The use of OUTDOORS extension cords

[ZEROPILOT]

I use extension cords outside to provide electricity to areas where there is none available.
I start with the heaviest gauge wired cords I can find and place the junctions (plugs) in waterproof boxes. These outdoors cords hold up to Florida's harsh sunshine very well. They last at least 6 years each.
Care must be taken to not allow the cord to be anywhere that a curious tortoise won't be able to bite it. This cord operates a timer and just one 50 watt CHE inside that night box.

The second cord, I've enclosed inside some PVC pipe and buried it Underground. This cord powers two small pump motors that operate two large fish ponds.
I expect this cord to operate safely for a much longer period of time. I'm expecting 10 plus years.
I had a cord going overhead along a trellis before this. It wasn't ideal.
These heavy duty cords cost more money. But they handle the power and last so much longer that in the end, they justify the purchase.
There is just so much that needs attention in my yard and there are so few days that I'm able to perform any of it.

 

[jeff kushner]

A lot of folks recoil at the thought of cords but buy a prepackaged meal. To me, it's portable electricity! You were smart to get the heavy gauge to lower the resistance to the amp draw. Those also look like Nema 4 waterproof boxes. I know you've been battling stuff but it looks like you did good work with these. The general problem with cords outside isn't the runs of wire but the joints of course. Do you get a corrosion issue inside the boxes?

 

[wellington]

Outside weather proof power cords are a must if you have lots of things needing to be plugged in. I always have one running to chicken coop for the water heater. I'm not busting ice every day and changing out water when a bucket heater is available. Most of my cords plug in under my back porch so no worry there about the snow or rain. However in the coop I use a plastic shoe box with a hole in each end. The two cords plug into each other within the box.

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

I am not an electrician by trade but I have learned over the years for my brother who is one that extension cords should not be used as permanent because they are a fire hazard. Also an extension cords should not be run through conduits because they will build up heat.

That said I’m not trying to run down what you have done at all. You have clearly done extra work to make what you have work well.

Just wanted to be sure people reading this are aware it’s best to fallow codes for safety reasons.

( spoken by a guy who once had the fire department call me at work to inform me my tortoise house burned down and they were at my house)

I hope this is taken the way it’s intended no shade just info

 

[Tom]

I am not an electrician by trade but I have learned over the years for my brother who is one that extension cords should not be used as permanent because they are a fire hazard. Also an extension cords should not be run through conduits because they will build up heat.

That said I’m not trying to run down what you have done at all. You have clearly done extra work to make what you have work well.

Just wanted to be sure people reading this are aware it’s best to fallow codes for safety reasons.

( spoken by a guy who once had the fire department call me at work to inform me my tortoise house burned down and they were at my house)

I hope this is taken the way it’s intended no shade just info

I've hired electricians and dug trenches to get power near where the tortoise houses are going to sit, but I still need an extension cord to get power into the box. Are you saying I should have an outlet hardwired into the boxes?

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

I've hired electricians and dug trenches to get power near where the tortoise houses are going to sit, but I still need an extension cord to get power into the box. Are you saying I should have an outlet hardwired into the boxes?

It is best if the thermostat can plug directly in to the outlet. Be that hard wired in to the box or just near enough that the thermostat cord can reach out side the box to it. If an extension cord must be used use a cord that is the right length. And heavy duty Cords with larger wire size are important.
So sounds to me like you have run yours like I’ve been told is the best way we can

 

[jeff kushner]

To me anyway, Norcal is correct of course and in a perfect world we would all do things that way.

I'm really not up for reading how someone's little guys got fried when a ext cord fell into a pond and wasn't correctly grounded but I've also traveled to 27 of 35 countries in this hemisphere and holy God almighty, you should see what people make do with......pure ingenuity! Whole shack villages, maybe 15 or so all powered by a single "dollar store" brown cord coming off the power pole....stolen power of course is the norm for the poor most everywhere else south of us and they are experts at it. I heard my friends aghast at seeing it, I applauded their tenacity and ingenuity......."smart " isn't always born rich or educated, it's everywhere if you can spot it!

When my old wife Peg's granddad was sick, the family asked my to inspect his workshop and pack tools etc......the guy was LUCKY to have not killed him & his wife in a fire!

I understand poor because I was once.....lots of us are, no big deal.....you just use friends tossaways, you look at everything on the side of the road, you go dumpster diving and have fun doing it(I might still enjoy doing that "treasure hunt" but getting in & out is a bit tougher)and you work to not be poor if you can.

I also understand stupid....bare extension cords, the old cloth-covered ones with insulation long gone, bare wires held apart by a piece of paper stuck between to insulate it, 10-15 instances of it all over a dry attic workshop ...... from what I've seen here on this forum, we sure don't have much "stupid" here so I have faith that folks will be careful.

fwiw;
Spending the extra money to get quality, low gauged(heavier) cords is one of those rare things where you really do get what you pay for imho.

Pro Tip;
I also shop the heck out of stuff......so I use Startpage home/work/phone instead of google so I'm not inundated with ad's of things I have looked at when I want to read the news.

 

[dd33]

@NorCal tortoise guy is right. Extension cords are not rated to be buried or installed inside conduits. They are strictly for temporarily powering something. Not to say they wouldn't work when used that way but if you had some kind of accident you may wind up with an issue with your insurance company and if you were a business you would be fined ~$10,000 per cord if you had an OSHA inspection.

