Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??

higgins wrote:
Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??

Hi,
You can make one with plugs, receptcles, wire from HD or Lowe but I
don't know if it'll cost less than 90 bucks.

According to higgins :
Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??

The need for 240V extension cords is sufficiently unusual, that
premade ones are pretty rare.

Secondly, heavy appliances are very picky about their power sources,
and cabling. A lot of grief has come from undersized extension cords,
especially long ones.

It's generally better to extend the in-wall wiring to close enough
for the existing power cord.

If you really must use an extension cord, you're best off making
one yourself from a set of male/female plugs and a length of the
appropriate wire.

Since this is a big appliance, you have to pick the wire with
considerable care. The length of the cord matters too.

You haven't told us what the amperage of the unit is, nor the
proposed length of cord. Without that, we can't make suggestions.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

higgins wrote:
Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??



You can make one. A few feet of #14 SJT wire (flexible cord) and a
couple of replacement ends. It'll probably cost you between $15 and
$20. Use #12 cord if it's over about 12 feet long.

Bob

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

You can make one. A few feet of #14 SJT wire (flexible cord) and a couple
of replacement ends. It'll probably cost you between $15 and $20. Use
#12 cord if it's over about 12 feet long.

Don't follow this advice! #14 is only good for 15 amps -- we have NO idea
what the amperage of your unit is!

Please -- if you're building in an A/C unit, why in the world wouldn't you
build in a proper power source for it? Do it right, and avoid a potential
fire hazard.

I bet you a cold beverage that your owners manual says not to use an
extension cord...

-Tim

zxcvbob wrote:
higgins wrote:

Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??



You can make one. A few feet of #14 SJT wire (flexible cord) and a
couple of replacement ends. It'll probably cost you between $15 and
$20. Use #12 cord if it's over about 12 feet long.

Bob
Hmmm,
I don't think your advice is proper, are you trying to burn down
someone's house?

Tim Fischer wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

You can make one. A few feet of #14 SJT wire (flexible cord) and a couple
of replacement ends. It'll probably cost you between $15 and $20. Use
#12 cord if it's over about 12 feet long.

Don't follow this advice! #14 is only good for 15 amps -- we have NO idea
what the amperage of your unit is!

Please -- if you're building in an A/C unit, why in the world wouldn't you
build in a proper power source for it? Do it right, and avoid a potential
fire hazard.

I bet you a cold beverage that your owners manual says not to use an
extension cord...

-Tim




How many 230v air conditioners have you seen that drew more than 15
amps? A 30000 BTU unit with a rather poor EER of 8.5 will draw 15A at
230 volts. The only air conditioners I've ever seen 30000 BTU had
EER's of about 11; a 35700 BTU Friedrich air conditioner draws 14 amps.

Bob

Tony Hwang wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
higgins wrote:

Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??



You can make one. A few feet of #14 SJT wire (flexible cord) and a
couple of replacement ends. It'll probably cost you between $15 and
$20. Use #12 cord if it's over about 12 feet long.

Bob
Hmmm,
I don't think your advice is proper, are you trying to burn down
someone's house?
..
And is something did go wrong insurance might not cover it due to
'improper wiring'?

According to zxcvbob :

How many 230v air conditioners have you seen that drew more than 15
amps? A 30000 BTU unit with a rather poor EER of 8.5 will draw 15A at
230 volts. The only air conditioners I've ever seen 30000 BTU had
EER's of about 11; a 35700 BTU Friedrich air conditioner draws 14 amps.

While you're right, one also has to consider wire length and
the 80% rule. While the latter is primarily an issue with in-wall
wiring, not extension cords, it's not a good idea to ignore it at
these power levels.

Warm power cords make me, um, nervous. Even if they're formally
legal.

Secondly, if you don't factor in wire length, you could be in a
situation where resistive voltage drop during startup causes
damage to an A/C compressor.

It's best not to get into specifics of a solution until you know
the specifics of the problem.

You never know, this person might actually be trying to install
an A/C that should really be permanently wired, and draws 20A or more.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

higgins wrote:
Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??

My choice would be to do it right. After many years of experience I
have found that doing it the right way always works out best in the long
run. What does the owner's manual say?

If you decide otherwise, I suggest that you first check the electrical
requirements for the A/C and then, go to a local electrical supply house
(not the big box store, the place real electricians go for their stuff) and
trying to pick a none busy time, ask the persona behind the counter for what
you need after telling him all the information you have. Bringing the A/C
manual would be a good idea.



--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

How many 230v air conditioners have you seen that drew more than 15
amps?

My sleeved wall units need to be on 10 ga. minimum wire and at least 20
amp breakers to function properly, 30 amp is more like it. These are
the motel type PTAC heat-pumps though, fairly efficent, but the start
up load is high.

Wow, who knew this was a controversial topic. This is why I love
usenet...

