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#1
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
I posted awhile back about getting a dehumidifier for the apartment I
live in and discussed some of the pros and cons of that and the possibility of getting an air conditioner. Well, there is a small window in the bathroom that will accept a small 5000 BTU (1000w) air conditioning unit. I know this is very small but my friend has a 5000 BTU unit which does a DECENT job of cooling his studio apartment. It's not great, but better than nothing. Problem is, on this 5000BTU Whirlpool unit I am thinking of putting in the window. (it barely fits, but does fit.) ... there are all kinds of warnings about NOT using an extension cord with this unit. They mention about plugging it in within 4 feet of the unit etc.... Now, I know extension cords can have their issues, but do they make extension cords that can handle the 1000 watt 13 amps that this unit requires? Are they just erring on the side of safety by making the blanket statement of NO EXTENSION CORDS! Kinda like a disclaimer sort of thing. Would I be able to SAFELY get and use an extension cord with this unit? Something I could pick up at LOWES or HOME DEPOT. Thanks DAVID |
#2
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
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#3
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#4
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
wrote in message oups.com... I posted awhile back about getting a dehumidifier for the apartment I live in and discussed some of the pros and cons of that and the possibility of getting an air conditioner. Well, there is a small window in the bathroom that will accept a small 5000 BTU (1000w) air conditioning unit. I know this is very small but my friend has a 5000 BTU unit which does a DECENT job of cooling his studio apartment. It's not great, but better than nothing. Problem is, on this 5000BTU Whirlpool unit I am thinking of putting in the window. (it barely fits, but does fit.) ... there are all kinds of warnings about NOT using an extension cord with this unit. They mention about plugging it in within 4 feet of the unit etc.... Now, I know extension cords can have their issues, but do they make extension cords that can handle the 1000 watt 13 amps that this unit requires? Are they just erring on the side of safety by making the blanket statement of NO EXTENSION CORDS! Kinda like a disclaimer sort of thing. Would I be able to SAFELY get and use an extension cord with this unit? Something I could pick up at LOWES or HOME DEPOT. Thanks DAVID So you are planning on running an extension cord in the bathroom? I would have to advise against that. The bathroom is unsafe enough as it is without you running a cord over things. |
#6
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
wrote in message ... On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 18:28:24 GMT, "Joseph Meehan" wrote: make sure it is designed to handle at least twice the rated load on the A/C. Hmmm 13a x 2 is going to be a 10 guage cord. Why use a 10 guage cord on a circuit that is most likely going to be 14 guage all the way back to the panel? Because current requirements alone do not determine the guage needed, equally important is the length of the run. Adding another 10ft of 14 guage to a circuit that should probably be 12 guage, only exacerbates the problem. If the extension is 10awg, that will be minimized, likely having an insignificant effect. |
#7
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#8
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#9
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#11
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#12
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
" wrote:
I had a customer in a mall plug their Seal dry mount press 1500 watts in a ungrounded 18 gauge light cord extension cord. I warned them it was unsafe documented it on my paperwork when fixing their unit. Abiut 6 months later I was back and noted not only had they not replaced the extension but they stapled it to a carpeted wall I fixed the machine and while waiting for it to heat went to a hardware store and bought a air conditioner extension cord 12 gauge grounded. the customer got mad when I cut their undersized cord into pieces and used the brand new cord I just bought. HEY you cant charge us for that! they were mad. Its a gift 12 bucks wat less than a insurance claim, less than the p[aper for all the forms that will need filled in. they were ****ed customer never called again. heck they could of burnt down s hills village Good move, for small stuff like that it's easier to spend a few $ and count it as your good deed for the day. Besides burning down the mall after hours, it could quite possibly have gone up during the day and resulted in an evacuation and possible injuries. Pete C. |
#13
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
Good move, for small stuff like that it's easier to spend a few $ and
count it as your good deed for the day. Besides burning down the mall after hours, it could quite possibly have gone up during the day and resulted in an evacuation and possible injuries. Pete C. let alone the ungrounded machine, they carry high current and occasionally have wires burn off and hit the metal frame, real hock hazard there. yesterday I found a 16 gauge extension cord taped to a walk way powering a 20 amp unit. i suggested they move the unit a few feet and plug it directly in wall. it amazes me there arent more fires caused by dumb stuff............... |
#14
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:43:46 -0500, Mark Lloyd wrote:
