 NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Jul-31 11:26 pm
Need 240v Extension CordI'm looking to buy a 25,000 BTU AC but would need a 10 foot extension cord to my dryer outlet. I'm only renting the house for a couple years with some friends so we can't have another outlet installed. I've looked online and have found pretty much only 4 prong extension cords or long 3 prong ones (I need the 3 prong). Does anyone know of any places to get one (preferably cheap). Thanks. |
|
|
1 edit |
|
|
 Heterman
Premium Member
join:2004-02-28
Fayetteville, AR
1 edit |
to NYR 56
If you are mechanically inclined, and have some electrical knowledge:
Is the unit 220v or 110v?
You could always figure up the wire size needed and grab 10' of wire, along with the correct ends separately, and make it yourself. Make sure you get all connections tight, and all wires to their corresponding places on the connectors.
It's getting late for me or I would try and figure the wire size for you. I'll check tomorrow and see where the thread progresses. |
|
 steve1515
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Peabody, MA
1 edit |
to NYR 56
I don't think these exist. Can you post a link to the 4 prong one you found? I'd like to take a look.
As said above... You can make your own. You will need 10 feet of #10 gauge wire for this 30 Amp circuit.
The only problem I think you will run into is getting a 3 prong 240V/30A plug. The code now requires the 4 prong plug on these circuits, so I don't know if they're sold anymore.
Another option includes changing the dryer plug to the newer 4 prong kind. Only do this if you know what you are doing!!! |
|
| steve1515 |
to averagedude
Those won't fit into a standard US "dryer" receptacle.
(One picture is kind of fuzzy so I could be wrong.) |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY
2 edits |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 12:12 am
Those cables seem to be different for RVs and are not the standard 240v 3-prong cord.
It is a 240v AC.
I'm not an expert with electrical wiring but aren't all window AC units that are 240v only 3 prong? I've never seen a 4 prong one and the websites that sell the ACs I looked at don't mention the plug type. As far as changing the plug goes, I'd much rather not do that since I'm only renting not to mention I'm not familiar with wiring.
Unless I can find one perhaps I will try and put one together.
Edit: Those cords I linked to were the completely wrong type I just realized. |
|
 tahoejeff
Premium Member
join:2001-07-01
Wisconsin Dells, WI |
to NYR 56
another option would be to keep shopping until you find a big enough air conditioner that runs on 120v standard outlet. |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 12:22 am
Two problems with using a 120v AC. Firstly, they don't seem to get powerful enough for the setting. Also, the house is very old in Baltimore and the electrical circuits are running at their max as it is. We will have 6 other 120V AC units in the house and are blowing fuses just by using a toaster. I figured that if we are going to add another AC, the best bet would be to use the nearby dryer outlet since it is dedicated and won't effect the other already maxed out circuits. |
|
Heterman
Premium Member
join:2004-02-28
Fayetteville, AR |
to NYR 56
You'll probably end up making it yourself. It isn't really all that hard.
You'll have to go to the hardware store (or wherever) and get a male plug for the cord that will fit in the wall. Then, get a female plug for the other end of the cord that the AC plug will plug in to.
Oh, and get some wire. The hardware store staff should be able to help you out a bit, and point you at least towards the right direction. Just make sure you get the "ends" of the cord at the right amperage rating. You don't want 30amps on one end, 30amps in the cord, and 15amps at the other end. Get my drift? |
|
steve1515
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Peabody, MA |
to NYR 56
I just thought of something...
The plug you might need may not be a dryer plug. The A/C may only be 15 or 20 Amps... Not 30 Amps.
Can you take a picture of the plug on the A/C?
If not, can you draw it in paint and post it? |
|
wth
Premium Member
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City,IA |
wth to NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 10:40 am
to NYR 56
said by NYR 56: I figured that if we are going to add another AC, the best bet would be to use the nearby dryer outlet since it is dedicated and won't effect the other already maxed out circuits. So how is everybody going to dry their cloths? |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 10:45 am
I'm going to try and stop at Home Depot/Lowes and take a look at what type of plug is on the AC. Hopefully they will have the ends I need. I haven't actually purchased the AC due to the power issue. I have a feeling it is a 15 amp AC. If that is the case, can I just get the 30amp plug on one end and put a 15 on the other or is it more complicated than that?
