SF Cable Blog - Get Expert Tips & Advice on Cables & AccessoriesIn our blog, we educate customers on the various types of cables, components and accesscories for computer, laptops and mobiles. Find More Blog
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SF Cable Blog - Get Expert Tips & Advice on Cables & AccessoriesIn our blog, we educate customers on the various types of cables, components and accesscories for computer, laptops and mobiles. Find More Blog
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Have you ever been to some serious cable shopping? If yes, you must remember the feeling of being engulfed by wires and overwhelmed by terminologies and acronyms. Whether you make your purchase online or offline, it is very important to recognize the power cables that you are about to use. In case the data cabling is improper or you make use of a wrong power cord, it can lead to accidents.
Thankfully, several regulations and documentations help us figure out that we choose the right cord and keep the damages and injuries at bay. NEMA power cord – standardized by National Electrical Manufacturers Association is one such examples of authentic electricity product. So, how do you deal with different power cords? What points should you keep in mind before buying one for yourself? Let us look into it: Commissions That Regulate Power Cord Connections in North America Before we get into the which, why, or how part of buying cables, let us acquaint ourselves with the entities that set the regulatory standards for different power cords. The two major ones that regulate power cord connections are: 1.NEMA NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturers Association. The association manufactures equipment which transmits and distributes electricity. They also collect and analyze data to make sure that all the electrical equipment is consistent and secure to use. You must have heard of NEMA power cords, most of these power cords are accepted by IEC and are found in several American homes. 2.IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) This organization provides the international standards which control the connection between equipment. It ensures that the global compliance of these equipment transforms to compatibility. Power Cords: The Common Terminology Voltage: This is the most commonly used term and depicts the amount of force behind the electrons and how fast the electrons move in the circuit. Amperage (amp): It depicts the number of electrons that move in the circuit and the amount of electricity it entails. What Parameters Should You Consider Before Choosing a Power Cord? There are 3 major attributes you should be aware of before buying a power cord: 1.Connectors 2.Length 3.Gauge For knowing about the connectors in detail, you can check out the maps given by different companies. Here is how you decide on the gauge and length of the power cords. Understanding the Gauge/Length Now, the gauge is nothing but the diameter of the cable. It decides the resistance of the cable as well as its carrying capacity. When it come measuring the unit of thickness, the AWG; also known as American Wire Gauge is often used. The smaller the number is, the thicker the wire would be. Concluding... We hope that the above-given information will help you in selecting the right cord for your utility. Before you end up buying one for yourself, make sure that you checkout different websites online and speak with the experts about your requirements. Once you get clarity on that, you would be able to make your purchase better.
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The plug and socket are something that we have used a million times in our lives. The plug and socket have been a historical discovery. Today we plug different types of electrical appliances in the socket easily without much risk. However, has it always been so simple and safe? No.
In earlier times, people use to plug in electrical appliances with mere open-ended wires. Sometimes even with incompatible plugs! Today almost each country in the world uses its specific standards for plugs, sockets, and power cords. So how is the installation of electrical appliances in the sockets today with negligible risks?
Answer is simple!
Using Power Cords. Power cords are the line cable or mains cable. It is this cable, which bears the burden of temporarily connecting a portable electronic appliance with the main electrical supply line. It makes this possible by the attached pair of connecting couplers on its either ends.
These connector power cords are detachable from the mains supply line and the Electrical appliances. Power cord is a flexible and an insulated conductor having one male and one female connector attached at its either end. All these power cords and its coupler designing by the manufacturers across the globe are on the preset standards set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
NEMA
Back in 1926, the establishment of National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) in North America took place. It developed NEMA 1 connector. Today NEMA power cords are in use all over North America and in countries, which have specified the NEMA standards. Other countries have created their own set of power plug standards. It can destroy the appliances, if these are in use with unmatched power supply.
NEMA Power Cords
A basic NEMA connector has two pins or flat prongs, which are almost 5 inches apart from each other; it is the NEMA type 1. If it also consists of a round pin or prong right below the two flat prongs, NEMA type 5 is its name. A “grounded plug” uses a third pin for grounding purposes.
Safety Measures
There are many variants of the NEMA plugs available in the United States and North America but NEMA type 1 & type 5 are the most common among them. Some NEMA plugs undergo polarization. These plugs need a special attention when plugged in the socket.
If not installed in a specifically instructed manner, it can destroy the appliance. To avoid this kind of an accident, its design is such that the specific prong of the plug fills a specific hole of the socket. Hence, these types of NEMA plugs have two flat pins of unequal length.
Classification
The main classification of NEMA devices includes straight blade and locking. In the household consumer goods consisting of electrical appliances, Straight blade is evident. The locking NEMA power cord is in use for the major industrial applications.
Straight blade has a design such that detaches it swiftly and the latter has a design such that it does not detach easily from the receptacle. A receptacle is a device mounted on an electrical appliance where the external power cord attaches.
The curve blade of the locking type of NEMA cord allows the plug to entwine and lock into the receptacle. The letter L preceding the NEMA code identifies the locking conductor.
The rate at which technology is expanding, it isn’t a surprise on how people have started imagining things that only sounded like magic till now. But where’s the line that separates this imagination? What is rational and what is to be deemed as ‘too demanding’ for the contemporary world and its inventions?
