Tip of The Week

September 8, 2007

This week’s tip comes from our “Size Matters” file.

The weather will be cooling off a little in a few weeks and it’s time to get outside and do that last major project of the summer.  This will invariably require the use of man’s, or woman’s, best friend…power tools.  Once you are outside the house power outlets are a little sparser and extension cords become necessary to power your tools.  In order to ensure the best performance and to prevent damage to the motors of your tools please be sure to use the right extension cord.

A cord that is tool small will not carry enough current to the tool which causes diminished performance and in many cases can cause damage to the tool’s motor over a period of time.  In most situations you should use a minimum 14 gauge cord to power your tools.  If you are running a long distance or powering a larger motor (determined by amps) you may want to step up to a 12 gauge cord to make sure the motor gets the power it needs to run at its maximum performance level.  Here are a couple facts to consider when choosing a cord:

• The smaller the number for wire gauge the bigger the wire.
• The bigger the wire the more current it will carry
• Voltage actually drops over distance so if you are running a cord 100 feet it will need to be a bigger gauge.
• Never hook a large gauge cord into a smaller gauge cord.  E.G.  don’t plug a 16 gauge cord into the outlet and then a 12 or 14 gauge cord into it.
• Make sure the outlet you are using is rated correctly.

Thanks for visiting Ask John and Dave.com and we’ll see you on the air,

John and Dave

If you would like to comment on this article or have an idea for our Tip of the Week, contact us at:

questions@askjohnanddave.com