Power cords come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on the functionality, they can be used from powering standard household devices to large-scale applications in enterprise or hospital settings. Knowing only the plug type and length of your power cord, however, gives a marginal grasp of your overall powering demands.
Even a technophile would agree that understanding the inner workings of electronic components can be quite complicated. This is also true in the power cord industry. Etched into our cord jackets display markings that refer to several characteristics that embody the powering solution to keep your products powered seamlessly. In an effort to explicate Quail’s worldwide-leading products, we have presented an exposition on one of our most popular power cords: the North American three-pronged 2500 series. Here is a description and explanation of all the cord markings:
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Stranded Vacuum Thermoplastic, referring to the wire jacket type. The S is also commonly known as Service Wire. SVT is oil, water, acid and ozone resistant. |
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Number + size of conductors by diameter (in area). (18AWG): The acronym refers to the American Wire Gauge system. The larger the wire, the smaller the AWG number. |
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Temperature rating of the cord jacket. |
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The maximum voltage. |
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Vertical Flame test (formerly FR-1) for UL. This evaluation involves alternating ignition of a product sample for a specified time frame. A product passes when the sample burns for less than 60 seconds after application. |
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CSA’s approved flame evaluation. |
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The approval entity. In this instance, Underwriter’s Laboratories, an independent, not-for-profit organization that specializes in issuing safety standards for electronic products. |
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UL file number (via Online Certifications Directory). |
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Canadian Standards Association, the approval body of Canada for North American power cords. |
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CSA file number. |
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Manufacturer. |
Read our blog post on wire jackets for a detailed explanation of the different types and their applications. For your reference, visit our glossary for an overview of terms and their definitions. Contact our expert sales team either by phone at 800.669.8090, or e-mail: sales@quail.com with inquiries on our top-of-the-line products, including our new UL- and CSA- (C-UL) approved Auto-Lock power cord retention system that is the best in the industry for safeguarding accidental disconnects. Quail is your expert power cord solution. We look forward to extending our technical knowledge to you for advancing your powering needs!