What You Need to Know About NEMA & IEC Power Cords

NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturing Association) and IEC (International ElectroTechnical Commission) are two types of power cords that we use in our everyday lives. NEMA is the industry group that sets standards for use in electrical products. And IEC is a non-profit & non-govt organization that publishes international standards for all the AC interconnections between equipment. Both of them have many different varieties. And to introduce you with commonly used NEMA and IEC power cords, we have this article for you.

NEMA Power Cord Types

The establishment of NEMA certificates for power cord types for North American and other countries. The cords range in amperes from 15-60, and in voltages from 125-600. One can create unique and non-interchangeable different types of plugs on the basis of specific amperes and voltages.

There are different variants of the NEMA plugs available but NEMA 1-15-P & NEMA 5-15-P are the most commonly used among them. NEMA type 1 includes a round pin or prong right below the two flat prongs and NEMA type 5 uses the third pin for grounding purposes.

NEMA 1-15-P Power Cord

The NEMA 1-15-P is a two-wire non-grounding device fitting into a standard 110 AC wall outlet. NEMA 1-15-P can have a maximum of 125 V passing through it. It has two flat blades like the NEMA 5-15 plug, but the difference is that NEMA 1-15-P does not have the ground pin. The female mating outlet for 1-15-P is known as a 1-15-R (where R stands for “receptacle”). Latest versions of this plug have one blade that is slightly wider than the other.

Ungrounded NEMA 1 plug is popularly used by manufacturers of small electronic appliances. They get the benefits of the design’s low cost and compact size. Additionally, these cords are upward compatible with the modern grounded NEMA 5 receptacles.

NEMA 5-15-P Power Cord

The NEMA 5-15-P is basically a 3-prong grounded device that plugs in a standard 110 AC wall outlet. Its connector has two flat parallel blades, with a round ground pin that is located between and above them. The female mating outlet for this power cord is called a 5-15-R.

IEC Power Cord Types

IEC power cord is available in different combinations of earthling, for fulfilling different temperatures and specific needs. While using these connecting couplers, the merchants just need to change the power cord that complies with these standards to achieve worldwide compatibility.

IEC 60320 Power Cord

IEC 60320 is recognized as the international standard used by many countries in the world. This power cord specifies a non-locking appliance for connecting power supply cords to any electrical appliances ranging up to 250 volts. The “320” from 60320 refers to the number of the specification describing power connectors. There are different IEC 60320 power cord types ranging from C1 to C24. Each one has specific combinations of voltage, current, and temperature. Out of which C13, C15, C9, C13 to C14, C14 to C13 power cords, C14 to NEMA 5-15 power cords are the most common and popular.

How to Buy a Right Power Cord

It can get difficult to choose the appropriate power cord that can deliver high performance, speed, and durability. Following are a few simple steps that can ease the choosing part for you:

Identify the correct plug for the country of export
Confirm the voltage
Check the current rating of the power cord
Choose the plug type while utilizing a cord set

While using any power cord, it is important to protect yourself and your tools with a proper ground system. So make sure you double-check on safety factors. Also, you can get power cords with one end of NEMA and another of IEC. As we know different power cords are useful for different purposes like C14 to NEMA 5-15 power cords are useful for converting power from a C13 Connector to a 5-15R. C14 to C13 power cords are useful to connect server and network equipment power supplies with a PDU or a power strip. Thus, choose the best power cord fitting your requirements of purpose and length both.

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