100 ft 50 amp rv extension cord with Finger Holder

Extend Your Reach With Extension Cords

An extension cord lets you take electrical power outside, up a ladder or between rooms without disconnecting. When buying an extension cord, it’s always smart to go with a longer cord than you thought you’d need — better too long than too short. Other elements to consider are thickness and gauge, depending on the tools you’ll be plugging in. High-power tools require a higher gauge.

Combining several shorter extension cords can result in electrical resistance, which might short your equipment or even cause a fire. Look for extension cords that span up to 100 feet to meet every job requirement. For an outdoor extension cord, find cold-weather-resistant cords.

A heavy duty extension cord can handle more amps for big power tools or corded lawn mowers. Look for the wire gauge to determine the amps an extension cord will handle, with 16 amps being a considerable amount. Light-duty extension cords are a useful household item for extending the reach of lamps or plugging several smaller electronics into a single power source.

Extension Cord Basics

• Amps, Volts, and Watts
• Gauge
• Plug and Connector
• What is a 50-Amp Extension Cord?
• When Do You Need a 50-Amp Extension Cord?
• Pros and Cons of a 50-Amp Extension Cord
• 50-amp RV Power Plug
• Never Plug into a Dryer Outlet or Outlet That Isn’t Rated for RVs
•  how does an extension cord work?
• are extension cords safe to use?
• What gauge extension cord do I need?
• How to store extension cords?
• How to wrap an extension cord?

Amps, Volts, and Watts

Amperes or “amps” is the measure of the flow, or “current,” of electrons through an electrical conductor. The greater the number of electrons moving through the conductor, the higher the current is. In an extension cord, the conductors are the copper wires within the cord.

Voltage or “volts” is the measure of electrical force causing the electrons to move. The greater the electrical force, the higher the voltage.

Wattage or “watts” is the measure of electricity used. Light bulbs, appliances, and other electrical devices are normally rated in terms of the watts they use.

Extension cords are rated in terms of how many amps or watts they can safely carry. Always choose an extension cord that is rated for at least the same total amps or watts of the lights, appliances, and other devices that will be powered. An undersized cord can overheat, even to the point of catching fire. Wattage is usually printed on the label of the electrical device, the instructions, or the owner’s manual. On an extension cord, the amperage, voltage, and wattage are printed on the UL or ETL tag.

Gauge

The diameter of the conductors within an extension cord are measured in terms of American Wire Gauge (AWG), usually shortened to just “gauge” and expressed by a number. Common household extension cords are available in 16 gauge (smallest), 14 gauge, 12 gauge, and 10 gauge (biggest). The lower the number, the bigger the gauge and the greater the amperage and wattage is. In addition, a cord with a larger gauge will carry power a greater distance without dropping as much voltage compared to a cord with a smaller gauge. Voltage drops over distance, so to offset this, choose a cord with a larger gauge. This is especially important for appliances with motors. Attempting to run a motor on insufficient voltage can cause permanent damage. The gauge is clearly identified on the product package and is printed on the outer insulation (jacket) of the cord. For example, 16-gauge cords will have 16AWG printed on the jacket.

Plug and Connector

The plug (male) end of a non-grounded (two-prong) extension cord has two parallel blades. The connector (female) end has two parallel slots. Both ends are “polarized,” meaning that one blade/slot is wider than the other. This is a safety feature to ensure that the “hot” and “neutral” conductors of the extension cord always match the circuit conductors of the outlet they are plugged into. A non-grounded cord may always be plugged into a grounded (three-prong) outlet.

The plug and connector of a grounded (three-prong) extension cord are also polarized and include a third grounding pin/slot. Always use a grounded extension cord with an appliance that has a grounded (three-prong) plug. Never remove the ground pin from the plug or circumvent the grounding feature.

Many of our grounded extension cords feature a lighted connector or a lighted locking connector for visibility and to show that the cord is powered.

What is a 50-Amp Extension Cord?

A 50-amp extension cord is a long cable, typically 20-50 ft, that connects your RV power cable to an electrical hookup. RV power cords come in different sizes, the most common being 20, 30, and 50 amps.

Most RVs have 30 or 50 amp cords. However, there are a few differences between these two cable gauges.

First, the 30-amp plug has three pins and carrys one 30 amp circuit. A 50-amp plug has four pins and carries 2 50 amp circuits. That extra pin is necessary because a 50-amp cable brings in two 120V wires for a total of 240V. A 30-amp only has one hot 120V pin. Therefore, a 50-amp plug can draw up to 12,000W of power, and a 30-amp plug can only do 3,600W.

Ultimately, the 50-amp cord is the largest cable and can typically bring electricity to the larger or additional appliances you’ll commonly see in big RVs.

When Do You Need a 50-Amp Extension Cord?

Simply put, 50-amp RV extension cords are necessary when the RV power supply cord will not reach the electrical hookups. For example, you’ll need a 50-amp extension cord if your power cable isn’t long enough to reach your electrical hookup.

