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50 Feet Home Depot Power Extension Cord
There are a lot of addendum cords out there, and sometimes it's adamantine to apperceive which one to use. Often, bodies aloof go to the aforementioned one for everything—and it's not consistently a safe best for the affairs accustomed the current, the outlet, or the apparatus itself. Eliminate the assumption by apparatus the best cords for 16 accepted applications.
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Your abode is the better apparatus of all. A Gizmodo Home Mod shows you how to recharge it, bright its cache, and amend its operating systems.
Note: The cords recommended actuality are the minimum array cords acceptable for anniversary apparatus by the National Electric Code. Any apparatus can use a beneath or thicker, lower-gauge cord. Dangerous situations appear back substituting a best cord, or a thinner, higher-gauge cord, than the one recommended for these 16 jobs. For added accepted advice on safe addendum bond use, attending at these actuality bedding from the accompaniment of Texas and Florida Accompaniment University.
1. Leaf blower. For blowers will 12 amps or less, use a 16-gauge light-duty bond aural 50 anxiety of your outlet. Go with a 14-gauge medium-duty bond for a college amp or a greater ambit from the outlet. Make abiding the bond is rated for alfresco use—look for a "W" on the jacket.
2. Table lamp. Use an 18-gauge, two-prong, light-duty addendum cord. It can handle up to 7 amps up to 25 feet—perfect for carefully active to a nightstand from the aperture abaft the bed. A retractable cord, like this one from TV Time Direct, cuts bottomward on clutter.
3. Laptop computer. A 14-gauge, three-prong, medium-duty bond is a general-purpose apparatus ideal for powering baby domiciliary appliances, like a laptop.
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4. Treadmill. Treadmill manufacturers about abash the use of an addendum bond with the product. But if you can't move your exercise accessories afterpiece to the outlet, go with a bond fabricated accurately for treadmills—like the 9-foot Treadcord.
5. Toaster. Heat-producing accessories like toasters, irons, and coffee pots draw at atomic 10-12 amps of current, which is aloft the banned of best calm addendum cords. Hopefully your kitchen blueprint permits the small, carriageable accessories to alive abreast an outlet, far from the sink.
6. Beard Dryer. Forget it. You'll accept to let your beard air dry if you can't bung in the beard dryer anon to an outlet. Beard dryers about draw 15 amps, which can account an addendum bond to get hot abundant to alpha a fire.
7. Circular saw. Go with a 12-gauge able alfresco cord, which will accept you covered for up to 100 anxiety from the outlet. Get a bond with a afire bung so you'll apperceive back the ability is on.
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8. Home office. You'll appetite a billow protector or ability band to assure your computer, printer and added cyberbanking accessories from spikes aloft 120 volts. Some billow protectors accept metal oxide varistors, which are about semiconductors that stop the brief voltage. Strips like the Fellowes 6 Aperture Billow Protector are advised for baby appointment electronics.
9. Calm vacuum. Use a typical, off-the-shelf 16-gauge cord, or buy a specialty one, like the Exhaustion Cleaner Bond from Prime Wire and Cable.
10. Alfresco vacuum. A three-prong, 12-gauge bond works best. Get one with a locking bung back you'll be affective the exhaustion about a lot and it can calmly appear unplugged.
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11. Holiday lights. Go with a 16-gauge bond for 25 anxiety or less, or 14-gauge for added than 25 feet. Get the breadth you need—don't anytime daisy-chain two addendum cords together. Attending for a "W" on the anorak to affirm that it can be acclimated outdoors.
12. Entertainment center. You'll appetite a billow protector, like for your home office. Back you're not watching TV, about-face off the billow protector to stop vampire accessories from apparatus electricity. Consider the Conserve Switch from Belkin, a billow protector with two outlets that abide alive for accessories that charge connected power, like a wireless router.
13. Space heater. This is not safe for use with an addendum cord. Space heaters are portable—move them afterpiece to an outlet.
14. Bug zapper. A abbreviate 16-gauge addendum bond will accumulate the lamp cooking.
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15. Carriageable compressor. A 10-gauge extra-heavy-duty addendum bond will let you put air in a collapsed annoy up to 100 anxiety abroad from an outlet.
16. Workshop. There are never abundant outlets in a workshop, and active assorted addendum cords can be a hassle—and a benumbed hazard. Go with a 14-gauge cord, which will ability best tools, and attending for a archetypal with assorted outlets so you can bung in added than one tool. A retractable model, like the Tasco Professional Grade Plastic Retractable Bond Reel, can accumulate the bond out of the way back not in use.
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