The full story is that the A/C unit is surrounded by a custom made
bookcase.The previous unit was 110v, and the cord snaked through a big
hole in the bookcase. I replaced it with a 235v unit. The outlet is
nearby, but bulky plug won't fit through the hole. Rather than emptying
the bookcase, and possibly pulling the AC unit out to drill a larger
hole with a hole saw (as yet unpurchased) I figured I'd try an
extension cord. Time is generally more valuable than money in my life.
But I'm not spending $90 on an extension cord, especially for a $400
A/C unit.

FYI, the unit draws 9 amps on a 20 amp dedicated circuit, and has an
EER rating of 9.

I know this might goof up the warranty
on the AC unit, but you might
be able to change out the entire cord.
If I understand correctly, it's only
a few added feet. Plus you have the
option of snaking the wire through
the hole in the bookcase and then,
putting on the plug.

Joseph Meehan wrote:
higgins wrote:

Installing a new wall sleeve A/C (yes, in October; don't ask) and my
life would be made a whole lot easier if I had an extension cord. This
is a 230v unit and I can't find a short cord, just a few to 6 feet.
I've seen a couple of longer ones, but for $90 or so. Am I missing
something?? Is there a reason this is an unusual thing??? Where can I
find one??


My choice would be to do it right. After many years of experience I
have found that doing it the right way always works out best in the long
run. What does the owner's manual say?

If you decide otherwise, I suggest that you first check the electrical
requirements for the A/C and then, go to a local electrical supply house
(not the big box store, the place real electricians go for their stuff) and
trying to pick a none busy time, ask the persona behind the counter for what
you need after telling him all the information you have. Bringing the A/C
manual would be a good idea.

Art Todesco wrote:
I know this might goof up the warranty
on the AC unit, but you might
be able to change out the entire cord.
If I understand correctly, it's only
a few added feet. Plus you have the
option of snaking the wire through
the hole in the bookcase and then,
putting on the plug.

Guess what I could also do is cut off the existing plug and wire on a
new plug, but there's a little surge protector thing. But that's about
as much effort as cutting the hole, so it looks like I'll be getting a
new hole saw.

According to higgins :
The full story is that the A/C unit is surrounded by a custom made
bookcase.The previous unit was 110v, and the cord snaked through a big
hole in the bookcase. I replaced it with a 235v unit. The outlet is
nearby, but bulky plug won't fit through the hole. Rather than emptying
the bookcase, and possibly pulling the AC unit out to drill a larger
hole with a hole saw (as yet unpurchased) I figured I'd try an
extension cord. Time is generally more valuable than money in my life.
But I'm not spending $90 on an extension cord, especially for a $400
A/C unit.

Assuming it's a molded plug on the A/C cord, cut it off, snake the
cord thru the existing hole, and put a new plug on the end.

Or, if it's easy to get access to inside the A/C, disconnect
the cord from the inside, run it thru the hole, and reconnect.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

"Tim Fischer" wrote in message
. ..

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

You can make one. A few feet of #14 SJT wire (flexible cord) and a
couple of replacement ends. It'll probably cost you between $15 and $20.
Use #12 cord if it's over about 12 feet long.

Don't follow this advice! #14 is only good for 15 amps -- we have NO idea
what the amperage of your unit is!

Please -- if you're building in an A/C unit, why in the world wouldn't you
build in a proper power source for it? Do it right, and avoid a potential
fire hazard.

I bet you a cold beverage that your owners manual says not to use an
extension cord...

-Tim

I just bought a 240 volt 4000 watt portable heater (16.7 amps) and the
cordset is 14 AWG. According to my wire chart, the 14 AWG can handle the
load. The cord doesn't get warm during use.
John

Its REALLY a bad idea to run power cords thru holes in fixed things,
they can move about a little damaging wire and its not visible. real
fire hazard.

For a in wall AC do it right do it once and get a new outlet.

besides it appears your 120 outlet will have only 3 wires, the AC needs
4 for safe operation, 2 power one neutral and green ground.

do this wrong can be a shock hazard or even cause a fire

wrote:
Its REALLY a bad idea to run power cords thru holes in fixed things,
they can move about a little damaging wire and its not visible. real
fire hazard.

For a in wall AC do it right do it once and get a new outlet.

besides it appears your 120 outlet will have only 3 wires, the AC needs
4 for safe operation, 2 power one neutral and green ground.

do this wrong can be a shock hazard or even cause a fire



I have *never* seen a 240v air conditioner that needed (or even wanted)
a neutral. Have you? They always have a cord with a NEMA 6-15 or 6-20
molded plug.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
wrote:
Its REALLY a bad idea to run power cords thru holes in fixed things,
they can move about a little damaging wire and its not visible. real
fire hazard.

For a in wall AC do it right do it once and get a new outlet.

besides it appears your 120 outlet will have only 3 wires, the AC needs
4 for safe operation, 2 power one neutral and green ground.

do this wrong can be a shock hazard or even cause a fire



I have *never* seen a 240v air conditioner that needed (or even wanted)
a neutral. Have you? They always have a cord with a NEMA 6-15 or 6-20
molded plug.

