Recommendations for good quality 220-240 volt single phase extension cord

Title says it all.


Any particular brands ? Hubbell ?


Any issues with running a 75 or 100 foot extension cord ?

I think Hubbell makes cord ends, etc, but they do not make wire. If you do a little homework, pick the cord cover to suit the environment anticipated, size the wire for the load to be carried and the length of the run, you can't really go wrong...unless you end up at the Dollar Store, then all bets are off.

For that voltage and length, you're probably going to have to build your own cord..and it won't be cheap. If you go to McMaster-Carr, you will find a nice breakdown of wire type (insulation) and gauge, plus ampacity of each.

McMaster-Carr

Stuart

I purchase SJO cord (by the foot) from the local electrical supply along with a cord cap and plug.

It takes about 1/2 hour to make up the stretch. I only have or need 1 3ph cord, but I have several 4 wire 240 v, devices.

Not as long as you were asking about but I picked up one of these to run my stick welder and plasma cutter outside my shop and have been very pleased with it.

40A Welding Machine Extension Cord

I ASS-U-ME that anything UL listed will be acceptable.

go to local welding supply, buy welding extension chord, good enough for 50A anywhere and super tough, yet heavy.

Don't use SJO cord. Go with full size or similar. Modern portable cordage is far superior to the old rubber covered stuff. The yellow S-cord tends to be good at lower temps.

Hubbell is the place to go for connectors. They cost more, because they save money in the long run.

kenton said:

Not as long as you were asking about but I picked up one of these to run my stick welder and plasma cutter outside my shop and have been very pleased with it.

40A Welding Machine Extension Cord

I ASS-U-ME that anything UL listed will be acceptable.

Click to expand...

How many feet is that cord? Oddly the link does not state the length.

The item I want to run is a commerical oven that is 208volt 44amps or 240volts 49 amps

So anywhere between 9500 watts to around 11,000 watts

Like with transformers do I need to get a cord that is rated for 40% more than the wattage of the equipment?

Aren't your amp values backwards?

You should match the cord wire gauge to the current you want to pass, keeping in mind that the wire gauge will have to be adjusted for the length of cord you are planning to use. Longer the cord..fatter the wire. Other than that, no fancy math needed.

Stuart

I guess that one is 20ft according the the answered questions. I have one that is 20 and one that is 30, cause I got tired of switching plugs.

If you are really looking at needing to draw 45 to 50 amps that cord would be undersized.

Depending on what you are trying to do your oven may not actually draw 50 amps unless you are running all the heating elements at once but that is between you, Murphy, and your insurance agent.

This isn't cheap but it covers your stated max amp draw as well as your stated max length, and it's a quality cord.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwi...k-Generator-Extension-Cord-19190008/205751569

Stuart

For cable I go Walters Electric, there very local to me.

There much cheaper than Home Depot, and will supply a reel, or supply a single foot, whatever you want.

You may not have a Walters Electric local to you, but there'll be an equivalent.

eBay is another good resource for smaller pieces of heavy cord, cut from a bulk spool. I’ve got SJO, SEO, SJEOW, etc. cords and I’ve never noticed an appreciable difference in long term durability. Reference the McMaster chart shown above, one is only rated for 300V and there’s one with a neoprene cover that tends to pick up more dirt.

Most important is to match ampacity, especially as your device, unlike a welder, will run continuous. I don’t do so, but I know plenty of guys who’ll “de-rate” their cords for welding use. Their thoughts are that even IF they wind up drawing the full amperage the machine can use, they’re not doing it anywhere close to full-time. Even still I would go no smaller than 8/3 or 8/4

As noted, I assume your device to consume 49 amps@208V and 44 amps@240V.

No less than 6/3 or 6/4 AWG here. Especially if you use the device regularly or for long periods.

I actually really don’t like the Hubble straight-blade, 50A three or four-pin plug ends. I’ve used these plugs for welding service and they don’t tend to last long. Most of my welding cords now sport a deep, metal gang-box with receptacle and a wire strain relief:

The cost is a little bit higher initially, but seems cheaper in the long-run as it will survive the most things shy of being run over by a fork lift.

For your application I would also recommend changing all the plugs in the circuit to a twist-blade plug. Making a 44 or 49 amp “hot-stab” isn’t a pretty thing. It’s seems extra likely in your situation though. Unless the oven has safety circuitry, chances are it stays on and wanting full amperage the moment the circuit gets reconnected. Also seems likely as not that the oven main power will get turned off before investigations lead the user to the unplugged cord.

