Why is my heavy duty extension cord warm?

Answer by  hollymountain (82)

The heat is an indication that the wires are not big enough to carry the load you are passing through the cord. Replace these cords with a heavier option to avoid fire risk and maintain safety standards. Any time heat is felt when dealing with electricity, you are dealing with a current, which is on the verge of overloading.

Answer by  john11 (617)

Conducting wire does not have an ideal resistance of zero. If it did, there would be no heating. Resistance measures the heat energy dissipated given a current, and it increases with current. Since it's heavy duty, there is high current to produce the heating with the resistance of the wire.

Answer by  Sparky101 (366)

It is normal for extension cords to be somewhat warm when they are being used, it is not normal for such cords to be hot or soft which could indicate an overload condition. Care must also be taken to ensure the cord is in good condition before use and that the cord not be coiled up in use.

Answer by  Subramanianr (109)

The appliance you have connected with the cord may be of high wattage. Otherwise the cord is not properly connected properly either with the appliance or with the switch

Answer by  JB19 (167)

If the cord has been in the sun there is no problem. If the cord is hot you are using too much current. If it is just a little warm, that is caused by resistance in the wire which turns current into heat as part of the inefficiency of transmitting electricity.

Answer by  resistanceisbad (18)

All extension cords are rated for a certain amount of amperage. Depending on the gauge or thickness of the wire. The thicker the cord, the lowe the resistance. Length is another factor. The longer the cord the more resistance. The resistance on the electrical current is converted to heat, which you feel.

Answer by  Captain (10)

Heavy duty extension cords can generate a lot of power thus making them warm as they generate electricity through it. The metals inside copper and other sorts can get hot just like any other metal.

Answer by  mani (813)

The eqipment you are using with the extension cord may be having more ampier or watts than the cord is rated for.