Can you run an air conditioner with an extension cord? Do you have any idea about this matter? If not then don’t worry because I have got you covered.
An extension cord is an important part of the air cooling system. Everybody should know how an extension cord works with the air cooling system. It can be useful for you in many ways, not only for your system. That is why everybody should have some basic idea about this cord. The work of it is to connect it with the main cable if its cable falls short.
Electrical-related things are already complicated these days. But if you think about it carefully then you will know that it is not that challenging. In fact, if you can learn to work with it your life will be much easier than you can’t even imagine.
We know that nothing beats the feeling of going back to a fancy house. The air conditioning unit is an essential component of any home and consumes a significant portion of the budget for must-have home products. Making the appropriate decision is critical since it affects our home’s cooling, comfort, and energy usage. Sometimes we use an extension cord with our air conditioner but we have to be careful regarding the use of an air conditioner with an extension cord.
Therefore, let’s learn these things today. Let’s find out how you can even run an air cooling system with an extension cord, and if this method is useful or not.
I really hope this article will help you to clear any kind of confusion you have regarding this matter. So, without delaying any more time let us start our main discussion.
Can You Run an Air Conditioner With an Extension Cord?
You can function your air conditioner with a long-lasting 12 or 14 meters extension cord.
What Is An Air Conditioner?
An air conditioner is a device that removes heat from a room and transports it to an outside location to cool it down. As well as the act of removing heat and managing the humidity of air in an enclosed room to generate a more comfortable indoor atmosphere using powered “air conditioners” or a variety of other ways, such as passive cooling and ventilative cooling, is known as air conditioning.
The airflow can then be circulated throughout a structure via ventilation. Entropy would begin to diminish if air conditioners did not require some infusion of work to operate. Air conditioners work in a similar way as heat pumps, however, they use a cooling cycle.
What Are The Types Of Air Conditioners?
If we talk about the types of air conditioners then there are various sorts of air conditioners, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Basically on the market today, there are eight different types of air conditioning units available on the market.
Each type of air conditioner is made for a certain place and serves a specific purpose. So, you just have to choose which one is suitable for you. The following are the various types of air conditioners:
- Central Air Conditioner
- Ductless Mini-Split
- Window Air Conditioner
- Portable Air Conditioner
- Floor Mounted AC
- Hybrid / Dual Fuel Air Conditioner
- Smart Air Conditioner Geothermal Air Conditioner
What Are The Important Factors Of An Air Conditioner?
Factors play a crucial role in terms of buying an air conditioner. You can never buy an air conditioner based on its look. Because if you want a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in your house then you have to keep one thing in your mind that if the air conditioner is suitable for you. The following is a list of four crucial factors to consider when choosing the best type of air conditioner for home:
- Budget
- Energy Consumption
- Space Requirements &
- Maintenance Cooling Power
What Is An Extension Cord?
A flexible electrical power wire with a plug on one end and one or more sockets on the other is known as an extension cord or extension lead. The phrase is most commonly used to describe mains extensions, but it can also apply to extensions for other forms of cabling.
If the primary cable isn’t long enough, an extension cord is utilized to connect the cord to the outlet. The length and kind of outlet plug on extension cords vary. They can range in size from two feet to one hundred feet in length. It’s critical to select the appropriate cord size for the task at hand.
Read more: Can A Portable Air Conditioner Be Recharged? (Explained!)
How To Use An Air Conditioner With An Extension Cord?
We can use a typical quarter-inch thick extension cable with our air conditioner, however, when used with a high-voltage device like an air conditioner, the extension cord will become hot around the terminal ends of the cord while the appliance is on. It’s a fire hazard if the wire gets too hot.
That’s why it is urged that we should not connect an air conditioner to an extension cord. Heavy-duty extension cords are designed primarily for major equipment like air conditioners. Shorter cords with smaller gauges and greater amp ratings should be used.
Because regular extension cords can’t withstand as much energy as permanent wire, using one to plug in an air conditioner can cause the cord to overheat and catch fire. They’ll assist us in choosing a secure cord. If we live in a cooler climate, we may not even need an air conditioner to keep our home cool.
Although a window air conditioner should be positioned near enough to an outlet for the cord to reach, we can utilize an extension cord for the new device if you need urgent respite from the heat. Extension cords should only be used with an air conditioner for short periods of time.
Is It Safe To Use An Extension Cord?
An extension cord is used mainly because if the main cord falls small. If you think your air conditioner needs an extension cord you can use one temporarily but, in that case, you have to be careful about fire hazards.
If your air conditioner unit passes more than 7.50 amps of electricity then do not use an extension cord less than 12 or 14 gauge cables. You will find many stores where they sell extension cord that is designed for the air conditioner, buy those for your air conditioner to live in a safe environment.
What Do You Need To Keep In Your Mind While Buying An Extension Cord?
If you are thinking of buying an extension cord then don’t buy a larger length cord thinking that will be beneficial for you more. Keep one thing in mind, in terms of extension cord, that is, a small length cord can take more current than a longer cord.
So, if you are going to connect it with an air conditioner you already know that the air conditioner draws a lot of currents which a larger length cord can’t handle like a smaller length cord.
What Gauge Extension Cord Do I Need For The Air Conditioner?
Using an extension cord for your air conditioner can sound familiar. But the problem arises when you go to buy one. Because which length gauge would be beneficial for you, you don’t know that.
For your convenience, you should know the minimum length extension cord that is required for an air conditioner that is 14 gauge. But you already know that the smaller the cord is the better because it can handle more amps. So, let’s look at what cord can handle how many amps:
- 16 gauge- 10 amps
- 14 gauge- 10 to 15 amps
- 12 gauge- 10 to 15 amps
Conclusion
To conclude, using an extension cord with a portable air conditioner is not recommended. To utilize new equipment, we may require a dedicated 15 or 20 amp outlet. It’s also dangerous if we connect it in and it trips a circuit breaker, which indicates an overload.
As per the instructions of air conditioner brands, “To avoid a fire hazard or electric shock, use caution. Use a power strip instead of an extension cord or an adaptor plug.”
Can You Run an Air Conditioner With an Extension Cord? I guess you have got your answer by now. I am very pleased to clear out your confusion. I hope my article was helpful for you.
So, from now on don’t worry about the extension cord. Because you already know which one works for the air conditioner. Therefore, if you own an extension core whose gauge is between 12 or 14 then don’t worry because that is the minimum range for an extension cord.
But if you use a longer-length extension cord, please remove it immediately. Because those are dangerous to use on your air conditioner.
