The Easy Way To Pick The Best Generator Power Cord

Choosing the right power cord for your generator is very essential, both for the safety of your entire home property and efficient electrical power transmission. And for this very reason, you have no option but to choose the right power cord that your generator will use, especially when you’re using a portable generator.

How Can You Determine the Length and the Size of the Appropriate Power Cord?

Power cords normally tend to resist the flow of current inside them. For this reason, you will need to choose the right length and size of your generator’s power cord. Normally, the thinner the power cord, the more resistant it is to flow of electric current. The thicker the power cord, the less resistant it is.

Also, the longer the power cord, the more the resistance. The shorter the power cord, the less the resistance. The resistance can be reduced by either making the power cord thicker or shorter. Choosing the right power cord will ensure that your appliances get the electrical power that they need without any much resistance.

Thicker power cables have lower resistance, and they can transmit more amps. For this reason, if your generator’s outlet has higher amps, you will need a thicker power cord. For 50 amps outlet, you will need 50 amps power cords. For 30 amps outlet, you will need 30 amps power cords, which will be thinner.

An Extension of the Knowledge of Extension Cords for Portable Generators

Power generators usually have control panels with numerous 120V outlets; and high current receptacles. For you to be able to harness the electrical power from your portable generator, you need the right plug. The National Electrical manufacturers Association (NEMA) works so hard to manufacture wiring devices, outlets and/or plugs that you could use to connect your portable generator to your electrical appliances.

They manufacture different types of plugs with different blade width, shape, dimensions and orientations for use in different electrical situations. Therefore, when buying an extension or power cord, you will have to know the right plug and extension cord that’s best for your generator.

NEMA manufacture outlets with ratings ranging from 15-60 amps; and 125-600 volts. Consider the NEMA 5- 15R outlet, which is present in most homes in the U.S.A. In this particular outlet, the ‘5’ represents a 125Volts, two pole three-wired configuration. The ‘15’ represents the amps rating of this particular outlet; and the ‘R’ represents receptacle.

The NEMA outlets or receptacles can be divided into two categories: the straight blade, and the twist locking. Straight blade is used for light electrical appliances while the twist lock is used for heavy duty electrical usage, as in commercial buildings. The most common straight blade outlets are the 5- 15R and the 5- 20R. You could identify twist lock outlets by the ‘L’ that appears before their names, for example, the L14-30 which is predominantly used in the United States.

Understanding these outlets will help you know the right plug for your generator, depending on your electrical power needs. A mismatch between your generator’s outlet and the appropriate plug and extension cord might be catastrophic to your electrical appliances, including your portable generator. Choosing the right power cord with the right plug is the key to a happy, efficient and, a reliable power connectivity.

What are the Advantages of Using the Right Power Cord in a Generator?

Generator cables bring with them the ease of connecting multiple electrical devices or loads that are a bit far away from the generator. As such, you don’t have to move your appliances closer to your portable generator when you are using a power extension cord. This brings convenience and immediate solution to your power needs.

Connecting your portable generator to your electrical appliances using an extension cord is a very simple task that you can manage by yourself, without any help from an electrician. You can power your appliances at any time, whenever there is a power outage. Lastly, extension cords are very affordable since they are low cost solution to your power needs.

Do Extension Cords have Limitations?

Inasmuch as extension cords are very helpful, they come with some drawbacks. For example, they could get damaged by a lot of factors and weather conditions. Most of the time, portable power generators are kept some feet away from the appliances that they power. As such, the extension cord has to run in the open weather; and sometimes, in between doors and windows. They could, therefore, get damaged by weather conditions that might cause corrosion and oldness.

Also, extension cords are unsuitable for long-term use. Most of your essential electrical appliances are connected to hardwired main system in your home. Portable generators can only be used to power your plug-and-cord devices. Since most of your devices aren’t plug-and-cord, this makes power cable unsuitable for long term electrical supply.

So, What Are Some of the Recommended Generator Extension Cords?