We all need power cords in our everyday lives, even though we may not even think about them. It is essential to have them for charging mobile devices, powering home appliances, and even keeping the lights on. The reason for this is that electricity flows through wires or cables, called power cords. Their job is to carry the current generated by the wall socket to the device. Most electronic gadgets have cords attached to them. The specifications and requirements of these cords vary from one appliance to another. Therefore you cannot use a power cord interchangeably that is intended for one type of device. In this article, we will look at five common appliances that make use of power cords for functioning.

Microwave oven

Microwave ovens are one of those electrical appliances that require a standard voltage for their operation. Usually, it will require a 120V supply with a minimum of 15 Amps of current to operate at full capacity. For these types of devices, most custom Power Cord Assembly manufacturers recommend a cord that has three pins. The third pin is usually provided for grounding purposes.

Fridge

Larger appliances like fridges almost always come with attached power cords for powering them. Although there are a lot of different types of refrigerators in the market, those that are used inside homes need a 16 gauge cord for maximum output. Typically these cords are of 9-10 feet length and support voltages of 110 to 220V AC with 12 amperes of current carrying capacity. 

Laptop

Laptops are more or less portable electronic devices that need a cord that has three pins. Most of them are shipped with a power cord that supports at least 100 to 240V AC voltage with up to 60 watts of current. It also includes a power adapter brick that converts the AC current into 19V DC which is readily available for powering the device as well as for recharging its battery. 

Are power cords interchangeable?

In general, they are not because each device or electrical equipment has its own specific current and voltage specifications.  Nevertheless, they have become more standardized over the past few years. So it might be possible to have a general guideline of cord requirements for a specific group of devices like laptops.

There are different brands that manufacture them, each having different specs however, they can have a standard power requirement. Now, if we take two completely different devices for example a TV and a laptop, they don't have a common standard power cord. The difference may be that the power cord of the laptop has a different output voltage and current carrying capacity while the TV may need a cord that supports its own specific power demands. A Custom Power Cord Assembly manufacturer called Sinnhong can give you a more in-depth explanation of the exact requirements for your device. 

Conclusion:

Power cords are a crucial component of all that we depend on in our modern lifestyle. They all come with different specifications like current and voltage carrying ability to meet the exact requirements of individual devices that they are designed for.