dibbons
Well-Known Member
Used a 50 foot 16 gauge cord with hair dryer to speed up the dry time of some parts painted with RustOleum. I retired the cord after one end started to smoke. Maybe I should invest in a larger gauge cord when I replace it?
Extension Cord Fried
- Thread starter dibbons
- Start date
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circlepilot
Well-Known Member
Yep! Or some extra fire extinguishers. 
Keep it going, cut off the bad end and put one a new on, eventually your length of your cord will match you amperage draw.........lol.
dibbons
Well-Known Member
Stretched out.
What next, 14 or 12 gauge maybe (beginning to sound like a shotgun) ?
What next, 14 or 12 gauge maybe (beginning to sound like a shotgun) ?
At 50 foot get the largest gauge possible.....you never know you may want to run a cement mixer someday.
Failure at the plug is often due to bad contact. High amps just helps you find the problem faster. Lol
What wattage drier? Were you using full heat? That’s where most of the amps run high. Just blowing air on low heat would probably be OK
What wattage drier? Were you using full heat? That’s where most of the amps run high. Just blowing air on low heat would probably be OK
Demonic
Well-Known Member
Get a #12 or a #10, and you'll never need to get another one. Voltage drop can take out things besides hair dryers.
Garry in AZ
Building a 9 second Valiant
The specific damage to that cord was not caused by the gauge of the wire. That is arcing damage, and it's caused by a poor connection inside the cord end.
However, you shouldn't use a 16 gauge 50 foot cord with anything much more powerful than a fan or trouble light. For a hot air gun or similar, you should use at least a 14 gauge cord, and 12 would be better. If you dropped to a 25 foot cord, then 14 gauge would be fine.
However, you shouldn't use a 16 gauge 50 foot cord with anything much more powerful than a fan or trouble light. For a hot air gun or similar, you should use at least a 14 gauge cord, and 12 would be better. If you dropped to a 25 foot cord, then 14 gauge would be fine.
A fire dries out parts nicely too......
dibbons
Well-Known Member
Connection was bad, had to wiggle the male/female ends a few times to keep it blowin' on hottest setting.
Some of us have to learn from experience. When I was young, and poorer than I am now, I ran a skill saw on a 100 ft, 16 gauge cord. Burnt the saw up. I use 12 gauge for anything more than lights now.
Cope
Fusing with fire
I use to work for the fire department.
Number one cause of house fires.
Candles.
Number two.
Cooking
Number three.
Extention cords run all over the house.
(Most often in a crack house, with garbage everywhere.)
Number one cause of house fires.
Candles.
Number two.
Cooking
Number three.
Extention cords run all over the house.
(Most often in a crack house, with garbage everywhere.)
Pi$$ poor connection and run on the highest setting....makes sense to me what happened.
**Did you clean the lint out of your dryer?**
**Did you clean the lint out of your dryer?**
Funny, my wife bought these cool wall fixtures for candles.
I insisted she throw them out.
No way im havinga fire 3 inches from a wall.
Cords are a necessary evil. Do your best to keep them short as possible and proper gauge for the load.
scott657
Well-Known Member
check your circuit breaker also
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