# Are Power Cords Universal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973 "2009-11-10T00:47:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/1 "2009-11-10T00:47:52Z")
I just got my monitor back from an RMA repair and they neglected to send back a power cord. I contacted them and they are shipping a new cord, but can I use another cord in the meantime? Assuming the female end fits the monitor, of course. I’ve got a dozen of these things things collecting dust from discarded electronics over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/2 "2009-11-10T00:54:48Z")
If you mean those 3-prong computer power cords, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![tofergregg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tofergregg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofergregg)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/3 "2009-11-10T00:55:20Z")
Yup. I assume you’re talking about the power cord that looks like this: > **[Parts Is Parts - Blackstar, Korg Keyboard, Vox, Fender, Ashdown, SWR,...](https://www.partsisparts.net/)** > > Korg, Vox, Buzz Stop, Fender, Ashdown, Hofner, SWR, Blackstar, Gretsch, Bigsby, Guild, HK Lucas, LAG, Guitar, Amplifier, Parts It will work fine, as it is just a straight-up connection from the wall to the monitor (120V/60Hz AC all the way). -Tofer ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/4 "2009-11-10T00:59:43Z")
Yeah - that’s the cord. Thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/5 "2009-11-10T01:01:34Z")
My PC started just shutting down at random times a couple years ago and I couldn’t figure out why. Tried different power outlets, wiped the hard drives, replaced the power supply, memory, and eventually even the motherboard - absolutely nothing worked. It was like some little gremlin inhabited the computer, and even after all the parts were swapped out, it was still just shutting down at random. At one point, I noticed that the power cord that was plugged into the power supply was labeled “SAMSUNG,” my monitor manufacturer. I had pretty much given up at this point, and tried something that seemed to make no sense: I swapped the power cables for the monitor and power supply. Of course, this did the trick - the computer stopped shutting down randomly. I _still_ am a little bothered by the fact that it worked, because by all accounts, power cords should be identical. But since then, I’ve been careful to only use power cords that come with power supplies for PCs. Can’t hurt, I guess. As far as the OP goes, though, any cord at all will certainly plug in, and _should_ work. I don’t know what sort of voodoo made my PC act the way it did. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/6 "2009-11-10T05:10:36Z")
> [@WoodenTaco](#): > > My PC started just shutting down at random times …and even after all the parts were swapped out, it was still just shutting down at random. Interesting post. I have a computer sitting unused in the spare room that suffered from this exact malady. I have boatloads of power cords, so surely amongst the endless merry-go-rounds of trying different bits and pieces together, I must have cycled through some of these cords. I might give it another shot one day, it was not a bad machine. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/7 "2009-11-10T14:09:05Z")
> [@WoodenTaco](#): > > My PC started just shutting down at random times a couple years ago and I couldn’t figure out why. Tried different power outlets, wiped the hard drives, replaced the power supply, memory, and eventually even the motherboard - absolutely nothing worked. It was like some little gremlin inhabited the computer, and even after all the parts were swapped out, it was still just shutting down at random. > > At one point, I noticed that the power cord that was plugged into the power supply was labeled “SAMSUNG,” my monitor manufacturer. I had pretty much given up at this point, and tried something that seemed to make no sense: I swapped the power cables for the monitor and power supply. Of course, this did the trick - the computer stopped shutting down randomly. > > I _still_ am a little bothered by the fact that it worked, because by all accounts, power cords should be identical. But since then, I’ve been careful to only use power cords that come with power supplies for PCs. Can’t hurt, I guess. > > As far as the OP goes, though, any cord at all will certainly plug in, and _should_ work. I don’t know what sort of voodoo made my PC act the way it did. I had exactly the same thing happen with a Samsung provided power cord about 6 years ago. I was working for a company that had gotten about a dozen custom made video servers from Samsung. They had included power cords for all of them. One server absolutely wouldn’t POST, boot, or anything. Finally, we switched power cords, and it worked fine. Turned out the bad power cord actually had hot and ground reversed on the female end. It was definitely a manufacturing flaw - all the other cords were wired correctly. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/8 "2009-11-10T14:47:23Z")
Technically, no. These types of cables are designed with a standard in mind that dictates things like max temperature, voltage, etc. For your uses Im sure anything that fits in there will be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/9 "2009-11-10T23:18:55Z")
> [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](#): > > I just got my monitor back from an RMA repair and they neglected to send back a power cord. I contacted them and they are shipping a new cord, but can I use another cord in the meantime? Assuming the female end fits the monitor, of course. I’ve got a dozen of these things things collecting dust from discarded electronics over the years. Can you? Yes. Should you? Only if you’re careful. Those cords have moulded plugs. Those plugs have fuses inside. Just make sure you use one rated for the correct current. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-power-cords-universal/516973/10 "2009-11-11T13:00:25Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Can you? Yes. Should you? Only if you’re careful. Those cords have moulded plugs. Those plugs have fuses inside. Just make sure you use one rated for the correct current. Only UK plugs are fused, and only at the power supply end, not the PC end.