Buying an extension cord, extension leads, power leads, or drop leads can be a confusing process, particularly if you’re not entirely sure what you need. Understanding what each type of cord is, its features and specifications, and how they differ from each other can help you make an informed buying decision. Extension cords are an ideal way to add extra outlets to an electrical outlet because of their flexibility and durability. Whether you want to connect a hot water heater to a wall socket or an outlet to a wall to extend a phone line, an extension cord is an affordable and reliable way to go.
An extension lead, power lead, or extension cord is a long length of cord with a short plug on one end that plugs into an electric socket. The term sometimes refers to both extension leads and mains plugs but is often used to describe mains extensions alone. Extension cords come in a variety of lengths and features including insulation, varying core densities, varying gauge wires, and different plugs. The plug size depends on how much current the cord can handle; larger plugs can handle higher currents.
Extension leads are available in a variety of materials including brass, stainless steel, aluminum, chrome-plated, and nickel-silver. There are even some that are cordless! They’re available with several different plug sizes and cores as well as different styles of cores including round, half-round, round-ended, and hexagonal. There are even extension leads with special comfort grips to provide comfort as you use them, and with rubberized handles to provide a special comfort for those who use them. Each style and core type come with its own unique features and accessories to enhance its special comfort and practicality.
For example, a round-end extension lead may be useful if your computer or laptop has a very close proximity to the wall. This type of lead has a small round area at the top of the plug that provides an easy grip for ease of use. This is especially important if you plug your computer into the wall near your workstation. However, an extension lead with a comfort grip that has a large flat surface at the top is more useful for working at a desk and not as prone to dropping things and possibly damaging them.
Extension leads also come in handy for use with wall sockets. Sometimes, the insulation provided on standard electrical outlets is inadequate and plugging into a wall socket may cause excessive heat buildup. Using wall adaptors with overloading sockets can reduce or even eliminate this risk. Also, extension leads that feature an inline safety switch feature protects against shocks as they are being used. An inline safety switch features two non-slip buttons; they can be easily accessed by new users and are safe to use even when there are other people around the area who might accidentally turn off the power.
Long Electrical Contacts are another problem that can prevent you from plugging devices into an electric socket. To avoid this, some newer products feature an automatic overload protection. The overload protection on extension leads is designed to automatically turn off if the length of the electrical contact is too long or it becomes too hot. When the device’s safety overloading is activated, an audible warning will alert you that it is too hot and you should always plug the device into a wall socket to avoid overheating.
There are also extension leads available that provide a plug-n-play option for powerline adapters. Some powerline adapters use AC power from a personal power outlet and then convert it to alternating current (AC). This is done by a separate electrical plug. Plugging a device directly into an electric socket may result in excess heat build-up. The plug-n-play feature allows you to simply plug the device into the wall socket, turn the adapter on, and then leave it set so that the device works without being plugged into the wall socket. You can find extension leads with this feature in a variety of different configurations to accommodate your needs.
One final convenience feature that you can add to your electrical devices is to use extension cords that contain rechargeable battery packs. Battery packs can be used in conjunction with extension leads in order to extend the life of your devices. For example, you can use extension cords to carry one or two extension cords when you are using a laptop computer. At the same time, you can use the extended cord to charge the battery pack so that you don’t have to carry several cord batteries with you wherever you go.
Extension leads are by far one of the most essential power accessories that any user of electronics and electrical devices would want to own and move around with at all times. They allow users to simultaneously work with multiple electronic devices making it important to go for one that is going to not only last you long enough but an extension lead that is going to be safe enough for you to use everywhere.