As for drying the clothes, we will have to just unplug and replug the equipment. Not ideal but it will work. |
|
steve1515
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Peabody, MA
1 edit |
said by NYR 56:I have a feeling it is a 15 amp AC. If that is the case, can I just get the 30amp plug on one end and put a 15 on the other or is it more complicated than that? Since you only have 3 prongs on your dryer outlet, you don't have a prong for ground. The problem would be when you try to connect the ground from the 15 amp outlet to the 30 amp plug...there isn't one. What you propose will work, but it would be ungrounded...in other words... more dangerous. If you do this, use the proper size cable. |
|
 Greg_Z
Premium Member
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL |
to NYR 56
If you are putting that much load on the electrical circuits, that any extra is blowing a fuse, you are setting yourself up for a electrical fire. |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 8:17 pm
It's an old house, that is how they are set up. My entire room has only 1 15 amp breaker. There isn't anything we can do and I'm sure most of the city is no different. |
|
Greg_Z
Premium Member
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL |
Greg_Z
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 8:22 pm
That was how this house that I am in now was wired. Four breakers for the whole house, but since I rewired, the box is pretty much full, and will have to add another box if we break the circuits down further, or add into the basement a outlet circuit. |
|
 SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA |
to NYR 56
3 prong dryer plug. The only ones I've seen have the pigtail but then again I haven't looked for any other  |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 10:06 pm
I just stopped in home depot and took a look at the cords to the 240v AC units. They have regular size ends just with one of the flat prongs rotated 90 degrees, so I was totally off in thinking I needed one of those big round plugs. I spoke to one of the guys there but they said there is no way to convert a dryer outlet to what I need. I'm going to ask the landlord if he would be willing to have another outlet installed if we paid but I kind of doubt it. If anyone knows any other way around this please let me know. |
|
| NYR 56 |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 10:27 pm
My friend at the house just told me the dryer plug looks like it is a standard 110v plug but the dryer says 220v. It's a old house but is this possible? I can't check since I'm in NY. |
|
Heterman
Premium Member
join:2004-02-28
Fayetteville, AR |
Heterman
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 11:15 pm
Any way you can get us a picture? If this is an older place, there could be any number of different things done; some probably not even up to code. Yes, I have seen people run 220v on a standard 110v receptacle. NOT RECOMMENDED at all, but sometimes people do weird stuff to get the job done, disregarding any and all electrical codes. A picture would be priceless. We could proceed from there. More than likely, an electrician will have to be called especially if you don't have any type of electrical knowledge. The landlord may not want this to happen, especially if he/she knows of the non-compliance with regulations. Swapping out a receptacle is a easy. Pulling wire because what is in the wall is too small is a different story. I would think if the dryer is running off this plug, maybe it is of sufficient gauge. Here is a good reference to see what you might need or have already: » www.et-sales.com/Receptacles.htm (the numbers on top, before the R, is the amperage rating) If you can't get a picture, maybe you can have your friend look at this page and see which is in the wall. |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 11:28 pm
Well the outlet is the standard 15amp kind, nothing special. Honestly, I think I will just give a 14,300 BTU unit a shot. It is cheaper plus when we move (1 or 2 years) who knows if the next house will have a 220v outlet and we would have to go through this again. I'd imagine it could still support the room as long as we turn it on in advance. |
|
steve1515
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Peabody, MA |
to NYR 56
I agree about seeing a picture. Please post a picture the dryer plug & outlet, and the A/C plug if you can.
BTW, do you remember which prong on the A/C was horizontal?
While looking at the plug with the ground prong on the bottom, was it on the left or right?
You might not need a 240V outlet after all.
It depends on that horizontal prong on the A/C plug.
Either way...I'd still like to get a picture of your dryer configuration. I'm interested in that. |
|
 Coma Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand |
to NYR 56
said by NYR 56:My friend at the house just told me the dryer plug looks like it is a standard 110v plug but the dryer says 220v. It's a old house but is this possible? I can't check since I'm in NY. Can your friend take a picture of the wall receptacle and email it to you and then you post the image here for us to look at? It might be easier that way. . . . . and personally, I never trust anything anybody says when it comes to electricity, so I would double check the voltage at the wall receptacle with a volt meter, just to make sure . . . . |
|
steve1515
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Peabody, MA
1 edit |
to NYR 56
said by NYR 56:Well the outlet is the standard 15amp kind, nothing special. Honestly, I think I will just give a 14,300 BTU unit a shot. It is cheaper plus when we move (1 or 2 years) who knows if the next house will have a 220v outlet and we would have to go through this again. I'd imagine it could still support the room as long as we turn it on in advance. If the A/C were 240V/15A, then both of it's prongs would be horizontal. |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 11:42 pm
The plug on the AC was bottom one. I don't remember if that picture is of the outlet or the plug but I'd imagine that is pretty standard whichever way it is. It was 20 amps for sure. The outlet for the dryer is the standard one on the top with the corresponding standard plug. It's possible the dryer is only 120v I suppose. Did you guys want a picture of inside the outlet? The outside is what is above. |
|
Coma Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand
1 edit |
Coma
Premium Member
2006-Aug-1 11:52 pm
said by NYR 56: Did you guys want a picture of inside the outlet? A picture speaks a thousand words . . . . . all the pictures you can get. |
|
SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA |
to NYR 56
said by NYR 56:Well the outlet is the standard 15amp kind, nothing special. Honestly, I think I will just give a 14,300 BTU unit a shot. It is cheaper plus when we move (1 or 2 years) who knows if the next house will have a 220v outlet and we would have to go through this again. I'd imagine it could still support the room as long as we turn it on in advance. I would plug anything into the dryer outlet until it was checked with a voltmeter. There are too many unknowns here. BTW - sometimes a couple of smaller A/C units will make it more comfortable than one large one. It depends on the size of the room it's in and how well the air circulates to other rooms. |
|
steve1515
Premium Member
join:2000-08-07
Peabody, MA |
to NYR 56
Any update on this? I'm interested. |
|
NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY |
NYR 56
Premium Member
2006-Aug-4 7:36 pm
It looks like I won't have any pictures until I go back down in a few weeks. There really isn't anyone living in the house yet. Once I get there I'll be sure to figure everything out and post back here. |
|
Coma Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand |
Coma
Premium Member
2006-Aug-4 9:41 pm
said by NYR 56: Once I get there I'll be sure to figure everything out and post back here. . . . . . sounds good to me . |
|
