Low Temperature Extension Cord (apartment, living in, vs) - City-Data Forum

Reedsmit · 11-23-2009, 12:37 PM

Seriously - I am almost embarrassed to ask such a silly question, but is this something that is just a way to charge twice as much? - Or does the extreme temperatures warrant this type of cord to use with things like a block heater?

cedar_bluff_tree_farm · 11-23-2009, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reedsmit

Seriously - I am almost embarrassed to ask such a silly question, but is this something that is just a way to charge twice as much? - Or does the extreme temperatures warrant this type of cord to use with things like a block heater?

Low temperature extension cords are made from a particular kind of material that remains (mostly) soft at low temperatures. But it's really only necessary if you want to coil up the cord after each use.

For your daughter, it's unnecessary. She's apt to lose a couple during the winter if she ever drives off having forgotten to unplug the car before driving.

Reedsmit · 11-23-2009, 02:19 PM

Thank you.

Mt-7 · 11-23-2009, 03:34 PM

Oh yea! Been there, done that~

Someone taught me to loop my orange cord around the divers side mirror, pretty hard to miss it then!
Have no fear, noone has asked more silly questions than me.
Oh and make sure you are unplugged before you start up, or as I have been taught that.

ElkHunter · 11-23-2009, 04:19 PM

If your going to be living in an apartment and have to roll it up each time, the winter cord will be more crack resistant. Also, if it's going to be laying where people walk, or vehicles cross, go with the winter cord so it don't crack.

I think they are worth the money as the winter cords last for several years where as a standard extension cord wears out, splits, cracks, etc, not just do to weather, but life itself.

I've got winter cords that I've had for 10 years. I've never gotten a standard cord to last that long even if I only use it in the shop.

Reedsmit · 11-23-2009, 04:30 PM

Thank you, that makes good sense. I appreciate the explanation.

Rickers · 11-24-2009, 03:04 PM

Heck I must have lucked out and got a good cheap cord. I bought a cheap orange cord 12 years ago and it's still fine but I only leave it out in the winter when I use it for my block heater and that's only several weeks during the winter when a block heater is really needed for my rig. The rest of the time I keep it indoors. When it's really cold I try not to bend it a lot or treat it roughly. The sun is really hard on most plastics.

Reziac · 11-24-2009, 05:03 PM

I never had any trouble with my random cords of various origins, all of which spent the entire year out in the weather. Tho I have noticed that generally the yellow ones outlast the orange ones, which in turn outlast the green ones. Must be something in the type of plastic -- likely cuz as a rule cheaper plastic is coloured darker to cover up the ugly colour of recycled components.

Also when one goes bad it's usually the female plug that corrodes inside, easy enough to rewire with a replacement plug.

Reziac · 11-24-2009, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seven of nine

Someone taught me to loop my orange cord around the divers side mirror, pretty hard to miss it then!
Oh and make sure you are unplugged before you start up, or as I have been taught that.

Why would that matter?? it's not connected to any part of the car directly, just to the little heating element.

Looping it on the mirror is a good idea, lot harder to drive off with it then! Which most of us have done at least once

I also made sure the block heater's own cord was tied around something solid (like the truck frame), so if I did drive off like that, it wouldn't snap some part of the plastic front grille, or jerk the cord out of the backside of the heater plug.

Timberwolf232 · 11-24-2009, 05:22 PM

A person could always go with a Kusemaul.. just like the PD and FD command rigs. You plug them in, and when you start the vehicle, it gets auto-ejected! As a matter of fact, we've had distance contests with them at the shop while doing installs. (They go much farther if you only put a connector in them Vs a heavy duty cord!) For those with some extra change to spend on keeping their vehicles charged and warm, by all means. For the rest of us, I've had the same orange extension cords for 15 years or better, and have only had to splice/repair them a couple times.