Extension Cord Sizing

You have no clue which extension cord to choose, and you're worried about burning your house down, right

You're about to discover how easy it is to select the best and safest extension cord

Hi, I'm Tim Carter, founder of Ask the Builder.com, and I want you to be safe when you plug something into an extension cord

Extension cords come in different sizes like shoes. When my feet were small, my mom put these on my feet

But now that my feet are bigger, I need larger boots. Some cords have small wires in them and can only handle small amounts of power

while others have bigger wires hidden inside the insulation and can provide plenty of power without overheating

The first step is to determine how much power is going to

flow through the extension cord. The tool or appliance you will plug into the end of the extension

cord almost always has a small sticker or plate stating the watts the device will consume

You use this number to calculate the minimum size of the extension cord you need. If multiple

things will be plugged into the cord you have to add up all the watts Extension cords are sold by the amp rating Use this formula to determine the size of the extension cord If you live in the USA your home has 120 volts of alternating current

Here are examples of different calculations for common things you might plug into an extension cord

See how easy it is to size an extension cord? Here's one other final tip

Make sure you use the shortest extension cord that will work between the outlet and whatever thing you're plugging into the extension cord

And don't put extension cords underneath carpets or throw rugs. That's a really bad idea

If you need more help, I can talk to you on the phone and help you size

Accord, just look for the link that's in the video description. I'm Tim Carter, AsktheBuilder.com

If you want to discover more home improvement tips, go to askthebuilder.com