The twist-lock plug ends are a bit more expensive and if you take my advice you’ll be buying an additional plug and receptacle. If cost becomes too much of an issue, spring for an extra strain-relief instead and run the cord from a junction/gang-box instead. No way another guy working can unplug that...



Be safe and stay healthy




Jeremy.

atomarc said:

Aren't your amp values backwards?

You should match the cord wire gauge to the current you want to pass, keeping in mind that the wire gauge will have to be adjusted for the length of cord you are planning to use. Longer the cord..fatter the wire. Other than that, no fancy math needed.

Stuart

Click to expand...

That's what I also thought, but these are the nameplate specs from the manufacturer (US Made)

I bought a good quality extension cord rated for what I wanted to do and cut the ends off and put new 220v ends on. Use it for the wall AC and the Unisaw

For that ampricity, you’re going to need 6/3 or 6/4 SOxx cord depending if there’s a neutral required for anything on the oven. I’d make my own by ordering the cord from Wire and Cable Your Way, and purchasing the ends from your local box store or online.

300sniper said:

For that ampricity, you’re going to need 6/3 or 6/4 SOxx cord depending if there’s a neutral required for anything on the oven. I’d make my own by ordering the cord from Wire and Cable Your Way, and purchasing the ends from your local box store or online.

Click to expand...

Like this?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Romex-SIMpull-50-ft-6-3-Non-Metallic-Wire-By-the-Roll/50188983

Spud said:

Title says it all.


Any particular brands ? Hubbell ?


Any issues with running a 75 or 100 foot extension cord ?

Click to expand...

Title DOES NOT "say it all"

How much amperage ?

Spud said:

Like this?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Romex-SIMpull-50-ft-6-3-Non-Metallic-Wire-By-the-Roll/50188983

Click to expand...

I am not sure about that style of romex, my experience has been that romex makes a poor extension cord, it is far too stiff, and a pia to roll up and store. Romex is solid wire, for an extension cord you want twisted wire, it is nice and flexible. I am currently putting Hubbell twist lock ends on my machines and power cords, not cheap to buy them new, found them on the bay at quite affordable pricing.

Question: I seem to remember that the cable I purchased in Tx was marked "oil resistant", yet in Nv all I can find is "water resistant", what is the difference besides labeling? Will "water resistant" break down quickly from oil?

Spud said:

Like this?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Romex-SIMpull-50-ft-6-3-Non-Metallic-Wire-By-the-Roll/50188983

Click to expand...

That's used for a permanent install, not as a flexible cord. This is more what you are looking for if you are after an "extension" cord. 6/3 SOOW Cable • Cut by the Foot | Wire & Cable Your Way

DO NOT USE ROMEX!!!

There’s hackery and then there’s using ROMEX for something like this. Using romex is BEYOND hackery... dangerously so. You could also tape individual THHN conductors together and skin the cat that way. I’m sure it would work fine... until someone dropped something sharp enough or heavy enough on it... or until OSHA pays a visit.

As myself and others have said: SJO, SEO, SJEOOW, etc. anything in THIS class will fulfill your needs and is designed to do so. Romex is designed to be buried in wooden walls, THHN is designed to be buried in conduit of some type... the stuff I mentioned above is designed to run from the outlet on the wall, across the floor and to your device. The other stuff runs inside a layer of protection, from your panel TO that plug.

I still suggest springing for locking plugs of some sort to lessen the chance of unplugging or plugging in a device that’s asking for near-50 amps.

I have a buddy who was thrown from an aerial work platform when he “hot-stabbed” a 10k light. The moment of electrocution and the fall weren’t that bad, but the landing really messed him up. 10k lights run on 100-amp branch circuits... twice as big as the circuit in question, but I try and stay less than 50% as fucked up as my friend wound up.

The worst I’ve had personally was slipping a screwdriver across two, maybe all three buses in a panel-box. It was my own fault... and I paid for it. Thankfully I wasn’t burned... the screwdriver handle was insulated, but the ringing in my ears lasted a couple of days and I had the worst arc-flash I’ve ever had, IMMEDIATELY. I felt like I’d burned 10# of 7018 wearing reading glasses... and the “sand-in-eye” feeling happened within minutes.

You do you... I know I wouldn’t keep working somewhere that skimped foolishly... using something like Romex or THHN as an extension cord.

Beyond that, my advice would be to spend a little more to help mitigate and prevent such a foreseeable accident as accidentally unplugging or plugging back in, a device that’s drawing 50-amps. If for nothing more than preventing the terminal erosion and having to replace plug and receptacle as a result.



Be safe and stay healthy



Jeremy