Monday, August 8, 2011

Power Cord Plug Adapters

A typical US household voltage is 120/240 V, 60 hz, single phase. and will be either 15 or 20 amps . To put this in perspective think about your plumbing, volts would be the water pressure and amps are how fast the water is running through the pipes. Watts is the total amount of water (electricity) flowing through at one time. To calculate where a circuit breaker will trip, multiply volts by amps. For example, if you have 120 volts and 15 amps, it will be at 1800 watts. For 120 volts and 20 amps it will be at 2400 watts.

Most 120Vac household circuits are fine using a 12 or 14 gauge wire. The smaller the gauge number the larger the conductor size. There is a direct correlation between cable length, amperage and wire gauges. The following list is a basic breakdown of the relationship of amerage vs wire gauge. There are only basic guidelines, so as the length of the cord is increased either the amps will decrease or the wire gauge will have to be increased.

  • American Wire Gauge (AWG) Chart


  • What Extension Cord Should I Use For My Project?


  • How to Choose the Correct Wire Gauge for Your Extension Cord
  • Choosing the Correct Wire Size for a DC Circuit


  • Types of Electrical Outlets and Receptacles


  • L5-30P and L6-30P Twist-Lock Power Cord Plug Adapters

NEMA L5-30P Locking Power Cord Plug Adapters


NEMA L6-30P Locking Power Cord Plug Adapter


NEMA L16-30P and L21-30P Power Cord Plug Adapters


  • Watts to kVA calculator



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