How to Choose an Extension Cord That Won’t Burn Your House Down

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No matter how many outlets you have in your home, chances are there aren’t enough (especially if you have an older home) and you’ll need one or two extension cords .

And this opens up a certain danger for you. Using the wrong extension cords or old, damaged cords can cause fires, damage your tools and equipment, and possibly even kill you. An estimated 2,200 electrical injuries involving extension cords occur each year.

Choosing the right extension cord for your needs is a necessary step if you want to avoid injury and property damage. There are four things to consider when choosing an extension cord.

Code

First, you’ll need to make sure you’re using an extension cord that’s suitable for the environment you’ll be working in: are you going to be using it indoors or outdoors? In oily conditions (such as in a machine shop)? When purchasing an extension cord, this information is usually clearly printed on the packaging. but if you bought the cord a while ago and can’t remember, there is a code printed on every extension cord that tells you everything you need to know:

  • “S” = general use

  • “W” = weather resistant, outdoor use.

  • “O” = oil resistant

  • “FT2” = fire resistant

You will find many other codes, but for most home projects these are the ones you need to know.

To measure

Next, you need to make sure that you are using the correct size extension cord. Each extension cord has an American wire gauge (AWG) , which describes the thickness of the wire inside the insulation. A lower AWG actually indicates a larger gauge; Most extension cords range from 16 gauge (smallest) to 10 gauge (largest) in two-gauge increments—you may find larger or smaller cords, but they are not common.

The pressure gauge determines the amount of power the cord can handle, measured in amperes . Sixteen-gauge cords are suitable for light-duty applications, while 10-gauge cords are suitable for tools and appliances that require a lot of power. When in doubt, use a larger gauge cord— it is sometimes recommended that a 14-gauge extension cord be the smallest extension cord you should use, since it is rated at 15 amps, which is the same as a typical breaker in your home’s electrical cabinet. This means your breaker will trip before the extension cord becomes overloaded and overheats.

Amplifiers

Speaking of amplifiers, choosing the right size extension cord requires knowing how much power you need to run through it. The appliance or tool you are powering will tell you how much power it needs, measured in watts or amps; if it’s watts, you can easily calculate the power needed by dividing the voltage by 120 volts (standard residential voltage; if you know you’re using a different voltage, divide by that).

Once you determine which amps you need an extension cord for, choose the appropriate gauge:

  • 16 AWG = 10 Amps

  • 14 AWG = 15 Amps

  • 12 AWG = 20 Amps

  • 10 AWG = 30 Amps

Again, if you’re not sure, a larger gauge cord is better than a smaller cord.

Length

Lastly, you need to know how long your extension cord should be. Electricity encounters resistance when it flows, and the further it has to travel, the more resistance it encounters, which reduces the amount of energy that actually goes to your tools or appliances. It is always a good idea to purchase an extension cord that is exactly the length you need.

If you need to run a very long (50-100 feet) extension, consider increasing the thickness to compensate for the distance.

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