conditioner was plugged-into a "zip" cord (lamp cord ?18ga?) extension cord. Some older extension cords used 18ga. wire, but the newer ones use 16. The 16 CLAIMS to be able to carry 13A, but probably should have no more than 10. [snip] The wire'll do the job, but it's usually the connection ( outlet or plug ) that gets overheated. rj |
#15
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
wrote in message ... Go to your local electrical supply store and buy a spool of #00 triplex. Connect this to your electrical service panel, and use a 20A breaker. Use the bare wire for the ground, the two blacks for the hot and neutral, and place an electrical box and an outlet on the other end. Run this cable from your basement to the AC. You can either leave the outlet lay on the floor or mount it to the wall. Having this triplex cable strung thru the house is ugly, but you wont run short on power. Gaze Safer, but only if done correctly. In addition to the QUAD, he'll need an AL rated breaker that is listed for 2/0 - probably 100 amps. On the AC side, he'll need a subpanel, and a 20 amp breaker, followed by an appropriate outlet. Also, since it's now a subpanel, it wouldn't hurt to drive a ground rod. While he's at it, he might as well mount his extension cord. Can't run triplex in a building without conduit for two reasons. The ground is exposed, the PE insulation burns readily. Also, and you need a grounded, and grounding conductor for the subpanel. |
#16
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:44:01 -0700, "RJ"
wrote: On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:43:46 -0500, Mark Lloyd wrote: conditioner was plugged-into a "zip" cord (lamp cord ?18ga?) extension cord. Some older extension cords used 18ga. wire, but the newer ones use 16. The 16 CLAIMS to be able to carry 13A, but probably should have no more than 10. [snip] The wire'll do the job, but it's usually the connection ( outlet or plug ) that gets overheated. If there's any markings on the ends, THEY often say 15A. rj -- Mark Lloyd http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin |
#17
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
"Pete C." wrote in message ... " wrote: I had a customer in a mall plug their Seal dry mount press 1500 watts in a ungrounded 18 gauge light cord extension cord. I warned them it was unsafe documented it on my paperwork when fixing their unit. Abiut 6 months later I was back and noted not only had they not replaced the extension but they stapled it to a carpeted wall I fixed the machine and while waiting for it to heat went to a hardware store and bought a air conditioner extension cord 12 gauge grounded. the customer got mad when I cut their undersized cord into pieces and used the brand new cord I just bought. HEY you cant charge us for that! they were mad. Its a gift 12 bucks wat less than a insurance claim, less than the p[aper for all the forms that will need filled in. they were ****ed customer never called again. heck they could of burnt down s hills village Good move, for small stuff like that it's easier to spend a few $ and count it as your good deed for the day. Besides burning down the mall after hours, it could quite possibly have gone up during the day and resulted in an evacuation and possible injuries. Pete C. Maybe a better path would have been to fix the unit, testing it by plugging it into a wall outlet, or your appropriately rated cord. After you were done, unplug the unit, explain that they need to put it where there's an outlet, and document in your report that there was nowhere to plug the unit in. "Can't we plug it back into the extension cord" they might ask... "Sorry, these units need to be plugged directly into the wall" They'll plug it back in when you leave, but they can't blame you for the fire, or someone tripping over the extension cord "that the dry mount press tech" installed. Hey, it's up to them. |
#18
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:26:10 -0500, IGot2P wrote:
Are you sure that it is going to be pulling 1,000 watts? This seems VERY high for a 5,000 BTU unit. In fact I just looked at a 6,100 BTU unit that I have plugged into a watt meter and it was only pulling about 600 watts when set in "hi cool". Given, it would no doubt pull more when Just for the record, the difference btween lo cool and hi cool is only the speed of the fan. Barely any difference compared to the compressor and even to the draw of the fan in low speed. starting up. Don |
#19
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 17:41:34 -0400, Charlie Morgan wrote:
How long of an extension cord? That makes a HUGE difference. CWM Sure does. On a related note, I noticed this year how little time it takes to fill the toilet right above my water heater (and thus, very close to the street in terms of plumbing). 10 seconds or something, compared to 20 or 30 for the other toilets, even when their valves are wide open. |
#20
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about EXTENSION CORDS (safety)
Hi... Thanks for all of the informative replies. After some careful
thought with some excellent input from you guys, I have decided against the bathroom idea. I was more concerned about an electrical issue until I realized that the a cord in the bathroom with the added burden of moisture issues wasn't a bright idea. I would have possibly gotten the right cord and everything would have went fine with no cord or fire issues.... then, with my luck, someone would have gotten electrocuted. (@%$@&) I have just purchased a couple of high tech fans and will wait out the rest of the summer. The portable air conditioners I have seen are way to pricey ($300-500) and I'm not sure about how that would go with the fussy landlord. Thanks for all your help guys. DAVID |
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