Battery charger power cord gauge.

[LeakySeals]

I never gave it much thought until I noticed the dedicated power cord used to charge and maintain the Escalade in storage was getting distorted. It’s a batteryminder 1500 connected to the wall outlet in the garage with whatever gauge that cord that is. I’ve never seen a cord do that before. Never noticed it being hot or the charger. What gauge should I be using for a battery charger?

 

[Rand]

batteryminder could run with dental floss for an extension cord
your charger uses about less than 1 amp.. significantly less. (.25?)
That jacket on the cord looks twisted do you perchance wind them up on your hand/elbow.

 

[paulo57509]

I run the extension cord on the charging end of my BatteryMINDers (Models 1510). No issues with charging/maintaining with an equivalent (Amazon) cord:

BatteryMINDer® Accessory: DCE12: DC Extension Cables - 12ft.

Extend the reach of your battery charger 12 ft from DC outlet to battery. Ideal for use with BatteryMINDer charger maintainer desulfators.

www.batteryminders.com

 

[y_p_w]

I found a photo of a BatteryMinder 1500 and it's rated at a maximum input current of 0.4A at 100-240V AC. So it's probably a bit less than that at 110-120V AC. That's not enough current to heat up even the most basic extension cable.

I'm guessing more mechanical stress in the conductor from environmental temperature (hot cold cycles) and it just kind of coils like that. It should be fine to just keep on using that cable unless you see something like a tear in the jacket.

 

[bullwinkle]

batteryminder could run with dental floss for an extension cord
your charger uses about less than 1 amp.. significantly less. (.25?)
That jacket on the cord looks twisted do you perchance wind them up on your hand/elbow.

If you wind it on your arm, swap ends/directions when you do it, like I do my work van ones. Then the prongs will just fall out & ruin it!