Budget friendly extension cords

A

Astouffer512

Member
Anyone have any tips on budget friendly 12 gauge extension cords? Is 50ft too long to run a pressure washer on? Our new house (that we aren`t settled on yet thanks to Covid-19) has 2 exterior plugs on the outside of the house. One of my first projects on the house is going to be pressure washing the exterior.

Also what`what a a good pressure washer Concentrate for aluminum siding?

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Astouffer512- I`d just buy from Harbor Freight myself, no need for anything better, but that`s just me.

For the length, I`d do the math based on the draw of the pressure washer; there`s a rule for what gauge/length you can use and it`s all about what the device needs. GENERALLY, if in doubt go with a 12/3, but for high-draw items you will need something even thicker (I have one made for air conditioners/clothes dryers/etc. that I use when I think it`s needed..and I do err on the side of caution as no I don`t always *do* that math the way I probably should :o ).
 
Costco usually has a good price on a pair of 50` 12/3 cords. As far as the siding goes I know that the pros use something that has a good percentage of bleach in it. A couple years ago we had one company come and do a test on ours but it was too far gone and we just ended up doing the siding, windows, doors and roof for the last time in my lifetime anyway.
 
Astouffer512:
What are you trying to remove from your aluminum siding?
Faded paint
Mildew and algae
Environmental fallout (tree sap /leaf marks or animal urine markings or factory emissions) (Hey do NOT laugh about the animal markings; fox markings will permanently etch ANY siding)
Dirt and/or Road Traffic Film (If your house is near a busy traffic street
Paint or Rubber Transfer marks (from lawn mowers or bicycles)

Each type of "stain" may require a specific cleaner for its removal. I used Megs No.6 Cleaner Wax on southern-facing white aluminum doors to remove faded oxidation. I have used Eagle One A-to-Z Wheel Cleaner to remove salt oxidation from blackened aluminum siding (I live near a busy street that gets a lot of salt in the winter) when NOTHING else would touch it.

If you have plants.vegetation or bushes for landscaping beneath the siding, I would think about covering them with a plastic tarp to protect them from whatever cleaner you are using with your power washer, regardless of how "plant safe" the cleaner says it is.
 
So, I assume since you are asking about electrical cords that your power washer is also electrical.
There seems to be some "confusion" understanding electrical power transmission because most individuals misunderstand the term electrical power in terms of voltage and watts. What is forgotten is the amperage part of electricity. Voltage is the measure "pressure" that allows electrons to flow while amperage is the measure of volume of electrons. Most individuals understand that most household electrical circuits are 120V AC. What they may not realize is the amperage that the circuit is designed to take. Most are wired for 15 or 20 amps and this can be verified by the breaker (or fuse if it is really old house) in the service panel of a house for that circuit.
I will say this that a heavier gauge wire (8 to 12 being heavy, 16 to 20 being light) electrical extension cord is much better at allowing amperage through it, especially if it is 50 ft long. The other variable is electrical resistance caused by the gauge (diameter or thickness) of the wire and its length. The longer the wire, the more the resistance. It is just not wise to buy a cheap, light gauge extension cord for power tools, like a pressure washer, nor is it wise to run high-amp power tools continuously on 100 ft long extension cords (like a electrical power lawn edger and you have 1,500 feet of driveway and sidewalk to edge). They will get too hot if run for a long period of time.

On safety caution on using electrical cords is to unwind them completely and do not let them be coiled up if you plan on using a power tool for a long period of time (like a shop vac that may run for one or two hours continuously when cleaning a dirty interior of a large vehicle, like a van with lot of dog hair). The coiled up electrical cord acts like a motor winding and will become hot if used for along time.
 
William_Wallace said:
I used super clean straight on stubborn stains on plastic siding and it stained the siding.
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I refrain from using Gold Seal`s (formerly Castrol) Super Clean (the Purple Stuff) on vehicles because it is highly caustic on aluminum, even worse than OTC Simple Green.
I do use Super Clean for cleaning my wash media and polishing pads, though, but man, that stuff will eat (chap) your hands like nothing else, and yes, I do rinse them thoroughly with clean water.
It is a cost-effective (AKA cheap) cleaner.
There is a "generic version" (AKA, knockoff) of Super Clean, called Purple Power, sold at dollar stores , but I have never used it.

One cleaner that I also like is L.A Totally Awesome (LATA), again sold at dollar stores. It is great for cleaning old cotton rags or very dirty work clothes in the washer. I know nursing homes and senior assisted living places use this for laundry purposes. I think Autopian All-Star Justins00ss uses this cleaner as a cost-effective degreaser in wheel wells. It is worth having in one`s detailing and house cleaning arsenal.
 
I’m a fan of LATA as well. I use it routinely around the house. Just cleaned up some tile grout today with it. It’s really great. It does work very well on wheel wells. It’s nice to have something cheap that works for a change. I buy a gallon’s worth often at the dollar store.
 
Lonnie said:
I refrain from using Gold Seal`s (formerly Castrol) Super Clean (the Purple Stuff) on vehicles because it is highly caustic on aluminum, even worse than OTC Simple Green.
I do use Super Clean for cleaning my wash media and polishing pads, though, but man, that stuff will eat (chap) your hands like nothing else, and yes, I do rinse them thoroughly with clean water.
It is a cost-effective (AKA cheap) cleaner.
There is a "generic version" (AKA, knockoff) of Super Clean, called Purple Power, sold at dollar stores , but I have never used it.