Bob

Yes, I'm afraid I have. I had the misfortune of ending up coping with
several that had been shipped to Argentina from a supplier in the US.
They were larger through the wall units that were being used to coll
equipment shelters. The nominal voltage of the compressor was 230 volts
but the fans in those units needed 115 nominal. Obviously they never
should have been shipped to a job in Argentina but they were. In order
to use them on the Argentine service voltage all of the fan motors had
to be changed out.
--
Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous
for general use." Thomas Alva Edison

Yes, I'm afraid I have. I had the misfortune of ending up coping with
several that had been shipped to Argentina from a supplier in the US.
They were larger through the wall units that were being used to coll
equipment shelters. The nominal voltage of the compressor was 230 volts
but the fans in those units needed 115 nominal. Obviously they never
should have been shipped to a job in Argentina but they were. In order
to use them on the Argentine service voltage all of the fan motors had
to be changed out.
--
Tom Horne

me too my old 240 volt 18K BTU window unit. big sucker

at the time of purchase I had to rewire to support the unit which I
used in my shop. I fix laminating machines for a living. it was a goiod
buy at the time a end of season close out. mab did that cool the shop
even with 3 mchines running each about 2000 watts of electric heating.

I finally failed a year ago I downsized to a smaller AC with the hopes
of whole house air soon....

hmm, ripping out a custom-made bookcase, spending $500 on an
electrician, more on a carpenter for a $400 A/C unit?? don't think so.
I'll take the risk of snaking a 1/2 inch wire through what will soon
become a 3 inch hole.


wrote:
Its REALLY a bad idea to run power cords thru holes in fixed things,
they can move about a little damaging wire and its not visible. real
fire hazard.

For a in wall AC do it right do it once and get a new outlet.

besides it appears your 120 outlet will have only 3 wires, the AC needs
4 for safe operation, 2 power one neutral and green ground.

do this wrong can be a shock hazard or even cause a fire

higgins wrote:
hmm, ripping out a custom-made bookcase, spending $500 on an
electrician, more on a carpenter for a $400 A/C unit?? don't think so.
I'll take the risk of snaking a 1/2 inch wire through what will soon
become a 3 inch hole.



well even a pricey electrician shouldnt charge 500 bucks to add a
outlet, and its probably not necessary to remove the bookcase either.
run new line from main panel or grab it somewhere along the line add
workbox and go to new location........

you spent 400 bucks on the AC less than that you can install a proper
outlet.

On 7 Oct 2006 09:36:32 -0700, "higgins" wrote:


Art Todesco wrote:
I know this might goof up the warranty
on the AC unit, but you might
be able to change out the entire cord.
If I understand correctly, it's only
a few added feet. Plus you have the
option of snaking the wire through
the hole in the bookcase and then,
putting on the plug.

Guess what I could also do is cut off the existing plug and wire on a
new plug, but there's a little surge protector thing. But that's about
as much effort as cutting the hole, so it looks like I'll be getting a
new hole saw.


For a 240V. Unit, make sure you use a plug and receptacle set that is
rated for 240V. The NEMA plugs rated for 120V might appear to work
just fine, but the spacing between conductor prongs and terminals is
not suitable for a 240V. circuit and presents a fire hazard.

Also, on a related note.

I used to know a college professor that cheaped out when he wired his
home 240V. window air conditioner with 120V plugs on a 240V. circuit.
His wife couldn't figure out why the vacuum cleaner exploded one day
when she borrowed the outlet.

I agree with the posters that say relocate the receptacle, ditch the
extension cords and do it right. You are not doing this for a $400
appliance - You are making an investment in the safety of your home
and family.

Beachcomber

Beachcomber wrote:



I agree with the posters that say relocate the receptacle, ditch the
extension cords and do it right. You are not doing this for a $400
appliance - You are making an investment in the safety of your home
and family.

Beachcomber




Telling one on myself...

Some 53 years ago my dorm roomate schlepped in a 230 volt air
conditioner and we managed to get it cooling our room because the
adjacent dorm room had its 115 volt recepticals wired to the opposite
side of the building's 230 volt line. A single conductor out our window
and into the next room took care of getting us a "total" of 230 volts. G

Don't try that at home guys, only crazy EE college students could pull
it off.

Thanks for the mammaries...

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

Beachcomber wrote:


I agree with the posters that say relocate the receptacle, ditch the
extension cords and do it right. You are not doing this for a $400
appliance - You are making an investment in the safety of your home
and family.

Beachcomber



Telling one on myself...

Some 53 years ago my dorm roomate schlepped in a 230 volt air
conditioner and we managed to get it cooling our room because the
adjacent dorm room had its 115 volt recepticals wired to the opposite
side of the building's 230 volt line. A single conductor out our window
and into the next room took care of getting us a "total" of 230 volts. G

Don't try that at home guys, only crazy EE college students could pull
it off.

Thanks for the mammaries...

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

Nice one. I would have at least run a full cord from each to a junction
box.

As for the whole extension cord thing, I'm constantly amazed at the
ignorance and paranoia about extension cords. Properly sized,
constructed and applied they are 100% as safe as the wiring in the walls
of your home. This ain't magic guys.

Pete C.