Is this old extension cord safe to use?

[travelover]

Old extension cords make very nice rubber coated ropes.

They are also a nice source for low voltage wiring like for my camper. Braided wire sold for that purpose is relatively expensive.

 

[NW-Bound]

The length would seem less of a safety issue with a chainsaw than if you had some unmonitored appliance; if it heated up, you'd smell it. 100 feet does drop the amperage, so a demanding appliance might not have the full torque.

+1

Actually it is the voltage that drops on longer extension cord runs, and amps go up to make up for that. Power = volts x amps, and the appliance will need the power, so it makes up for lower voltage by pulling more amps (current). That does make the appliance run hotter. Higher gauge wire will have less voltage drop, so the recommendations for 12 gauge or 10 gauge for a 100 ft cord are based on this voltage drop issue. I completely agree that 100 ft cord at 16 gauge is for very light loads, which I would assume an electric chain saw is not...

Electronic appliances which always come with built-in voltage regulators do the above. Examples include all PCs and modern TVs (tube TVs do not count ). If you care to look, nearly all AC power adapters for laptops are universal 115V/230V. They can suck in nearly anything, and spit out the right voltage for your laptop.

On the other hand, dumb motorized appliances like chain saws, table saws will draw less current if there's excessive voltage drop due to the additional resistance of the extension cord, and will not develop the same torque. In the extreme case, they may not be able to start up. If the motor stalls, it will heat up and die.

Similarly, appliances with resistive heating elements such as room heaters, hair blowers, toasters, air fryers also draw less current if the voltage drop is high, and will not put out the same amount of heat.

It doesn't work that way. The appliance does not have a way to "pull more amps."

With a thinner, higher-resistance cord, the impedance of the whole circuit (cord+appliance) is higher. Thus, fewer amps will go through it.

And you are correct that the voltage presented to the appliance will be lower (because some of the circuit voltage is dropped across the cord). So the power consumed by the appliance (I*V) will be lower.

Yes. Exceptions are some electronic thinggies, as explained above.

Microwave ovens, although they have electronics, behave like a dumb appliance because the magnetron is usually powered by a simple step-up transformer. However, the Panasonic microwave in my motorhome claims to have an inverter circuit that compensates for varying AC voltage, and provides the same amount of heat. It's the only microwave I have ever owned that claims to do that.

 

[NateW]

Replace it because it appears both ends were replaced with male and female plugs that use screws to connect the wires. Screw connections can become high resistance over time and get hot and if bad enough, cause a fire. Also, if the electric chain saw requires a ground wire, you are taking a safety risk without it, especially working standing on the ground (you become the path to ground if part of the saw case or body becomes electrified). Also, 16 gage is thin wire by extension cord standards (very light duty). You should have at least 14 gage (wire gets thicker as have number decreases). 14 gage is good for 15 amps.

 

[youbet]

I'd toss it and spend $25.00 on a new cord. And if you're running a power tool, 14 or 12 gauge wire is a better idea.
On another thought, you've got a two wire chainsaw?

$25? You won’t find a 100 ft, 3-12 cord for that little. But I agree on getting a new cord.

 

[vince]

I'm cleaning out my garage, it's long overdue. I have an old orange extension cord, probably 50 feet long with a non grounded plug on it. Cord is marked 16/2 and I use it for my chainsaw.

$25? You won’t find a 100 ft, 3-12 cord for that little. But I agree on getting a new cord.

You're right.

 

[Time2]

We had several different contractors in and out of the house doing repairs after hurricane Michael. One of them left a 100ft 3 wire 12 gauge extension cord.

I used it for not recommended use*, measuring the resistance of the earth (ground) for antenna ground rods I was installing. This was already a dangerous situation, but when it didn't work as expected, I found whoever replaced the connectors on the cord had wired one end with the L and N wired backwards . I repaired the crossed up wires and finished my ground measurements.
BTW, I would have repaired the cord and used it where applicable. A leaf blower comes to mind along with several other double insulated two wire devices.


* I built a homebrew device for the job.

 

[CRLLS]

I would offer that, if using a piece of outside equipment regardless if is a 2-wire or 3-wire, one should always use a GFCI outlet. By doing so, the chance of electrocution is close to eliminated. Yes, you will get a shock that doesn't feel good at all, but you will live. Even using a piece of equipment that has a 3-prong plug, if you cut off the ground wire and plug it into a 2 wire extension cord, you are still as safe. Not that I suggest you doing that. Test the GFCI outlet regularly.

 

[JoeWras]

I would offer that, if using a piece of outside equipment regardless if is a 2-wire or 3-wire, one should always use a GFCI outlet.

YES! My volunteer work crew sometimes gets fussy with me when I insist on putting in a GFCI protected break out box upline of their extension cords. I don't care, it is important.

Back in the 90s we had a tragic worksite accident nearby. A worker was using some power equipment on a metallic portion of the roof. Somehow, it got electrified, possibly by a sharp edge cutting the cord. The end result was tragic.

 

[MRSPOCK]

No need to take chances. Plenty of place to buy inexpensive grounded cords

 

[jimbee]

I would offer that, if using a piece of outside equipment regardless if is a 2-wire or 3-wire, one should always use a GFCI outlet.

Yep, been required by code for decades (at least for new construction) where I live.

 

[RockLife]

No!

I'm cleaning out my garage, it's long overdue. I have an old orange extension cord, probably 50 feet long with a non grounded plug on it. Cord is marked 16/2 and I use it for my chainsaw. Common sense says it should be tossed in the trash ASAP and I should buy a new grounded better gauge one but my natural cheapness says it still works fine. Picture attached, what do you think?

Short story: No. That is all. Long story: I'm an electrical engineer. I didn't look long, but I know that a $20 extension cord is worth its weight in gold compared to that monstrosity.

 

[rayvt]

After Christmas stores like Hobby Lobby, Menard's, etc. put all their remaining stuff at 50% off. They always have outdoor extension cords, timers, 3-way splitters, sometimes cord with built-in GFCI. I have a bunch of 30' and 50' and even one 100' outdoor cords that I still haven't used. They are usually green (Xmas, remember?), but who cares about the color?

If you are going to spend the money, skip 16 ga and go for 14ga if possible.