Talking of technology, the world today can easily be termed as the ‘gadget world’, given the astonishingly high rates at which gadgets are being developed, manufactured, and ultimately exploited by the end users. Electronic products like iec320 power cords are still very much in demand. So, we have everything up to date, working at lightning speed than where’s the scope for a hope? What about gadgets without cables to provide them power or charge them? Sounds dreamy and convenient at the same time, doesn’t it? Let’s try to understand if that’s possible, and if yes, how and when?
How far are we?
Though it seems to be a too demanding debate, but it’s not something that has just been articulated. Many of the researchers are already working towards realizing this dream future without cables and power cords.
Companies like Samsung, Apple, and Dell have already achieved some success here with Samsung already in the market with wireless charging phones, Dell’s latest wireless laptop, and Apple planning an iPhone with wireless charging and others are to follow soon as well. But as big the task is, the transition won’t be sudden and definitely not easy.
Wires v/s Wireless
The wireless scheme sure sounds to be trendy, but with the development till now, the consumer reviews aren’t very favorable. Samsung had been one of the first players in the market to launch a wireless charging phone but users admit to going back to wires once the wireless charging craze subsides. The reason being the time it takes for wireless charging. Since it’s still in its developing phase, wireless charging (for now using power mats) takes a lot of time as compared to charging with power cords.
Even for other gadgets and electrical appliances, NEMA 5-15 to C13 power cords work better and faster than alternative techniques developed till now.
Limitations
Let’s still suppose wireless is more convenient but how wireless is it actually? Going wireless means charging your phone and laptop from a power mat that charges gadgets by creating a magnetic field around it. But for it to function, it needs to be plugged into a power source as well. So it’s not like you are actually going wireless. Instead you will now have to carry the power mat in addition to the cables.
Conclusion
As what can be concluded from reviews of the current definition of ‘wireless’ and the ongoing developments, it seems there’s quite some time for the wireless technology to surface and compete with the already available options. The wireless future isn’t immediate and the transition will take its own pace, taking baby steps, one at a time. What do you think? Can you imagine the future without NEMA power cords? Share with us.
NEMA power are used domestic AC electrical appliances most in North America and other countries which follow the NEMA standards. SF Cable is a leading retailers of cables and cords online and stocks a wide variety of NEMA power cords as well. Our collection includes NEMA 1-15 Power Cords, NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C13 Power Cords, NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C15 Power Cords, NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C19 Power Cords, NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C5 Power Cords, NEMA 5-15P to NEMA 5-15R Power Cords Extension, C14 to NEMA 5-15 power cords, NEMA 5-20 Power Cords, NEMA 6-15 Power Cords, NEMA 6-20 Power Cords, NEMA L5-15 Locking Power Cords, NEMA L5-20 Locking Power Cords and NEMA L6-20 Locking Power Cords. We source all these power cords directly from the manufacturers to eliminate the middlemen charges and offer quality products at competitive prices. All our products are environment friendly. We also provide good after sales service and lifetime technical support on all our cable products. Different Types of NEMA Power Cords There is an array of plugs offered by NEMA and there often is a confusion regarding which one is the best. Here’s a brief overview of these power cords and their types. Standard North American Power Cords The standard North American Power Cords come with two, three, four or five prongs. Out of these NEMA power cords, plugs with two or three prongs are most popular. These plugs fit with every standard wall outlet of Canada and United States. Most of these configurations include 5-15, 5-20, 6-15 and 6-20. Hospital Grade Power Cords Power cords that are utilized in hospital must meet certain standards and requirements set by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL conducts rigorous testing on these cords to approve its durability and conductivity. These NEMA plugs are embossed with green dot which depict the trademark of hospital based UL cords. Locking NEMA Plugs The Locking NEMA plugs are used for high voltage requirements. These plugs are usually rated upto 30A and 60V. The locking NEMA plugs are mostly used for industrial and commercial applications. As they come with a lock that can be twisted, they remain connected even while undertaking the toughest jobs at commercial, industrial and construction sites. NEMA L6 The NEMA L6 Plugs are used when it comes to using heavy-duty equipment like welders, wherein the supply voltage is 240 V. NEMA L6 connectors are rated for 250 V. These L6 connectors do not offer a neutral connection. Based on the phase, these plugs are used for two-pole, three wire hot-hot-ground circuits having a supply of of 240 or 208 V. NEMA 10 NEMA 10 connectors are rarely used now but were quite popular at some point of time in the US for using with kitchen ranges and laundry dryers. They fall into the 125/250 V (hot-hot-neutral) category and were used in a way which indirectly grounds the frame of the appliance. NEMA 5-15P The NEMA 5-15P plug is used to power the household electronic items like microwaves, air conditioners, refrigerators etc. These plugs come in an array of shapes, widths, dimensions, voltages and current capacity. NEMA 5-15R is a standardized 15 electrical outlet which is mostly found in Canada, United States and Mexico. You can also find other plug types in this series that are suitable for heavy-duty applications. NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C13 Power Cords SF Cable stocks a wide variety of NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C13 Power cords. Our stock includes over 75 such power cords including standard power cords, various international cords following NEMA standards, angle power cords, ultra low profile angled cords, both sides angled cords, universal hospital grade cords, shielded standard power cords, etc. These power cords come in different colors and lengths and you can select the most appropriate as per your requirement. SF Cable is a one stop destination for all your cables and cords requirements. We provide high quality NEMA 5-15 to IEC 320 C13 Power cords at low prices by sourcing them directly from ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturers.
Above mentioned are some of the most commonly used NEMA Power cords. You can get more information about each of these by reading through manuals about their application. Make sure you use the right one for the right purpose. |
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