A portable cord (also known as portable cordage, flexible cord, or extension cord) is a

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

with multiple conductors used for temporary electrical power connections requiring flexibility. The cord can be employed in a range of applications, such as operating

motors An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power g ...

in small and large tools, equipment, power extensions,

home appliances A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation. Appliances are divided into three ty ...

, and

machinery A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecule ...

Description

Portable cords may be used in commercial, industrial and residential applications. Some are used on job sites where resistance to

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

, chemicals, and abrasion is essential in extreme environments – both the heat and the cold, outside or inside. Additionally, some portable cords can be

water-resistant Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resisting the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet environme ...

or water-submersible. Portable cords are commonly used in a range of facilities, such as construction sites, mills, mines, sports complexes, or even

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

s. Although the construction of a portable cord varies depending on the type, a standard cord has at least two stranded copper conductors sized between #18 and #2 American wire gauge (AWG). The copper stranding,

insulation Insulation may refer to: Thermal * Thermal insulation, use of materials to reduce rates of heat transfer ** List of insulation materials ** Building insulation, thermal insulation added to buildings for comfort and energy efficiency *** Insulated ...

, and outer jacket directly influence the physical properties of the cord and its permitted uses.

Types

A variety of portable cords, differing in styles, lengths, and thicknesses exists in the marketplace. Common types include Type SJT, SVT, SEOW, SJ, SJOW, SJOOW, SO, and SOW, each designed for specific applications. A portable cord is usually made of

thermoset In materials science, a thermosetting polymer, often called a thermoset, is a polymer that is obtained by irreversibly hardening (" curing") a soft solid or viscous liquid prepolymer (resin). Curing is induced by heat or suitable radiation and ...

polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...

, thermoplastic

elastomer An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (i.e. both viscosity and elasticity) and with weak intermolecular forces, generally low Young's modulus and high failure strain compared with other materials. The term, a portmanteau of ''elastic p ...

, or

thermoplastic A thermoplastic, or thermosoft plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling. Most thermoplastics have a high molecular weight. The polymer chains associate ...

. Thermoset cords have heavy-duty-grade rubber jackets, are extremely sturdy and oil-resistant, and may remain flexible over a temperature range of . Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) cords have medium-duty thermoplastic elastomer jackets and perform well in cold conditions down to . Thermoplastic cords typically have an extruded plastic PVC jacket, and are intended for light-duty use, typically in a temperature range of .

Letter codes

In the United States, letter codes have been defined by

Underwriters Labs The UL enterprise is a global safety science company headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, composed of three organizations, UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions. Established in 1894, the UL enterprise was founded a ...

(UL) to describe various attributes and ratings of portable cords. The

Canadian Standards Association The CSA Group (formerly the Canadian Standards Association; CSA) is a standards organization which develops standards in 57 areas. CSA publishes standards in print and electronic form, and provides training and advisory services. CSA is composed ...

(CSA) also has defined similar letter codes, and ongoing standards harmonization should eventually resolve minor differences. *SPT-1 = Service Parallel Thermoplastic, 0.030" Insulation , 18 AWG , 2 or 3 conductors , PVC Insulation , No Jacket , 300 V AC , Indoor Use Only *SPT-2 = Service Parallel Thermoplastic, 0.045" Insulation , 18-16 AWG , 2 or 3 conductors , PVC Insulation , No Jacket , 300 V AC , Indoor Use Only *SPT-3 = Service Parallel Thermoplastic, 0.060" Insulation , 18-10 AWG , 2 or 3 conductors , PVC Insulation , No Jacket , 300 V AC , Indoor Use Only *SVT = Service Vacuum Thermoplastic , 18 or 17 AWG , 2 or 3 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 300 V AC , Light Usage Indoors *SJT = Service Junior Thermoplastic , 18-10 AWG , 2, 3 or 4 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 300 V AC , Hard Usage Indoors *SJTW = SJT, Weather-Resistant , 18-10 AWG , 2, 3 or 4 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 300 V AC , Hard Usage Outdoors *SJTO = SJT, Oil-Resistant Jacket , 18-10 AWG , 2, 3 or 4 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 300 V AC , Hard Usage Indoors *SJTOW = SJT, Oil- & Weather-Resistant Jacket , 18-10 AWG , 2, 3 or 4 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 300 V AC , Hard Usage Outdoors *SJTOOW = SJT, Oil-Resistant Insulation, Oil- & Weather-Resistant Jacket , 18-10 AWG , 2, 3 or 4 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 300 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Outdoors *S = Service , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , Rubber Insulation , Rubber Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Indoors *SO = Service, Oil-Resistant Jacket , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , Rubber Insulation , Neoprene Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Indoors *SOO = Service, Oil-Resistant Insulation & Jacket , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , Rubber Insulation , Neoprene Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Indoors *SOOW = Service, Oil-Resistant Insulation & Jacket, Weather-Resistant , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , Rubber Insulation , Neoprene Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Outdoors *ST = Service Thermoplastic , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Indoors *STW = ST, Weather-Resistant Jacket , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Outdoors *STO = SThermoplastic, Oil-Resistant Jacket , 18-2 AWG , 2 or more conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 600 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Indoors *SRDT = Service Round Dry Thermoplastic (flat or round) , 10-6 AWG , 3 or 4 conductors , PVC Insulation , PVC Jacket , 600 V AC , Electric Range and Dryer Cords *W = Power Supply Cable , 8-4/0 AWG , 2, 3, 4 or 5 conductors , EPDM Insulation , Super Vu-Tron Jacket , 2,000 V AC , Extra Hard Usage Outdoors *S = Severe Service Cord – 600 volts (also 277/480 or 480) – May be utilized in place of SJ or SV in extra-severe service *SJ = Junior Severe Service – 300 volts (also 120 or 120/208 or 120/240 or 240 or 277, but not 277/480) *SVT = Vacuum cleaner cord, or light duty cord *T =

Tinsel Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread, it is called "lametta", and emulates icicles. It was o ...

Cord (only if first letter of code for a portable cord) *T = Thermoplastic (if not first letter of code) *H = Heat Resistant *HH = High Heat Resistant *N =

Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

Outer Jacket Material *E = Elastomer (flexible thermoplastic that looks and feels like rubber) *O = Oil-Resistant Outer Jacket *OO = Oil-Resistant Outer Jacket and Oil-Resistant Interior Insulation *P = Parallel Cord (conductors are not twisted around each other) *V = Vacuum Cord – 300 volts (typically used with vacuum cleaners and other portable cleaning equipment) *W = Weather Resistant (UL approved for indoor and outdoor use) *W = Weather and Water Resistant (CSA approved for indoor and outdoor use)

References

{{reflist Power cables

Description

Types

Letter codes

See also

References