High power air conditioners require a lot of energy to heat or cool the air in your room.
Air conditioner extension cord safety
Using an extension cord to plug in a heater or air conditioner can cause the cord to overheat and a fire to start. Extending the cord from another large appliance, like a refrigerator or freezer, is just as dangerous.
Always consult with a professional
Please take this guide with a grain of salt. Always consult with your trusted electrician or city engineers before using an extension cord for your air conditioner. We are not responsible for any damage that it will cause.
Read the manual for your air conditioner
Having your air conditioner’s manual on hand will have all the information you need on how to use it safely.
For further assistance, you can contact the AC manufacturer’s after sales service.
Always select the highest wire gauge of extension cord
You need to choose the largest gauge conductor and we would recommend using a 10 gauge cord if you’re going to use a cord. You shouldn’t use 16 gauge 14 gauge if you plan on using it with an air conditioner.
Even though it’s a small air conditioner, you should use cord as short as possible.
Should you use an extension cord in your AC?
As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t use an extension cord to run your AC.
Based on the 110 vac house electrical service standard in the US. Air conditioners with 5,000 to 6,000 BTUs generally draw between 5 and 7 amps. They are typically plugged into a 15 amp circuit breaker provided in a wall socket.
But in case you will use an extension cord…
The cord should just be used when you need it and unplugged once you’re done, so that it won’t overheat due to the air conditioner’s current draw.
The air conditioner itself pulls more current by itself than the entire circuit combined.
This is where a lot of the problems come from when you add an air conditioner to your existing home circuits, when you’re already using electricity for things like the coffee machine, the microwave, the television and stuff like this.
What gauge extension cord for 5,000 BTU air conditioner?
Using an air conditioner means you will need to connect your extension cord to the unit. Therefore, most of the time you will need 15 feet, 20 feet or max extension cords.
You should also always unplug your air conditioner extension cord, if you use one with your air conditioner. Air conditioners shouldn’t run continuously on an extension cord.
10 gauge is the preferred size of extension cord wire.