warm extention cord. normal or bad?

Ya so the base of my extention cord, were it gets plugged into the wall gets very warm. Is this normal or should I get a heavier dutier one? I jus don't want a fire

Always better to have a heavy duty cord. Alot of cords are cheap China versions. How many Watts are you running through the cord?

If you have heat than you have resistance, and you never want enough resistance to create heat in an extension cord. Whatever you have plugged in might begin recieving wonkey current or voltage. I wouldn't bet my bulb's life on a cheap extension cord XD

It can also be a loose old wall socket or whatever that needs to be replaced, if you already have a heavy enough cord and it still gets hot.

Feel if the receptacle itself is hot.

Try to use the shortest and thickest most heavy duty one you can find. The length of the cord adds resistance which can cause it to start to heat up and yes, it is a fire hazard so you want to pay attention to that..

Agreed. Go as big as you can and as short as you can. I tried to light a couple 400 watters once with a 100' cord, and almost started a fire.lol

yea i tried using some 50' cords because they were on sale for $5 a piece at ace but i felt them and they got pretty warm. voltage isnt what matter it's how many amps you got running through it. a medium duty cord is usually rated at around 13-15 amps 1600-1800 watts will equal around 13-15 amps but still be careful using long cable for your lights because it will get hot. if you can put lights on a different circuit than everything else. invest in a decent power supply and extension cords. its the most important part of your setup and youll be thankful that you don't have to stick your power supply behind your grow tent or run awkward cables around making a safety hazard. if you need to run cable along the ground a good way to keep from tripping or stepping on it is to ad a small mat or carpet with a rubber bottom. dont lay any cloths next to connections or plugs!

some good info in herethat i didnt know, glad i checked it out. my cords too get warm near the plug. also my extension cord is 50 feet lol. i am adding a light soon so i need to get on a different breaker i think.

rzza said:

some good info in herethat i didnt know, glad i checked it out. my cords too get warm near the plug. also my extension cord is 50 feet lol. i am adding a light soon so i need to get on a different breaker i think.

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ye im running a couple 50 footer also but i wouldn't recommend it unless you have to or if its all you have at the moment. but i would definitely try to buy some shorter ones 15' seems to be a good length

Shit. I need to use long cords cuz the outlets in my grow room r hooker to a breaker that is easily tripped off so I don't wanna chance my bulbs or pumps shutting off. Ya that cord is pretty long

resinraider said:

Shit. I need to use long cords cuz the outlets in my grow room r hooker to a breaker that is easily tripped off so I don't wanna chance my bulbs or pumps shutting off. Ya that cord is pretty long

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I would try to find a 10 gauge cord, they are expensive, but will offer peace of mind. You can find them at Lowes or HD or your local hardware store. A 50' will run you around $50-60.

Thanx guys for the help. I will dish out more money. ;( but hey the cords 60$, piece of mind and saftey priceless

I forgot to ask this when I posted before, but now I'm curious...

What type of light were you running that cord to?