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IEC Wiring Diagram?

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Jasor31385

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Hey there.

I'm planning on cutting off the male end of a regular power strip and connecting a chassis-mount female end. I guess they would be C13 and C14, standard US plugs with the ground pin. My question are these: what does the inside of a power strip cord look like? Is there shielding? Will there be three obvious wires inside or will I need to twist up shielding to create the ground wire? How will I know which wire goes to which pin (positive and neutral?) and finally...what will happen if I don't get it right the first time? Will it catch on fire or will it just not work until I switch the pos. and neutral?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

-Jason
 
First off: There is no "positive" in an AC circuit. You have L (for line) and N (for neutral, also called return). In N. A.: L is the black wire, N is white and G (ground) is green. Most chassis-mount receptacles have the L and N (plus a bunch of other info) embossed next to the respective terminal. The centre is the ground and sticks out a little. This way ground makes contact first to protect the user.
AC cables are rarely shielded. Some medical or other specialized equipment may have that feature.
Last: Be careful, very careful and check your work! E
 
Jason: Follow the thread on "Don't cut costs on wall-warts..."
Even old-timers have problems!
An old electrician's rule is: When working on the mains, keep one hand in your pocket (no, not for entertainment, but for safety).
In N. A. the wire colour for the 220/240 VAC is red. It is in oposite polarity to the 110 VAC. Same as is the European mains. Essentially they are a balanced (around ground/common) 2x110V supply.
When working on higher voltages please remember the inverse-square-law. Twice the voltage, same resistance = 4x the current. That could hurt! E
 
You will likely find the outlet strip may have three wires with insulation colors that do not match any standard color coding. If you do you will have to use a continuity tester or ohm meter to match up each wire to its corresponding slot on the outlet strip.

The short slot is the hot wire.
The longer slot is the common or return wire.
The round or "D" shaped hole is the ground lead.

This is assuming you are from north America or a place that uses the same 120 volt 15 amp type plugs and sockets.
 
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These are all very helpful responses. Thanks a lot guys! I will be very careful, but the power supply will not be "live" when i'm working on it. It's basically a chassis-mount IEC connected to a wooden box and inside the box is going to be the power strip. But...again, I will be careful.

Thanks again.
 
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