Found some really old extension cables (+20 years). Is it safe to use them? I was worried that the plastic could deteriorate with time, but I have never seen a power cable with a best-by date.
Electrical – Are some power cables too old to be safe
cableselectricalsafety
Related Solutions
Electricity is a funny thing and different applications apply for various situations. THis is UK/EU/US/Asia/Africa.. its all the same.
If you are running a low voltage cable 0-48Volts DC/AC
then you can use a pvc outdoor joiner (the screw caps have a rubber seal on them to prevent moisture from entering)
If you are running high voltage (110AC/240AC)
single phase then using a resin joiner is recommended!
You might be tempted to do something like this (this example is of low voltage coax,tv,internet, etc) and is not recommended for outside situations at all! over time water will get in.
That was undergorund application,
you can also use these above ground,
Notice the rubber seals- that is very important!
You will want to limit the voltage drop in your DC distribution wiring to 5% or less of the 12V. That would be equivalent to a 0.6V drop. An online wire size calculator suggests that for 600 feet at 3A that you would need to use 1 AWG copper wire.
Cost of that size wire suggests that you may want to consider distributing the AC mains voltage instead and converting to 12VDC at the load points. The reason being is that the amount of voltage drop in the wiring follows the amount of current through the wire. 30-40W at a line level voltage results in less than 0.5A down the wire and 5% voltage drop at 120VACrms makes room for a larger allowable voltage drop than the 0.6V at 12V. The net result is that a much more reasonable wire size can be utilized.
If you use optical fiber cables they could be in the same conduit as DC cables. You may want to separate them from AC mains cabling just because it seems like a good idea to keep AC mains by itself.
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Best Answer
No, no 'Best By' date codes LOL. However, your instincts are on track. As the plastic jacket ages it becomes brittle and can crack allowing in moisture and presenting an obvious hazard. However, if with inspection the jacket appears to be without defect; if it feels relatively flexible and supple then it may be ok. The cord ends need to be inspected as well. Any signs of heat, burning or serious abuse chuck em. Thanks for being safety conscious. P.