Can I use 15amp 125V IEC for 240V components?

[treitz3]

Hello, jtein. How many amps are you planning on running through said cord?

[jtein]

Only if it is marked at 120. For example, the power supply on laptop power supplies is designed to work worldwide so its cord is also rated for the higher voltage.

The danger here is very small and the thing that comes to mind is leakage to the surface. Run your equipment and touch the wire to see if you feel electricity leaking to outside of it. I doubt that you will feel anything. But if you do, it is not a good sign. The other issue which you must avoid is total power through the cable. At 240 volt and the same amps, you can draw twice as much power through the same cable. That causes double the losses in the cable, potentially compromising its insulation. Worse yet, the fuse/breaker in the house will not protect it against shorts and risk of fire. I suspect your gear doesn't pull twice as much power so this is not an issue in this situation.

Mind you, many times the cable is also good for 240 but manufacturer saw no reason to test it at higher specs. This is why I said risks are very low.

BTW, IEC spec goes up to 250 volts. Why not use a cable rated at higher voltage to start? Here is a random one that came up in search: http://www.costcentral.com/proddetai...100028/Y71595/

Whoa...no wonder I felt some serious electric current when I wanted to disconnect my interconnects from my preamp! That must be leakage to the surface of the preamp?? Anyway, those were my old power cords with 15A 125V plugs and IECs. Currently I'm using JPS Labs Kaptovator terminated with 10A 250V IECs, but the male plugs are still 15A 125V. Is that ok?

[amirm]

Sorry, Amir, that doesn't make sense: the amps will draw the same power through the cable irrespective of the voltage, all other things being equal. What will change is the current drawn, and for 240V the current will actually halve, not double;

You didn't follow what I said Frank. If the equipment power consumption stays the same in both cases, then what you say is true and I ended the paragraph the same way. But there is no guarantee that is the case. If I take a 240 volt 15 amp hot water heater and put a 120 volt IEC connector/cable on it, it will be subjected to twice the power it would normally be subjected to. The current is staying the same but voltage doubled. If the equipment is rated at 240 volt, there is no assurance that it only consumes have the max power.

[jtein]

Hello, jtein. How many amps are you planning on running through said cord?

Hi treitz, currently I'm using Kaptovator power cords terminated with 10A 250V IECs and 15A 125V male plugs. I just discovered this. Hence my original question.

Also, I've just upgraded my AC conditioner so I need to upgrade the power cord from the wall to the conditioner. My dealer suggested that I should change the standard UK wall socket to a US one because more current can be delivered. I've calculated that it's usually cheaper to purchase stuff from the Cable Co. than from local dealers here, even after factoring in shipping costs etc. That's another reason for my original post.

[fas42]

Whoa...no wonder I felt some serious electric current when I wanted to disconnect my interconnects from my preamp! That must be leakage to the surface of the preamp??

That sounds to me like static buildup, a totally different thing. But sensing static anywhere typically will mean a loss of sound quality, especially with digital; so it's still worth finding out what's causing that ...

If anytime you "feel" leakage from mains voltage this will be a constant sensation, whereas static will give you a short, sharp shock, that almost instantly disappears. Otherwise, if you have mains leakage, this is mighty, mighty dangerous -- something to be sorted by an electrician, or reputable electrical repairs company.

Frank

[jtein]

That sounds to me like static buildup, a totally different thing. But sensing static anywhere typically will mean a loss of sound quality, especially with digital; so it's still worth finding out what's causing that ...

If anytime you "feel" leakage from mains voltage this will be a constant sensation, whereas static will give you a short, sharp shock, that almost instantly disappears. Otherwise, if you have mains leakage, this is mighty, mighty dangerous -- something to be sorted by an electrician, or reputable electrical repairs company.

Frank

Frank, I doubt it was static charge as it was a constant sensation. But I don't have that problem now that I'm using Kaptovator cords terminated with 10A 250v IECs.

[fas42]

You didn't follow what I said Frank. If the equipment power consumption stays the same in both cases, then what you say is true and I ended the paragraph the same way. But there is no guarantee that is the case. If I take a 240 volt 15 amp hot water heater and put a 120 volt IEC connector/cable on it, it will be subjected to twice the power it would normally be subjected to. The current is staying the same but voltage doubled. If the equipment is rated at 240 volt, there is no assurance that it only consumes have the max power.

Amir, the key point is the current drawn: that determines the losses in the cable, because of the inherent resistance of the cable and connectors; the voltage doesn't come into that. And a cord designed for a lower voltage, say 120V, will typically have lower resistance because the devices connected need to draw twice the current for the same power consumption.

Frank

[fas42]

Frank, I doubt it was static charge as it was a constant sensation. But I don't have that problem now that I'm using Kaptovator cords terminated with 10A 250v IECs.

Well, there's something weird going on! I'd be going to some effort to check this out, maybe it has something to do with how power is distributed where you are, and how earthing is done.

The connectors you're using are rated at least at 10A, and that's plenty; unless you're running a fleet of overr the top class A amps. The big advantage of higher amperage connectors, and US wall socket is that the residual resistance should be less: this minimises voltage loss when a current spike is required, and should help your power amp to perform a little bit better.

Frank

[jtein]

Well, there's something weird going on! I'd be going to some effort to check this out, maybe it has something to do with how power is distributed where you are, and how earthing is done.

The connectors you're using are rated at least at 10A, and that's plenty; unless you're running a fleet of overr the top class A amps. The big advantage of higher amperage connectors, and US wall socket is that the residual resistance should be less: this minimises voltage loss when a current spike is required, and should help your power amp to perform a little bit better.

Frank

You mean that the current leakage has nothing to do with what amperage/voltage of the IECs and wall plugs?

[JackD201]

Hi folks, I'm from Malaysia and the voltage here is 240V. We use UK sockets with 13amp plugs. But many audiophiles over here prefer to terminate their power cords with US wall plugs and IECs. I notice that the IECs are usually 15amp 125V. Would using them have any adverse effect on the components that are rated 240V?

In the Philippines we use 15A specifically NEMA 5-15 like those in the US. We run 230V. I've never seen any problems with the connectors/couplers (C13/C14 on the equipment end). There might be potential problems with the cables but not the couplers, plugs or receptacles. The big mass market producers of these over spec precisely so you can use them from 100V to 240V. It's saves them money in the long run just having one production line.

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