 

[Tom]

It is best if the thermostat can plug directly in to the outlet. Be that hard wired in to the box or just near enough that the thermostat cord can reach out side the box to it. If an extension cord must be used use a cord that is the right length. And heavy duty Cords with larger wire size are important.
So sounds to me like you have run yours like I’ve been told is the best way we can

I go with the shortest 12 gauge cord that will reach. I also started burying them from the outlet to the side of the box too. Its been working for far for me, but I want to learn if I'm making a dangerous mistake due to ignorance.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A lot of folks recoil at the thought of cords but buy a prepackaged meal. To me, it's portable electricity! You were smart to get the heavy gauge to lower the resistance to the amp draw. Those also look like Nema 4 waterproof boxes. I know you've been battling stuff but it looks like you did good work with these. The general problem with cords outside isn't the runs of wire but the joints of course. Do you get a corrosion issue inside the boxes?

No
I seal the covers and the cord inlet and outlet with liberal globs of liquid silicone rubber. When I took these apart, everything was like new.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I go with the shortest 12 gauge cord that will reach. I also started burying them from the outlet to the side of the box too. Its been working for far for me, but I want to learn if I'm making a dangerous mistake due to ignorance.

That's more or less also why I put this post up. In case I overlooked something.
The way the cords are set up is the way that they have been for quite a while. With the difference being the one going underground instead of being overhead in the sunlight. And with just one CHE instead of two. Because I've removed one of my night houses.
One cord feeds a single 50 watt che on a timer. But is inactive about 325 days a year. The other cord powers two 800 gph BECKET pond water pumps. These run 24/7.
Both cords are 12/3 gauge.
The power that feeds the cords from the house is a dedicated line with a GFI outlet. Also waterproofed.
My biggest concern was the UV degrading of the outer cord material.
I've never considered anything else since the electronic devices they power don't use a lot of energy.

For that matter, my "Main" fish pond. The one in my back patio area is also on an extension cord. Also a 12/3. I replaced it last year because it was about 6 or 7 years old. But fully protected from the sun and rain.
That one is also fed from a dedicated GFI outlet. My original concern there was for a malfunctioning pump motor. It has never happened. But that's why I used that outlet.

Why is stranded copper extension cord wire not as "good" as stranded copper wire when nstalled in a conduit? If the wire diameter is the same.
We're not talking about Dollar Store cords and high draw electronics.
I'm no longer feeling that safe.

 

[jaizei]

That's more or less also why I put this post up. In case I overlooked something.
The way the cords are set up is the way that they have been for quite a while. With the difference being the one going underground instead of being overhead in the sunlight. And with just one CHE instead of two. Because I've removed one of my night houses.
One cord feeds a single 50 watt che on a timer. But is inactive about 325 days a year. The other cord powers two 800 gph BECKET pond water pumps. These run 24/7.
Both cords are 12/3 gauge.
The power that feeds the cords from the house is a dedicated line with a GFI outlet. Also waterproofed.
My biggest concern was the UV degrading of the outer cord material.
I've never considered anything else since the electronic devices they power don't use a lot of energy.

For that matter, my "Main" fish pond. The one in my back patio area is also on an extension cord. Also a 12/3. I replaced it last year because it was about 6 or 7 years old. But fully protected from the sun and rain.
That one is also fed from a dedicated GFI outlet. My original concern there was for a malfunctioning pump motor. It has never happened. But that's why I used that outlet.

Why is stranded copper extension cord wire not as "good" as stranded copper wire when nstalled in a conduit? If the wire diameter is the same.
We're not talking about Dollar Store cords and high draw electronics.
I'm no longer feeling that safe.

I don't use extension cords for anything 'permanent', and wouldn't suggest it but...

With it installed in a conduit like you have it, its not 'dangerous' per se . If theres a problem that could have caused a fire, it'll self extinguish in the conduit. It's not right and I prob wouldn't do it since it seems like more work to use a cord & have to think about replacing it every few years, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Also having it plugged into a gfci vs hardwired introduces additional fail points.

The stranded copper in cords is different than stranded building wire; finer strands for flexibility. It also means the conductors are more susceptible to damage (individual strands breaking). Know how every appliance says to not unplug by yanking on cord? This is one of the reasons why.

With extension cords, you don't know what type of strain has been placed on it from manufacture to after being pulled thru conduit. When being used temporarily, the idea is that it'll be 'inspected' when being rolled out and used under supervision. So any problems (discoloration, changes in 'feel' of insulation) can be observed.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I don't use extension cords for anything 'permanent', and wouldn't suggest it but...

With it installed in a conduit like you have it, its not 'dangerous' per se . If theres a problem that could have caused a fire, it'll self extinguish in the conduit. It's not right and I prob wouldn't do it since it seems like more work to use a cord & have to think about replacing it every few years, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Also having it plugged into a gfci vs hardwired introduces additional fail points.

The stranded copper in cords is different than stranded building wire; finer strands for flexibility. It also means the conductors are more susceptible to damage (individual strands breaking). Know how every appliance says to not unplug by yanking on cord? This is one of the reasons why.

With extension cords, you don't know what type of strain has been placed on it from manufacture to after being pulled thru conduit. When being used temporarily, the idea is that it'll be 'inspected' when being rolled out and used under supervision. So any problems (discoloration, changes in 'feel' of insulation) can be observed.

Thank you. That's just the information I was curious about.
(The wire type)