
10 gauge is expensive and bulky and only makes a 1% difference.