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Question about battery charging
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djsmarinelectronics
Active member
I don't think it matters as long as its rated 110 volts; so any household extension cord should be fine as long as it is 3 prong with a ground.
A major consideration is the length of the extension cord. The longer the cord, the larger the conductors need to be. For instance, if the cord is 10 feet or less, I'd say pretty much any household cord would suffice. But, if the cord is 100 feet or more, I would make damn sure the wire was 10 gauge or larger. An electrical load on a 10 foot cord made up of 18 gauge wire (smallest size commonly found on household cords) is one thing. The same load on a 100 ft cord made up of that same 18 gauge wire will generate too much heat and becomes a safety hazard. When in doubt, get a cord with larger conductors.
Carl Guffey
New member
<font size="3" face="georgia,palatino">Spnplgr is correct,the greater the distance the larger the conductor needs to be. Also consider the ampearage load. A three bank charger should be capable of ten to fifteen amps per bank. So at least 30 to 45 amps could be required at one time. If the required level of power is not reaching the charger overheating and charger damage may result.</font>
djsmarinelectronics
Active member
If you are going to consider amperage, all 3 bank chargers are not the same; some are 15 amps per bank and others are only 5 amps per bank depending on model and manufacturer. Any 3 prong outdoor quality extension cord with 14-3 gauge 3 prong wiring should suffice. Your battery charger should be equipped with 5 amp fuses from the factory to take care of any overheating issues
chillerman69
New member
It's simple math and like others have said, both distance/length and amps are in the calculation. Google: wire size calculator and you should be able to find a worksheet or chart, that will help you. Extension cords are high because of the copper in them but always go with biggest wire you can and never skimp.
There is a handy little gadget called a Kill-a-Watt ($20.00 =/-). plug it into source then plug your load into the Killo-a-Watt. It will tell you what your device is pulling.</p>
Long before they made such a thing I would simply take three THHN wires a couple of feet long and connect to male and female plugs on ends and use this as a short extension cord. I could then use my Clamp Amp meter to measure the load.</p>
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Long before they made such a thing I would simply take three THHN wires a couple of feet long and connect to male and female plugs on ends and use this as a short extension cord. I could then use my Clamp Amp meter to measure the load.</p>
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To make it simple, larger wire is better than smaller wire for a given amp draw, within reason of course. Larger AWG of a wire offers less resistance to current flow (amps). It's the resistance to current flow that creates heat in a wire too small for the load it is carrying.