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In Reply to: RE: What gauge power cord for 48 watt digital audio device? posted by Ivan303 on January 28, 2016 at 10:10:46
Normal run of 5-6 feet, 15 gauge will be plenty sufficient.
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The problem is if you have a short circuit in the device and it is protected by a 20 amp breaker in the panel the device will not be protected by the breaker and will go up in flames. That is why there is an electrical code. The 48w has nothing to do with it. I encourage people in doing diy projects but power chords need UL approval
Alan
The problem is if you have a short circuit in the device and it is protected by a 20 amp breaker in the panel the device will not be protected by the breaker and will go up in flames.
Actually the branch circuit breaker is there to protect the in wall branch circuit wiring. NEC code stops at the front face of the wall receptacle and cover plate. Naturally if a connected load overloads, short circuits, or creates a ground fault condition, beyond the breaker's set overload or short circuit handle rating, Hopefully it will trip open.
Cord size only needs to meet the FLA of the equipment it is connected to. Example, a clock radio. 18/2 is quite common. Same for the typical table lamp.
What I should add that addresses the concern you may have about an appliance/equipment cord causing an electrical fire, back in 1999 NEC first introduced the use of AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) protection in bedrooms. In 2008 and then in 2011 NEC added even more areas where 120V 15 and 20 amp Branch circuits were required to be AFCI protected. (Note, this applies to Residential dwelling units occupancies. Also AHJ, 'Authority Having Jurisdiction', has the final say in your area.)
Fast forward to 2014 NEC code edition ALL 120V 15 and 20 amp branch circuits used in habitable areas/rooms shall be AFCI protected. I hear the new 2017 NEC code will require GFCI protection as well.
"The problem is if you have a short circuit in the device and it is protected by a 20 amp breaker in the panel the device will not be protected by the breaker and will go up in flames."I disagree with the 'goes up in flames' comment. A 24awg wire will take 29amps for 10 seconds. A 20awg will take 58amps for 10 seconds. And if your breaker is faster than that, a 24awg wire will take more than 60A for one second. Or were you meaning the 15awg that the OP was asking about? 15awg will take more than 500 AMPS for 1 second.
Also you seem to be simultaneously suggesting that this thin cable doesn't have enough current-carrying capability to trip a breaker, but at the same time can carry enough current to cause something (the device, the cable) to 'go up in flames'.
So what goes up in flames exactly? The device? The wire? How does that happen?
Sounds like fear-mongering to me. And I speak as someone who has tripped a fair number of breakers, so I know what it takes.
Edits: 02/29/16
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It can be difficult to convince some folks that an audiophile power cord design that is not UL tested, is somehow unsafe to advocate within a public forum.
I re-terminated the family extension cord with a new AC plug bought from a local hardware store when I was a teenager.
That DIY project wasn't UL "approved" ;-)
Cheers, Duster
If one is using bulk cable that is UL listed, and another brand of connector that is UL listed, then the only issue in question is the build quality or integrity. A bulk, commercial-grade or computer-grade molded power cable is not necessarily safer because it was made by machine....but if someone deems that low quality cable "good enough", so be it.
This can be puzzling. For personal use you can build your own power cord using UL and or CSA cord and connectors. Yes, the components are UL Listed but not the assembly.
IF you are making power cords for sale then technically, in some states, it might say they must be assembled by a licensed electrician or a licensed electrical maintenance person if they will not be safety tested and Listed by a recognized third party. In commercial and industrial facilities electricians and or maintenance personnel make up power cords all the time.
What may come into play is a liability issue in the case of a law suite being filed on the 'non qualified'seller, of the power cord's assembled.
Good example is the power cord below in the link. In some states if it was proven the cord was the cause of an electrical fire where personal injury or loss of life resulted, the maker/seller of the cord could find himself named in a lawsuit.
What the hell are you rambling on about?
What gauge power cord are you using with your Audio-gd DAC?
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