Have you ever been to some serious cable shopping? If yes, you must remember the feeling of being engulfed by wires and overwhelmed by terminologies and acronyms. Whether you make your purchase online or offline, it is very important to recognize the power cables that you are about to use. In case the data cabling is improper or you make use of a wrong power cord, it can lead to accidents.

Thankfully, several regulations and documentations help us figure out that we choose the right cord and keep the damages and injuries at bay. NEMA power cord – standardized by National Electrical Manufacturers Association is one such examples of authentic electricity product. So, how do you deal with different power cords? What points should you keep in mind before buying one for yourself? Let us look into it:

Commissions That Regulate Power Cord Connections in North America
Before we get into the which, why, or how part of buying cables, let us acquaint ourselves with the entities that set the regulatory standards for different power cords. The two major ones that regulate power cord connections are:

1)  NEMA
NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturers Association. The association manufactures equipment which transmits and distributes electricity. They also collect and analyze data to make sure that all the electrical equipment is consistent and secure to use. You must have heard of NEMA power cords, most of these power cords are accepted by IEC and are found in several American homes.


2)  IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)
This organization provides the international standards which control the connection between equipment. It ensures that the global compliance of these equipment transforms to compatibility.
 
Power Cords: The Common Terminology

  Voltage: This is the most commonly used term and depicts the amount of force behind the electrons and how fast the electrons move in the circuit.

  Amperage (amp): It depicts the number of electrons that move in the circuit and the amount of electricity it entails.

What Parameters Should You Consider Before Choosing a Power Cord?
There are 3 major attributes you should be aware of before buying a power cord:

Connectors
Length
Gauge

For knowing about the connectors in detail, you can check out the maps given by different companies. Here is how you decide on the gauge and length of the power cords.

Understanding the Gauge/Length

Now, the gauge is nothing but the diameter of the cable. It decides the resistance of the cable as well as its carrying capacity. When it come measuring the unit of thickness, the AWG; also known as American Wire Gauge is often used. The smaller the number is, the thicker the wire would be.

Concluding...

We hope that the above-given information will help you in selecting the right cord for your utility. Before you end up buying one for yourself, make sure that you checkout different websites online and speak with the experts about your requirements. Once you get clarity on that, you would be able to make your purchase better.

Author Bio

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a california based online retailer of all kind of cables, wires and cords,NEMA Power Cords, NEMA Power Cord. Jennifer has extensive experience in the cable industry and blogs about its various aspects.