Extension Cord Vs Power Strips Vs Spike Guards

Extension Cord

An extension cord is used to connect an electrical cord to the outlet if the main cable falls short. Their job is to extend the reach of a wall receptacle. Extension cords vary in length and type of outlet plug. They can be anywhere in length from two feet to as long as one hundred feet.

The longer the extension cord, the bigger the drop in amps. It’s important to use a cord which is a rated enough for the tool or appliance.

A under rated cord will experience overload causing overtemperture which is dangerous and this makes it are among the most dangerous electrical devices in our homes. So we should not use it as a permanent electrical connection.

Connecting two extension cords together should be avoided as it creates a drop in amperage also too long extension cord can create a tripping hazard.

Power Strips

A power strip is a device that has an electrical plug, a series of sockets, and a cable. The cable plugs into an outlet in your wall, and then the strip gives you option to use it to power multiple gadgets and appliances with a single wall socket.

It’s a long strip with a bunch of outlets in it. It has a cable on one end. Everything you plug into the outlets on the strip will be powered by the outlet it plugs into on the wall.

You might encounter a power strip in a number of different places

  • Around an office
  • In a retail store
  • On a construction site
  • In a home

The purpose of a power strip is to give you extra outlets to plug things into & get more sockets to plug devices into. 

Another reason to use a power strip is because they’re so easy to turn on and off. Many options have a single on/off switch that will kill power to all of the connected devices. It makes it easier to control a handful of electrical devices at the same time.

 

You can overload power strips by plugging multiple power strips into a single wall receptacle and using a power strip to feed power-hungry devices like refrigerators & in the process, it may cause electrical fires. Hence you need to select power strip with overload protection.

Surge Protector / Spike Guards


Spike guards & surge protectors are nothing but devices with multiple sockets like power strip, simultaneously also protect them from voltage spikes. In case of power spikes, there is a high voltage fluctuation with short pulses of energy whereas, in case of power surges, there are temporary voltage fluctuations in a power line. Surge lasts much longer than spikes & sometimes surge is preceded by spikes.

Surge protectors are designed to perform one specific function: they protect gadgets and appliances from spikes and surges. When it comes to plugging your appliances into power strips, a surge protector is the safer option.

Surges can occur for any number of reasons, including lightning strikes and faulty wiring. Spike guards with surge protection feature make sure that the costly & valuable electrical appliances are safe when there is a voltage fluctuation.

Summary

Extension cords have long cables that enable them to extend the reach of a wall outlet. They buy extension cords whenever they need to bring an outlet closer. People buy power strips because they want to increase the number of outlets. Surge protectors have multiple outlets, just like power strips. But they also offer surge protection.






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