Office frig says no extension cord. Why?


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Old 04-20-18, 12:59 AM
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Office frig says no extension cord. Why?

I have a small office refrigerator. The tag attached to the plug says do not use an extension cord. That seems odd to me. Maybe what they REALLY mean is use an extension cord that is rated to handle the power that the frig will draw. It says it draws 0.8 amps.
 
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Old 04-20-18, 01:16 AM
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Lawyers are probably involved in that warning. How far are you from the nearest receptacle? If installed to code it should be no more than six feet to the nearest receptacle.
 
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Old 04-20-18, 02:45 AM
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A short appliance cord will probably be ok. How far from the receptacle is it?
 
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Old 04-20-18, 04:46 AM
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Extension cords are only to be used for temporary and are not to replace permanent wiring. If you need a receptacle closer you should add one.

On extension cords: Many people will buy the cheapest extension cords they can find not knowing that they only contain 16 ga wires. depending the length of the cord it can cause voltage drop issues depending on the load.
 
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Old 04-21-18, 08:26 PM
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I need to run an extension cord 20 feet to this office refrigerator. Otherwise I could set this refrigerator up in the bedroom but my Air BnB guests might not be able to sleep with this thing running. I guess they could shut it off if it bothers them and they're not using it.
Is a LONGER extension cord more likely to heat up and fail?
BTW I'm looking at the cord that's part of this refrigerator. How is IT not a hazard if cords are hazardous?
 
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Old 04-21-18, 08:33 PM
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I need to run an extension cord 20 feet from this office refrigerator as part of an Air BnB rental space.
There should be a outlet within 6 feet if the building was properly built.

Is a LONGER extension cord more likely to heat up and fail?
Other than a possible physical damages, no.
Longer extension cords with a thin wires can cause a voltage drop and cause your refrigerator to fail. If you use really cheap and thin extension cords, then it may also over heat.

If you use a quality 14AWG or 12AWG extension cord, it is very unlikely you will have any safety hazard or failures, but it still is illegal due to the fact they are made for temporary uses only.
 
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Old 04-22-18, 02:47 AM
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If you need a 20' extension cord you'd be better off running a new receptacle!
 
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Old 04-22-18, 05:14 AM
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Please install a receptacle at the point of use for the refrigerator .
 
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Old 04-22-18, 06:49 AM
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I agree with pcboss install an outlet at the point of use.
 
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Old 04-22-18, 08:02 AM
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Geez! It's only one of those little office refrigerators. Just use a heavy duty extension cord not much longer than you need. Run it where no one will trip on it (to protect the food). As far as the "6 foot code" there are many buildings/houses the predate the requirement.
 
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Old 04-22-18, 08:31 AM
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Like Pat says "Geez!". Just good a good quality cord that is at least 14 gauge and if you want overkill get 12 gauge and be done with it. Most important thing is keep the cord out of the way so it doesn't get stepped on or pinched.

skeeter
 
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Old 04-22-18, 10:09 AM
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Otherwise I could set this refrigerator up in the bedroom but my Air BnB guests might not be able to sleep with this thing running. I guess they could shut it off if it bothers them and they're not using it.
almost every hotel room I stay at, has a refer in the room. These tend to be very quiet, since they have no cond. fan running.

but "why does the tag say no ext. cord?"; because they don't want to see the unit come back for a warranty claim with a seized compressor if some loser used a 50' 18awg cord.
 
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Old 04-22-18, 12:51 PM
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Other than a possible physical damages, no.
Longer extension cords with a thin wires can cause a voltage drop and cause your refrigerator to fail. If you use really cheap and thin extension cords, then it may also over heat.

If you use a quality 14AWG or 12AWG extension cord, it is very unlikely you will have any safety hazard or failures, but it still is illegal due to the fact they are made for temporary uses only.
Thanks for the explanation.
Well I'm "temporarily" renting a room and bath for the summer. I think I'll look to move the frig to a closet that's closer to an outlet. It will be louder. Maybe that will save me some $$ because guests will likely turn off the frig so they can sleep better.

BTW what about microwave ovens? Do they have this same problem with extension cords?
 
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Old 04-22-18, 12:51 PM
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Originally Posted by AndyRooney
". . . Office frig says no extension cord. Why? . . .
Manufacturers have to gear their instructions to the level of the Lowest Common Denominator and as we dumb down America, that level continues to get pretty low.
 
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Old 04-23-18, 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by AndyRooney
...BTW what about microwave ovens? Do they have this same problem with extension cords?
A properly sized extension cord is electrically no different than the wire leading to a new receptacle. The problem is consumers using undersized wire for the amperage demand and hazards with loose wire, in a kitchen, i.e. The amperage for microwaves is typically much higher than an office refrigerator.
 
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Old 04-23-18, 10:43 AM
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A properly sized extension cord is electrically no different than the wire leading to a new receptacle.
But extension cord wire is stranded while house wire is solid - doesn't that make a difference ??
 
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Old 04-23-18, 10:58 AM
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Extension cords and portable outlet strips add risk to an install in a few ways. there is another ground connection that adds shock risk. Take a 6 outlet strip. If the first ground connection is lost, it affects everything downstream plugged into the strip. If you had a 6 way strip feeding another 6 way strip, the problem compounds.
There is an "uncontrolled" connection point that adds shock risk, since a wall outlet is now not the connection point, but is very likely to be on the floor, where it is subject to water spills, abrasion, metal furniture legs, etc.

At some point, the UL and NEC's say, enough is enough. We determine that more than one outlet strip in use is not safe enough, same with "permanent" extension cords.
This goes beyond wire gauge.
 
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Old 04-23-18, 05:26 PM
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But extension cord wire is stranded while house wire is solid - doesn't that make a difference ??
Stranded vs solid wire doesn't really matter here. If wires are the same gauge, they have same capacity. In fact, stranded wire has slightly less resistance with AC because the electricity moves on the surface and stranded wire has more surface area compared to the solid wire. But this is neglectable for household wiring.
Stranded wires are used in the conduits all the time as well.

I have seen some very cheap extension cords use CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). It does work, but usually more fragile.
 
 

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