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How do you organize your extension cords?


mcraigl

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in my shop i have a cord holder that i made out of a 1-1/2'' square tube 12ft long with a 1ft long drop leg attatched to a hinge-like what they use inna carwash-with the cord run through it -FILE OR PAD THE EDGES-when done i swing it out of the way and connect the ends.

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The best thing I saw for a long unruly cord:

Cut a small hole near the bottom in the side of a five gallon bucket, stick a pretty good length of the male end of the cord through it. Now Pile or gently coil the rest of the cord from the top of the bucket. For the most part it won't tangle as it lays on top of the layer below. Plus with this, you only pull the cord you need out of the top of the bucket, so you don't have to lay out 100' to get 25 feet and roll the whole thing back up.

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I mounted three four gang extention leads into the forge at the Farm. One is screwed to the joist above the main workbench, another above where the moveable bench usually sits and one at waist hieght next to the forge. All the power tools are plugged in above head height with their cords hanging down. Left on the benches nothing trails along the floor or is a trip hazard. All the wiring runs along the ceiling and through the joists.

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I use the bucket/milk crate method for anchor rope on the boat as well as electric cords. You can pull out just the amount needed then coil it back when done. Always coil cords and rope so there is no added twist in them. If your cord gets a spiral look to it you are significantly shortening its life. Coiling your cords over your arm is very hard on both the cords and your body. Storing on a large diameter hanger, or flat in a Rubbermaid box (easy to shelve, transport), milk crate, or bucket is best to prevent kinks. Wrapping the end of the cord about itself causes the ends to wear out more quickly, but shortening a cord and re-ending is cheap. Plugging a cord into itself can help reduce tangles as the ends cannot wrap through the coil.
I have a plastic hose wall hanger for my air hose. I keep the tire stuff inside the built in box. They are not expensive, but the empty spools and old rims mentioned are a better price (free). I want to install a permanent air system, but probably won't for a few years.
My dad had problems with his self coiling cord job as it kept shorting or breaking the cord or the coil mechanism. No one in my family uses them anymore. I don't remember overheating/melting/burning being a problem, but we would be using drills, drop lights, or relatively low draw devices.
I like the idea of pull-down outlets in the center of the shop/garage.
I make or buy a 20ft 12ga cord that ends up being most used as it gets to where I am working and is short enough to rarely tangle. I either have a triple tap end or 4 plug box for light tools. I always need a 100 ft cord around, but it is not used very often. I have a total of about 300 ft of extension cords, mostly stored flat in a plastic tote box (Rubbermaid).
Braiding cords is convenient, but shortens the life of the cord. I have worked with people who insist on it. Start in the middle, double the cord over and do a single tuck braid with the doubled cord. I never use this method anymore.
I keep a pilot light triple tap as I have a crawlspace service space with no lights. The pilot light is enough to get out with, or find the ends if you unplug yourself, in the dark. Otherwise, pilot light ends are not very helpful to me.
Phil

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As Thomas suggested I put so many outlets in my last shop I never needed anything more than a simple short 10' extension cord. Occasionally when I'd do work outside I'd need long extension cords. For that I just had a few rubberized hooks that screw into the wall and hang several wrapped up long extension cords from them. I wrap my extension cords in a figure eight and then I use these velcro ties you can get at Lowes to hold them really tight. This way they never go into a big yarn spool of knots but stay nice, tight, and neat, and I can toss extensions cords into the back of a truck without them going crazy.

Velcro ties look like these. They go around one length of cord and then they secure the bundle. Works very well.

po_die-cut_strap.jpg

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My shop is too small to need extension cords. I have 2 outlets in my shop and my drills cord reaches the center of my shop from either outlet. I have 3 extension cords in my shot I keep coiled up hanging on a board if i need power outside of my shop.

