cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Heat resulting from voltage drop?

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
Microwave cable goes (from MW cabinet) through the hole in the MW cabinet wall to the receptacle in the adjacent cabinet. No receptacle in MW cabinet. A straight plug sticking out in my cupboard, not even a flat plug, - how stupid is that?

I'm tidying things up and thinking to put a short 2ft extension cord that has a low profile plug and a cable exiting at 4 o'clock. They don't come in 14 AWG, only 16 AWG.

V-drop @14A will be 0.22V. Correct me if I'm wrong, this is a heater with 0.22*14=2.8W. Seems like nothing to worry?
17 REPLIES 17

RJsfishin
Explorer
Explorer
What does all this have to do w/ coffee ??
Rich

'01 31' Rexall Vision, Generac 5.5k, 1000 watt Honda, PD 9245 conv, 300 watts Solar, 150 watt inv, 2 Cos 6v batts, ammeters, led voltmeters all over the place, KD/sat, 2 Oly Cat heaters w/ ox, and towing a 2012 Liberty, Lowe bass boat, or a Kawi Mule.

westend
Explorer
Explorer
No worries with the proposed extension cord.

Lately, I've started replacing certain existing OEM cords with an IEC receptacle. I can purchase used or new IEC cords for peanuts and they seem to make a better connection.
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton

Golden_HVAC
Explorer
Explorer
Over the length of a 2' long cord, I don't think you could measure the voltage drop with a 12 amp load running through it.

Once I was parked in the pits at the Bowling Green Raceway, and had a #14 extension cord 50' long plugged into a 15 amp receptacle, with no fuses in sight. To that I plugged in a #12 25' cord, then a adapter to my 30 amp 25' extension cord, then my voltage booster, then the RV 25' long cord. From there, some 15' of #15 wire leads to the circuit breaker box, and another 25' leads to and from the inverter/charger with transfer switch.

Anyway while under load of the air conditioner on a 90F day, the voltage dropped to only 108 volts while being boosted by 12 volts! So I double boosted it back up to 115 volts! I can only guess how many amps where going through the #14 cord to the booster, then about 15 amps out of the booster. Voltage into the booster must have been around 92-95 volts?

Anyway the short small cord can work. The microwave will be fine. . .

Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a

Porsche or Country Coach!



If there's a WILL, I want to be in it!



I havn't been everywhere, but it's on my list.

Kangen.com Alkaline water

Escapees.com

Ozlander
Explorer
Explorer
I cord on the microwave is probably 16 gauge.
I would not worry about using the extension.
Ozlander

06 Yukon XL
2001 Trail-Lite 7253

NinerBikes
Explorer
Explorer
Coffee? Where? I'm ready!

RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
2OLDMAN - I thought he was wanting to add a receptacle near the kitchen...

The only large wattage draw would be the coffee pot...

Oh well haha... back to my corner... Momabear has run me off already this morning as well...

If it wasn't misty rain I would head for the firepit at the edge of the woods and hang out...

Sorry bout that chief.... Me done for the day...

Roy Ken
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - Words in CAPS does not mean I am shouting
Roy - Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS

RJsfishin
Explorer
Explorer
2oldman wrote:
How did we get on coffee?

Because some here need some bad !!:)
Rich

'01 31' Rexall Vision, Generac 5.5k, 1000 watt Honda, PD 9245 conv, 300 watts Solar, 150 watt inv, 2 Cos 6v batts, ammeters, led voltmeters all over the place, KD/sat, 2 Oly Cat heaters w/ ox, and towing a 2012 Liberty, Lowe bass boat, or a Kawi Mule.

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
The folks who designed mine put the female plug on the ceiling. So far it has not vibrated out--but what a STUPID design.

You could make your own #12 cord.

You could daisy chain an outlet in the microwave part of the cabinet using surface mount wiring.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
How did we get on coffee?
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
The best kind of coffee pot is one that only brews for less than five minutes then pours up into a thermo carafe... Then all AC power demand is turned off (No long term heating-up of power cord)...

Mine keeps the coffee hot all day long in the thermos carafe...

Roy Ken
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - Words in CAPS does not mean I am shouting
Roy - Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
Almot wrote:
No receptacle in MW cabinet. A straight plug sticking out in my cupboard, not even a flat plug, - how stupid is that?


Cut it off and replace it with a 90 degree angle plug - done, with no need for any adapter of any kind. 🙂
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
1998 Jayco 10UD * 1969 Coleman CT380

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
The design (Plug in next compartment) makes more sense than you can imagine if something goes wrong.

I have even shorter cords I can use. How much tribble 2.8 watts will be I do not know. but that looked like a 3' cord.. and 3' makes it less than 1 watt per foot.
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

DrewE
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have the same basic arrangement in my S&B house: the microwave/hood plugs into an outlet in the cupboard above, and takes up a good bit of otherwise useful space. I've thought about building a little shelf or something to make it less obnoxious, but have not gotten around to it yet.

16 gauge would probably be OK, but marginal. Most extension cords will have labeling on them or their packaging regarding their maximum current ratings, although sometimes disguised slightly as "up to xxxx watts". I think the Home Depot web site (where you were looking at this) usually has that information listed.

RJsfishin
Explorer
Explorer
What in the world is the big deal about the plug on the end of the cord??
Are you going to be able to put one more coffee cup in there ?
There are a few things in my MH that are a lot stupid'er than that.

Otherwise move the receptical into the microwave cabinet, only to find out the MV won't fit! Now that mite make it on my list of stupid stuff :)))
Rich

'01 31' Rexall Vision, Generac 5.5k, 1000 watt Honda, PD 9245 conv, 300 watts Solar, 150 watt inv, 2 Cos 6v batts, ammeters, led voltmeters all over the place, KD/sat, 2 Oly Cat heaters w/ ox, and towing a 2012 Liberty, Lowe bass boat, or a Kawi Mule.