This.
considering the wall socket is nothing but a 12-3 extension cord from the fuse box. You want to make sure the wall socket is is good shape. by that I mean plugs should insert firmly and not loosely and is rated for the air conditioner. If it’s a 20 amp air conditioner it should be a 20 amp socket with the appropriate wire behind it.
“Forget the extension cords and the possibility of causing a fire. Instead, get yourself a proper power bar with a longer than normal cord. I’ve picked them up with 9 and 12 foot lengths.”
To me, this seems like very bad advice in light of what has been posted here above.
While it is noted “Forget the extension cords and the possibility of causing a fire.”, it seems to me that a power bar with an extra long cord pretty much is simply an extension cord.
That’s maybe a bit of overkill. This thing is going to draw maybe 6 or 7 amps, tops. 14 gauge wire will handle it.
That said, this is one of those cases where bigger is better, and there is certainly nothing wrong with using 12 gauge wire.
No it’s actually very sound advice.
A “proper” power bar that will run you about 20-30$ will offer more than enough protection.
These are deisnged to handle the voltage and amperage that an AC unit will draw.
Again, a brand name, rated power bar, not some POS from a dollar store.
Voltage drop is a function of the total length of the circuit (from branch circuit breaker all the way out to A/C motor) and gauge (assuming no other loads). If whatever cord is plugged into the wall outlet is at least the gauge of the house’s own wiring for that circuit, there’s not going to be much voltage drop difference between (a) using an extension cord, (b) making a new long cord for the unit, and © extending the existing circuit further through the wall and connecting the unit’s standard cord. The total path of the current is about the same each way.
Still, by code, extension cords are never for “permanent use.” Even with the right gauge, minimal length, and the maintenance of grounding means (third prong/third conductor) all the way through, you’ll still have an additional failure point, plus the cord’s vulnerability to physical damage. (Houses have burned because of cords that were nicked or crushed by furniture, for example.)
Of course, if the cord isn’t of at-least-equal rating to the house circuit, or if there are any other loads on the circuit, or grounding isn’t maintained, the equation gets much worse.
Really, the best way to run an air conditioner is on a dedicated circuit–supplying only that one outlet location by the shortest path from the circuit breaker. If you have an electrician make this installation, you avoid all the above problems, and also keep your existing circuit free for anything else.
(If you were concerned about plugs like JoeH2O, you could have this done with a twist-lock receptacle and plug on the unit cord, but U.S.-style specification-grade devices are just fine, properly installed.)
All that is moot, however, if your wall wiring is shoddy. I would get that checked, especially the connections to the outlet itself before putting 10 amps through it regularly.
For the cost of an electrician and materials, a dedicated outlet and circuit for it is the safest option in my opinion.
If you do go with an extension cord, remember to observe fire safety and not cover it with a carpet. Carpet backing is abrasive and repeated traffic can wear through your cord’s insulation.
This message brought to you by Chefguy, former electrician whose idiot child set fire to his bedroom.
You guys are getting a little carried away, IMHO. I personally wouldn’t rewire my house for a lousy portable air conditioner. The OP isn’t putting in some massive new AC unit that needs some sort of dedicated circuit. It’s one of those little floor standing jobs with the vent tube. It’s designed to just be plugged into the wall using a normal 15 amp outlet.
Indeed, however there’s no outlet by the window, so he needs to either put one in (so might as well go for the safe option and have a dedicated circuit put in) or an extension. The only way to really do it safely that way is to ensure it is the only thing on that extension and that the connections are solid.
In general, high-load devices in semi-permanent installation on the end of extension cords are a recipe for house fires unless you are careful.
Get a longer exhaust duct or extend it. :smack:
No A/C or power hassles there, and it will probably be less expensive.
I agree with most of the power suggestions here, but there is more than one way to skin the proverbial feline!
later, Tom.
I think it’s most people, actually.
Depends. What does the manual say about the exhaust duct? If the unit can’t draught far enough you may also damage the unit.
As other have stated, extension cords are only to be used temporarily. They are made of copper wire strand as opposed to the solid 14 gauge wire like your household wiring and their connection points are weak. As a result they are prone to excessive heat and line loss over distance. Appliances such as AC units which draw high peak startup currents can cause these cords to fail or ignite.