One cleaner that I also like is L.A Totally Awesome (LATA), again sold at dollar stores. It is great for cleaning old cotton rags or very dirty work clothes in the washer. I know nursing homes and senior assisted living places use this for laundry purposes. I think Autopian All-Star Justins00ss uses this cleaner as a cost-effective degreaser in wheel wells. It is worth having in one`s detailing and house cleaning arsenal.
Click to expand...

Lonnie,
I never use any strong cleaners with bare hands.. I have a pair on long rubber gloves that go part way up my arm and they work great for all that cleaning, rinsing of my foam pads in the bucket of Snappy Clean, and my hands are never stripped of oils..
Dan F
 
You would think that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) would be "common sense" use for both professional and hobbyists detailers, like rubber gloves or protective eye wear/goggles, but" apparently common sense ain`t so common" as early 20th century humorists and writer Will Rogers used to say.
Most detailing injuries and accidents are the result of poor human judgement or ignorance, like not reading detailing product labels or Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or not wearing appropriate PPE. As Captain Obvious (AKA Captain Cliche) would say, "Safety is no accident".
And , yes, I am a hypocrite in that department! It is unfortunate that it takes "an accident" to realize what someone SHOULD have done to prevent it. It can be as minor as a simple cut or almost frostbit or chapped hands, or as life changing as physical loss of an eye or permanent physical disability, or worse, the loss of life from which there is no second change to learn from it.

Sorry to hijack this thread on suggestions for buying a "reasonably priced" electrical extension cord for use with a pressure washer and talk about PPE and personal safety and health /well-being. It is just ironic how this current COVID-19 pandemic has given so much rise and attention to both subjects!
 
I have good experience with the Husky, Ridgid, and Yellow Jacket extension cords sold at the Home Depot. Particularly the 12/3 Husky and Ridgid cords that have the matte/satin finishes, though they are a little bit more expensive. 50 foot is the perfect length, long enough for use around the house and yard, but short enough to where you don`t frustrate yourself putting it away.
 
Anyone else get frustrated with frequently used extension cords that become so twisted from hand-wrapping around the arm that they look like and act like a spring?? Yes, I know that cord reels are a simple solution to this problem.
However, my brother-in-law a now-retired machine maintenance worker, taught me a simple change in my cord arm-wrapping mechanics to mitigate this "problem". Instead of using the non-predominate arm to wrap the cord around using the predominate arm as the wrapper which twists the cord, use the non-predominated arm to "drop and pick-up" the cord repeatedly as it is wrapping and the predominant arm (hand) as just a guide, not the actual wrapper. It takes some practice to master and do properly, but it does work.
 
Another idea to putting the cord away is to have it all stretched out as much as possible, then gathering it in one hand while the other pulls the cord without twisting it, and placing it so it forms a long circle in that hand. Keep it as much the same diameter circle throughout the roll up process..

If you can do this, all the twisting will come out at the end of the cord, as you work it into the circle your hand is holding onto..

Then, when you want to use it again, take that circular rolled up extension cord, lay one end of it down on the floor, and unroll it -backwards- across the area you are going to use it, and that will keep it from twisting again, and it should lay flat on the floor..

The key to avoiding twists, etc., is to always unroll any rolled up cord - backwards - It sounds and feels crazy the first time you do this, but it really helps keeping the cord from twisting again..

My BEST Cable Team; they wired up several multi-story buildings I helped build, taught me this trick, and they absolutely knew -everything- that has to do with any type of wiring, from the tiniest glass fibers in fiber-optic cabling to the huge, extremely heavy, 1,200 pair (2,400 individual strands) underground, full of icky-pick, copper cables and beyond..

I only use the heavy home depot husky red and black 12/3 cords, and they after years of use are still not twisted, and always behave great for me..
Dan F
 
Lonnie said:
Anyone else get frustrated with frequently used extension cords that become so twisted from hand-wrapping around the arm that they look like and act like a spring?? ...
Click to expand...

I`ve had luck with the "Over Under" technique once I was able to figure out how to do it. I`m not even going to try to describe it, it`s much easier seen/done than explained (IMO). We`ve got a 100ft cord at the shop; last time I used it I literally just held onto one end, threw the wound up cord and it unfurled itself without any tangles. Far cry from my old extension cord method.

For some shorter cords I`m pretty sure I`ve used Stokdgs` method.
 
On the budget front, here`s another extension cord question -

What are folks using for repairing the plugs on the ends? I`ve got a few that were hand-me-downs where the actual cord is nice, but the male plug ends have gotten quite beat up. Be nice to save them if there`s a good option. Figured I`d ask as I`m sure there are plenty of cheap repair ends out there that aren`t worth the time of day.
 
Oneheadlite- I bought the most heavy-duty-looking one at Lowe`s to repair a cord *years* ago and it`s still doing fine despite borderline(?) abusive treatment.

IMO, if you do it right (knot the cord so it can`t just pull out/etc.) and you oughta be fine with something like that.
 
Harbor Freight, estate sales, or garage sales. This is the type of thing that just usually works and I’m trying to buy as cheap as possible
 
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