Just be aware of the safety rules of extension cords. You should only use them when necessary, and they shouldn’t be a permanent solution. You should also ensure a secure connection between all plugs and power supplies.

Additionally, check that your plug connections are never left on the ground or in places they can get wet.

Pros and Cons of a 50-Amp Extension Cord

they have a lower gauge wire, making them more efficient and safer because lower wire gauges create less voltage loss, resulting in lower resistance. And lower resistance reduces the likelihood of electrical fires.

typically range from 15 – 25 ft long. This is the perfect length for an extension cord because longer cable lengths lead to voltage drops. A cable of this size also coils up compactly, which makes it easy to transport and store.

50-amp RV Power Plug

A 50-amp power cord (for larger RVs) has four prongs that correspond to TWO 120-volt hot wires, a neutral wire, and a ground wire. Even though it’s called a 50-amp connection, it actually supplies two separate 50-amp, 120-volt feeds.

As a result, a 50-amp feed brings a total of 12,000 watts into your RV with 6,000 watts from each hot wire.

Most 50-amp RVs are wired to use each side of the 120-volt service separately, sending 120-volts to two separate “legs” of service. Usually, half of the RV’s 120-volt circuits are powered by one leg, and the other half are on the other leg.

But it’s still the same 120-Volt system as on all smaller RVs. It’s only on a few very high-end motorhomes (usually bus conversions) that you might expect to see 240-volts available through this same type of plug… most often for supplying high-voltage power to a 240-volt dryer (and ONLY that circuit is provided 240-volts… everything else in the RV will be wired to use 120-volts from one or the other leg of power).

Never Plug into a Dryer Outlet or Outlet That Isn’t Rated for RVs

Speaking of dryers… Heed this critical warning: NEVER plug an RV into a clothes dryer outlet!

Many people are confused by this because your dryer’s outlet will look very similar to a 30-amp plug, ready to accept the three prongs.

But dryer outlets are wired differently than a 30-amp RV outlet and supply 240-volts as opposed to the 120-volts your RV is expecting.

Connecting to a 30-amp dryer outlet risks seriously damaging your RV’s entire electrical system and possibly even starting a fire.

Don’t do it.

how does an extension cord work?

The standard 120-volt outlet has three slots, two rectangular on the top and one round on the bottom. The left slot is slightly larger than the right. The left slot is called the “neutral” slot. On the right, the smaller slot is called the “hot” slot. outlet

The circular hole below is the “ground.” When you plug your equipment in, these three slots create a circuit. Electricity flows into the extension cord through the “hot” slot on the right, powers the piece of equipment, and then exits through the “neutral” slot. The ground slot protects the operator and others in the area from getting shocked if there is a short circuit within the machine or the cord.

One of the most common safety hazards of electrical cords is trying to use them without the ground on the plug. Extension cords should never be used with commercial cleaning equipment if they are missing the ground plug on the cord.

The ground plug must be intact so that the machine is grounded safely; otherwise the operator is at risk of electrical shock.

are extension cords safe to use?

Yes, when used correctly electrical cords are safe. As mentioned, there is a risk of electrical shock when working with extension cords and corded-electric equipment. However, this can be avoided with the use of the right extension cord and proper safety protocols.

In addition to risking worker and occupant safety, these extension cord safety violations can be costly to your business. OSHA has stringent guidelines on the use of industrial electrical cords, and if not followed you can be fined upwards of $1,000 or more for each violation.

What gauge extension cord do I need?

Amperage is how much power (or amps) a cord is made to handle. Extension cords have an AWG (American wire gauge) rating. This rating is a standardized wire gauge system for measuring electrical wire.

In general, the lower the AWG number, the thicker and higher capacity the cord.

Using the incorrect gauge electrical cord can cause equipment or outlet overheating.

To select the right size gauge cord for your equipment, first identify the gauge on your equipment’s power cord. This is typically engraved on the cord. Once you have identified the gauge of the cord on your equipment, you will need an extension cord that is at least one grade lower. One grade lower will mean that the extension cord is thicker and will be able to provide adequate power to your machine. In some cases, you may need to choose an even lower gauge.

How to store extension cords?

Without proper storage, cords become damaged and ineffective over time. One of the most common problems is that the cords “pig-tail” or become curly.

This happens for two reasons, one being improper storage. Extension cords, curl up when the user wraps the cord improperly. Many operators use their arm to wrap the cord. This wrapping motion puts a curl in the cord every time the cord is wrapped between the elbow and hand. So, in some cases the cord could be curled 20 times on one complete wrap.

The second reason cord’s curl is because during use they are continually run over and mismanaged.

Extension cords should be kept out of the cleaning path and stored properly.

If your extension cord is curled, it should be replaced.

How to wrap an extension cord?

Start by holding the cord in one hand and go a full arm’s length with the cord. Once you reach a full arm’s length, bring the cord back around to the holding hand. This creates large loops, helping to minimize curls and cord damage.