15 amp Power Cable 14 AWG Cord

This is a 14 AWG power cord rated for 15 amps, black, with molded ends. Blue Alpine part number E00120-00, $16.26. Read the amp rating section before you order. The two Blue Alpine dryers aren’t wired for the same circuit, and with a cord that matters.

What the gauge on a 14 AWG power cord tells you

AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. The scale runs backward, so a smaller number means thicker copper. A 14 AWG power cord is heavier than the 16 and 18 AWG wire in light-duty lamp and extension cords, and 14 AWG copper in a cord is commonly rated for 15 A. Thicker copper has less resistance. Less resistance means less heat at the same current.

Heat is what wears a cord out. A freeze dryer cycle runs 12 to 20 hours on average, so the cord carries current for a long stretch without a break. Undersized wire gets warm over that time, the insulation ages, and connections at the plug loosen. The American wire gauge article has the full table of diameters if you want the numbers.

One 15 A cord, two different machines

Slow down here. Blue Alpine lists these electrical requirements for its dryers:

• Medium Select: 120 V on a standard 15 A outlet, 13 A maximum draw.
• Large Select: 120 V on a 20 A breaker and a 20 A receptacle, 17 A maximum draw.

Seventeen amps is more than this 14 AWG power cord is rated to carry. We don’t have confirmation of which machine E00120-00 was specified for, so we won’t guess and neither should you. Find the power cord in your owner’s manual or parts list and read the part number. If it matches, order. No match, or no number listed? Call +1 (443) 514-5708 and we’ll help you sort out the right cord. Full electrical specs for the bigger dryer are on the Large Select page.

Molded ends: what to compare

On this 14 AWG power cord, the plug and connector bodies are molded onto the cable in one piece. Nothing unscrews. That makes the ends hard to pull apart, but it also means a cracked end can’t be repaired. You replace the whole cord.

Lay your old cord next to our photos and look at both ends. Check the prong layout on the wall plug and the shape of the connector at the other end. If they don’t look the same, stop and ask before ordering a 14 AWG power cord that won’t plug in.

Signs the old cord is done

• Cuts, cracks or flattened spots in the jacket, often right where it leaves a molded end
• A plug that feels hot after a cycle, or brown or melted plastic around the prongs
• Bent or loose prongs
• Power that cuts in and out when the cord gets moved

Scorch marks at the plug can also point to a worn wall outlet. Get the outlet checked too, or the new cord will cook the same way.

Routing it so it lasts

Most cord damage happens after installation. Don’t run a 14 AWG power cord under a rug, where heat can’t escape and nobody sees the jacket wearing through. Don’t pinch it between the dryer and a wall, either. Leave a gentle curve where it leaves each end instead of a sharp bend. And if you have extra length, lay it out loose rather than in a tight coil, because a coiled cord under load holds its own heat.

Fitting a new 14 AWG power cord

Switch the dryer off and pull the plug from the wall first, then deal with the machine end. Push each end in all the way. A plug sitting halfway out makes poor contact, and poor contact makes heat.

Don’t stand in a lighter cord from the junk drawer, even for one batch. The same rule covers extension cords: anything between the wall and the dryer should be at least as heavy as the cord it feeds.

One short safety note. If the fault turns out to be inside the machine rather than in the 14 AWG power cord, any mains wiring work should be done with the dryer unplugged, and by a qualified person if you aren’t comfortable doing it.

Related electrical spares

The 20 A SPST switch and our other electronics parts carry their Blue Alpine part numbers, so you can check each one against your manual before you buy.