Dear Readers, As promised, here’s Part 11 of my original No~Shock~Zone series on RV electricity. This covers extension cord selection, maintenance and testing. Extension Cord Testing Copyright Mike Sokol 2010/2020 – All Rights Reserved The lowly extension cord
Mike, nice photos of a homemade extension cord. I usually make my own using SO cord of 14 or 12 wire. If people do decide to replace ends or build their own they should recognize that if they need to twist the wires to get to the appropriate colored screw they are putting the plug on the wrong end. The wires should always go straight in to their respective screw without twisting them.
I very seldom buy any cord smaller than 12ga. 10ga. if 100'. I try to buy shorter cords, for less resistance, coupling as needed. Is the presence of any resistance in connectors (Given they are properly maintained) defeating my "Short cord" theory?
Mike, can you comment on the NEMA 5-15 vs the NEMA 5-20 as far as current rating? I know you took some GFCIs apart to show that the 15 and 20 amp devices are identical inside and I have always wondered about the cord ends. It is my belief that the 5-20 is designed only to reject it from being plugged into a receptacle that may not be supplied by a 20 amp circuit and that the 5-15P and 5-20P can both carry 20 amps just like the 15 and 20 amp receptacles can. As you know most 20 amp residential circuits are terminated (legally) into 15 amp (NEMA 5-15R) receptacles into which a 5-20P will not fit. For the readers out there, a 5-20R is only required on a 20 amp circuit when it is terminated into a single receptacle, even a 5-15 duplex receptacle can be installed a on a 20 amp circuit.
Mike, nice photos of a homemade extension cord. I usually make my own using SO cord of 14 or 12 wire. If people do decide to replace ends or build their own they should recognize that if they need to twist the wires to get to the appropriate colored screw they are putting the plug on the wrong end. The wires should always go straight in to their respective screw without twisting them.
I very seldom buy any cord smaller than 12ga. 10ga. if 100'. I try to buy shorter cords, for less resistance, coupling as needed. Is the presence of any resistance in connectors (Given they are properly maintained) defeating my "Short cord" theory?
Mike, can you comment on the NEMA 5-15 vs the NEMA 5-20 as far as current rating? I know you took some GFCIs apart to show that the 15 and 20 amp devices are identical inside and I have always wondered about the cord ends. It is my belief that the 5-20 is designed only to reject it from being plugged into a receptacle that may not be supplied by a 20 amp circuit and that the 5-15P and 5-20P can both carry 20 amps just like the 15 and 20 amp receptacles can. As you know most 20 amp residential circuits are terminated (legally) into 15 amp (NEMA 5-15R) receptacles into which a 5-20P will not fit. For the readers out there, a 5-20R is only required on a 20 amp circuit when it is terminated into a single receptacle, even a 5-15 duplex receptacle can be installed a on a 20 amp circuit.
You are correct. I’ve written a full article on that already. I’ll find it and repost it here next week.