Their flexibility, their multipurpose, and overuse also contribute to damaging the life of the cord.
That said, if you plan on unplugging it when you’re not home and only running the AC seasonally or sporadically, you could get away with a longer cord or extension rated for the unit.
The warning is also a disclaimer for the manufacturer in case some dimwit were to a cheap lamp wire cord and burn his house down.
The US has required window A/C units to be fitted with a GFCI device at the plug for some years now. So you can’t just replace the cord with a longer one.
The main issue with extension cords (in general) is that most of the US allows cord sets to have a much lower current rating than the outlet can supply. The only sort-of exception that I know of is New York City, which does not allow “T-prong” 20A receptacles, so cords that don’t have the special 20A plug can’t be plugged into a 20A outlet. I believe Canada is the same (though it is out of my area of practice). I wouldn’t be surprised if Chicago does the same - they have a pretty stringent code out there.
In an attempt to cut down on fraudulently labeled cord sets, UL started requiring ones made in Asia to carry a holographic UL label. Unfortunately, cord sets w/ counterfeit holographic labels showed up in the US before the genuine labels made it to China. :eek:
The point of the previous paragraph is that you can’t always depend on what the cord label says. Also, just because the wire itself has a particular rating, other components may not. This is particularly true with outlet strips / surge protectors / etc.
Assuming your house is properly wired in the first place (and if you don’t know, why are you living there), you need the rating of the wall outlet you are using in volts and amps, the same rating for the AC, the minimum length of the extension cord you need, and some idea of the length of the wire from the supply panel where you have fuses or breaker, to the outlet. For an estimate, calculate the distance along walls, floors, and ceilings, with lines parallel to the sides of the house, or vertical lines in walls. Then double that number. Don’t assume the wires run the shortest route, follow the easiest route to run a wire.
Take all that information to an electrical supply store (not just a hardware store that carries wire and outlets), and give them that information. They will tell you if you would be violating and local codes, or if the house wiring is already too long, or if the AC shouldn’t be in that outlet in the first place. If you can use a cord, they might have a standard code to use, or they can sell you the parts to make one. If you don’t have the skills and experience to make an extension cord, skip that option.
As mentioned in previous posts, the AC manufacturer wants to avoid lawsuits from the improper use of an extension cord. An electrical supply store will want to avoid the same lawsuits too, so they’ll recommend against anything that sounds unsafe.
And if that sounded as complicated to you as it sounds to me, just hire an electrician. There are many home repairs and stuff you can fool around with in your house with little or no knowledge and not do too much damage; your electrical wiring is not one of them.
The vast majority of people don’t know if their house was properly wired in the first place. I’m one of the few exceptions, and only because I know my 15 year-old house wasn’t wired correctly in the first place.
Then I explained it properly. That’s the easy way to do it safely, and if anyone can’t follow it, they should follow your suggestion.
Get a good (not cheap) 12/3 cord. They are rated at 15 amps not 20 amps. Most home outlets are also rated at 15 amps. The problem is not the running amps but the surge on starting especally if the AC unit short cycling.
Well, I think my house was properly wired in the first place – 102 years ago when it was built. At least, all the knob and tube wiring I replaced in the attic looked just like the illustrations I have seen in electrical history books, and was in quite good shape.
It’s the wiring from the second and third and fourth place that I’d be more worried about. The wiring in this house has been modified and extended and replaced several times over the years. But that appears to have been done by qualified electricians, according to the electrical code of the day. But parts of the house wiring are not up to the current code, and if I redid any of them, it would have to be brought up to code.
But everything works fine, with no symptoms to indicate electrical problems. So I live there, because it works fine for me, and the house is paid for.
I guess ‘in the first place’ could be taken as you stated. I have a pretty old house too, but rewired everything. A few things weren’t safe, but mostly to get 3 prong outlets everywhere, and more outlets were needed. Since I have friends who are licensed electricians, I can do the work under local codes, and they can check it for me.
If you are satisfied, and meeting the legal requirements, and I don’t live in your house, sounds fine with me. But you ought to check your homeowners policy to make sure your heirs can collect.