15A 125V NEMA 5-15P Power Cords

NEMA 5-15P Plug Information

THE NEMA 5 standard specifies three wire (hot-neutral-ground), two blade one ground pin, grounded devices. Never remove the ground pin to force a three prong plug to fit into a 2 prong outlet. (i.e don't make a 5-15 into a 1-15). Doing so will result in loss of ground and may result in loss of line/neutral polarity.

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  The NEMA 5-15P is a 3 Wire grounded plug featuring two blades (can be equal or unequal widths due to the ground pin forcing polarity) and one ground pin rated up to 125V AC and 15 Amps. The NEMA 5-15P is your standard household plug used to connect small appliances such as TV's, Microwaves, hairdryers, etc to a wall outlet. The NEMA 5-15P is compatible with a NEMA 5-20R T-Slot outlet, which is commonly found in new home installations. Common ampere listings for NEMA 5-15P power cables are 10ampere, 13 ampere, and 15 ampere. Ampere ratings vary based on the type of cordage the NEMA 5-15P is used with, as well as the type of connector used. 

Which connector do I need on the other end of my NEMA 5-15P power cable?

With the many different connector options available, it can be difficult to know which one you need for your application. See below for general information on each connector we provide on our 5-15P power cables.

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  IEC 60320 C5 Connector (Female)

  The IEC 60320 C5 is a grounded 3 Wire connector rated up to 250V and 2.5 Amps Internationally or 125V and 10 Amps in North America. The C5 mates with a C6 inlet, and is commonly used for laptop power supplies, projectors, and some televisions. Being slightly smaller in size than the C13, the C5 can be a good choice for smaller appliances. This connector is sometimes referred to as a "Mickey Mouse" connector due to the shape of the connector looking similar to the kids television show character.

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  IEC 60320 C13 Connector (Female)

  The IEC 60320 C13 is a grounded 3 Wire connector rated up to 250V and 15 Amps. The C13 mates with a C14 inlet, and is commonly used in a jumper cable scenario in IT Installations providing power from a PDU to a server, router, switch or other computing device. Most people know the C13 as 'the thing that plugs into my computer' because it is the standard connector used to power most desktop computers. In a desktop computer application, the most common cable is the NEMA 5-15P to C13, which connects your standard North American wall outlet to a desktop computer.

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  IEC 60320 C15 Connector (Female)

  The IEC 60320 C15 is a grounded 3 Wire connector rated up to  250V & 10 Amps Internationally and 125V/250V & 15 Amps in North America. The C15 mates with a C16 inlet as well as a C14 Inlet and is commonly used in a jumper cable scenario in IT Installations providing power from a PDU to a server, router, switch or other computing device. The C15 is a HIGH TEMPERATURE connector rated up to 120°C, unlike the 70°C rating of the C13. The C15 is commonly used in in electric kettles and other household appliances that involve higher temperatures than a normal C13 is made to withstand.

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  IEC 60320 C19 Connector (Female)

  The IEC 60320 C19 is a grounded 3 Wire connector rated up to 250V and 20 Amps. The C19 mates with a C20 inlet, and is commonly used in a jumper cable scenario in IT Installations providing power from a PDU to a server, router, switch or other computing device. The C19 is typically used in high powered blade server chassis, large network routers, and other IT equipment that draws more power than a standard C13 can accommodate.

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  NEMA 5-15R (Female)

  The NEMA 5-15R is the female version (receptacle, socket, outlet) of the NEMA 5-15P. Utilizing this connector with a NEMA 5-15P plug will result in an extension cable. We provide NEMA 5-15P extension cables in 12awg (15A), 14awg (15A), 16awg (13A), and 18awg (10A). 

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  Open Ended (whips)

  Open Ended connectors are used to hardwire to another device or piece of equipment. We can provide custom lenght ROJ and Strip lengths for our open ended NEMA 5-15P power cables. We can also provide blunt cut, and terminated conductors as well.

What cordages are available with the NEMA 5-15P?

The most common cordages used are

1. 18awg-SVT cordage, this cordage is typically used with NEMA 5-15P to C13 power cables used to power monitors. The SVT jacket is much thinner than standard SJT jackets, saving room around your monitors and making the cable easier to bend. 18awg-SVT cables using a NEMA 5-15P would be rated for a maximum amperage of 10 Amps.
2. 18awg-SJT cordage, this cordage is also used with NEMA 5-15P to C13 computer power cables. 18awg conductors are used because computers and computer monitors typically do not need above 10 amps of power, so, using conductors any thicker would simply be a waste of space. The SJT jacket is thicker than the SVT jacket.
3. 16awg-SJT cordage, this cordage is slightly less common. 16awg conductors may be used in long cables that only require 10amps at the equipment. This is due to line loss in long cables. The also may be used for equipment that requires slighly more than the 10 amps that 18awg conductors are rated to supply. 
4. 14awg-SJT cordage is very common very equipment that requires up to the full 15A of power. 14awg conductors are significantly thicker than 18awg, and as such is only used when the equipment requires 15A.