Dang son 2 outlets? I have 3 220 outlets. one 100 amp outlet one 50amp outlet and iI don't know how many 110 outlets
Plus feeding my wifes glass shop with 30 amps.
Ken.
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Dang son 2 outlets? I have 3 220 outlets. one 100 amp outlet one 50amp outlet and iI don't know how many 110 outlets
Plus feeding my wifes glass shop with 30 amps.
Ken.


Yah I tend to think 3 220's is a bare minimum for most of us. For me it's Compressor 220v 30Amp, TIG Welder 220v 30Amp, KMG Belt Grinder 220v 30Amp and down the road I hope to have a drill press and power hammer and those might need their own lines as well. Some things just need a dedicated line. Other times I've put machinery on plugs which is a quick fix to get them up and running till you really know how they're going to be used and where your going to use them, before permanently putting them in place. It also allows you to unplug one unit and plug in another. Like I used to run my dryer and my compressor off the same outlet by plugging/unplugging either or when i needed them. Sorta irritating but I only did wash once a week or two so really wasn't a big deal. You just have to keep those 220V cords quite short. 6' max is what they reccomend.
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  • 2 months later...

I need long extension cords for outside jobs sometimes. I keep my heavy duty cords in a strong milk jug carton(the kind that hold about four gallon jugs) coiled up with the male end in first. I leave about six feet of the male end sticking out to plug in to wall. Female end uncoils from top. Easy to transport. Easy to put back in carton.

Is that clear? I can take a picture if need be but I HATE trying to post on this site!!!!

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... I keep my heavy duty cords in a strong milk jug carton(the kind that hold about four gallon jugs) coiled up with the male end in first. ..


Hopefully one of the electricians on this forum will explain some of the interesting properties of electrical current passing through a coiled extension cord.
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Hopefully one of the electricians on this forum will explain some of the interesting properties of electrical current passing through a coiled extension cord.


Why?Having them in a coil is no different than having them on a reel and those have been in use since extension cords were invented.
Just don`t stick your head into the center of the coil.It`ll magnetize your brain.
There`s helpful household tip for ya. :)
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Why?Having them in a coil is no different than having them on a reel and those have been in use since extension cords were invented.
Just don`t stick your head into the center of the coil.It`ll magnetize your brain.
There`s helpful household tip for ya. :)


I will be the first to admit that I was wrong. I thought there would be possible issues with heat build up, and possible damage to equipment, even fires. Oh well. ;-)
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You just have to keep those 220V cords quite short. 6' max is what they reccomend.


Ke' How come? Here all non 3phase is all 220V and we use 30M (90') leads all the time! someone has been telling you porkies! B)

I end up with piles of plastic mig spools and they work great for leads etc.

P.S. metal spools/rings make coils that creates the fields

Ian
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Ke' How come? Here all non 3phase is all 220V and we use 30M (90') leads all the time! someone has been telling you porkies! B)

I end up with piles of plastic mig spools and they work great for leads etc.

P.S. metal spools/rings make coils that creates the fields

Ian

"6 foot max is what they recommend"
I wonder how we got by all those decades with those hundreds of power leads strung down the piers and throughout the ships we built. Most of the lines carried in excess of 400 volts too.All those ships were steel hulled BTW,Navy`s rules not mine.
Any of you electrical engineers care to explain the difference between the wiring running thru the walls and the wiring in that power cord laying on the floor other than the position?
Here are 2 very good examples involving electrical cords that illustrate the difference between real world experience and something that was read and taken as gospel.

Bad news Ian.I`m going to have to cancel my plans to come visit you.I`m now worried that if you and me were to meet our magnetized brains would either cause us to not be able to be in the same room or we`d end up being the electrically induced version of Siamese twins.
If we had only know the dangers when we were young.Glad I`m not alone in my misery,sorry for your condition buddy,I feel your (non-existent) pain. :)

I fear the problem is not that some of us have been fed porkies,it`s that some actually swallowed them. :rolleyes:
Don`t know the true meaning of the term "Porkie" on your side of the world but it brings to mind the old show,The Little Rascals to me and that seems very appropriate in this situation.
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I'm not by any means the world's best electrician, but they did give me a liscense. And I've not quite been studying electronics for three full decades. So I could be mistaken here.

