On Fri, Aug 9, 2024 at 10:12 AM Scott Allen via talk <
talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
On Fri, 9 Aug 2024 at 10:55, Karen Lewellen <klewellen@shellworld.net> wrote:
> 14 is apparently not feet. to what does the /3 refer?
14 is the gauge (the diameter of each wire). The gauge number goes
lower as the diameter increases. In house wiring the gauges usually
used are:
14 for common 15 amp outlets.
12 for less common 20 amp outlets, normally found in kitchens.
10 for 30 amp electric clothes dryer outlets.
8 for 40 amp electric stove outlets.
6 for 50 amp electric stove outlets (not common) or electric vehicle
charging outlets in the garage.
The above is great in theory but as soon as you start adding some length to
those cables you better start using your wire size calculator.
For a 100' cord off of a 15A plug you had better use larger than 14 ga if you
want to limit your voltage drop to 1% the recommended wire size is 4 ga.
Your chart says that should handle more than 50 A but your chart also does
NOT include anything for length of run which becomes the more important
the closer to the amperage rating of the circuit the load becomes. Ignore
to your own cost and peril.
/3 is the number of wires in the cord:
A "hot" wire (the dangerous one if you were to touch it).
A "neutral" wire that returns the current. It will be wired to
"ground" at the electrical panel.
A "ground" wire provided for a safe return path in case of an electrical fault.
/2 designates your standard 2 prong cord, which has a hot and neutral
but no ground.
HTH