The "six foot rule" for cords is minimum, not maximum. Said rule is for appliance cords, not extension cords. Said rule is only a recomendation, not a real rule.

The "interesting properties of a coil" apply to a single conductor, not to extension cords. Extension cords specifically negate the interesting properties by creating them in equal and opposite polarity. Run an internet search on "Maxwell's equations" and "Faraday's law of induction" if you want to know more.

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...The "interesting properties of a coil" apply to a single conductor, not to extension cords. Extension cords specifically negate the interesting properties by creating them in equal and opposite polarity......

Thank you. I am greatly appreciative of this information.

What about heat buildup? If someone draws too much current through a coiled too-small-gauge extension cord (by accident) could there be enough heat to melt the insulation? Or is that another myth?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide such clear answers.
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The "interesting properties of a coil" apply to a single conductor, not to extension cords. Extension cords specifically negate the interesting properties by creating them in equal and opposite polarity. Run an internet search on "Maxwell's equations" and "Faraday's law of induction" if you want to know more.


That would explain that dance the coiled lead hanging on the hook used to do when one of my co-workers was carbon arc gouging.
All this time we thought it was demonic possession.
What a waste of time, holy water and fresh garlic. :rolleyes:
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What about heat buildup? If someone draws too much current through a coiled too-small-gauge extension cord (by accident) could there be enough heat to melt the insulation? Or is that another myth?

Not a myth. BUT... we need to define "too-small-gage." If there's no way for the cable to cool off readily, (very tightly coiled in a bucket, for example) then try not to exceed:

5 Amps for AWG 16 cable
8 Amps for AWG 14 cable
13 Amps for AWG 12 cable

If the exension cord is in air, or is not tightly coiled, go ahead and push up to the rated limit for the cord.

How long would it take to melt the insulation? Well, how long does it take to heat a random piece of iron to welding temp? Depends on a lot of factors.


That would explain that dance the coiled lead hanging on the hook used to do when one of my co-workers was carbon arc gouging.

See also "coin shrinking." Said technique is used in industry to shrink-fit some items.
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Not a myth. BUT... we need to define "too-small-gage." If there's no way for the cable to cool off readily, (very tightly coiled in a bucket, for example) then try not to exceed:


The local big-box stores tend to sell the 14 and 16 gauge extension cords. I suppose they figure people would be reluctant to purchase the more expensive heavier gauge. And some tools, such as electric breaker hammers, seem to be closer to 20amps than to 5 or 8 amps. If memory serves me right the local big-box stores don't even carry the 12guage, and the family owned hardware stores all closed over the past bunch of years.

I guess from what you said, it sounds like maybe I better keep tossing the coils of cheap big-box extension cords onto the floor rather than having it coiled in a bucket during use. Or maybe someone will surprise me by gifting me with a couple of those really nice large-gauge extension cords like they use on Navy ships. That would sure be real nice and friendly. :-) Sure would be a real nice Valentines Day gift.. sure would. Maybe someone who served on a ship and used them has an extra one or two of them laying around that he feels like giving away. ;-)
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Bob'

Porkie = cockney rhyming slang (Porkie pie = lie)(trouble & strife = wife)(bouble & squeek = Greek) etc. etc.

So you would refer to your "bouble trouble tellin porkies" = greek wife uh... fibbing? :D

If you wind your ext on a metal spool it will heat up....I don't know the scientific reason(*****'s law) but it just does!

Ian

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If you wind your ext on a metal spool it will heat up....I don't know the scientific reason(*****'s law) but it just does!

It heats up for the same reason an induction forge works. You induce a alternating magnetic field in the metal. Cords are twisted internally in an effort to reduce this effect.

Phil
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