# Should I use this Power cord that came with my Power supply?



## Azurax598 (Feb 4, 2021)

I currently have the Seasonic Prime Platinum 1000W PSU. My mains on my country is 220V. It comes with this power cord which goes to the jack of the UPS:










It says 10A and 125V maximum.

However I cannot fit it into the back of my APC UPS, for some unknown reason. If i push harder I fear it may break the socket of the UPS making it unusable. I used a cheat plug (aka adapter) instead shown on the right. It clearly says the output VAC of the UPS is 220-240V, technically beyond what the provided Seasonic power cord can handle.

















(Left: Can't fit the plug of the Seasonic Power cord to my UPS. Right: The Cheat plug I had to use to make it fit, however I will lose the ability to ground my PSU)​
However the Seasonic 1000W PSU is dual voltage (accepts both 110V and 220V). I also remember that it doesn't really matter too much if the power cord's voltage is 125V as long as you don't exceed the wattage of 10 Amps, it would still be safe to use. Is this true? 

With P = V*I equation, if the voltage is halved from 220V to 110V, then the current will double itself to deliver the same amount of power. 
With V = I*R and V and I values derived from the previous equation above, the device will adjust its resistance value (R) to compensate in order to match the Voltage needed

Am I correct with all of these presumptions* or should I get a new power cord that fits the bill precisely (i.e. rated at 10A, 220V)?*










Also, I would hate to use a cheat plug as I would nullify my PSU's ability to ground (cheat plugs/adapters only have hot and neutral terminals). However since my UPS' power cord (3 prong with hot, live and neutral) is connected to a wall socket that can accommodate a grounding pin, *then will my PSU is still able to ground itself?*

Alternatively, could I opt to use another power cord from my other power supply which is basically a IEC connector (C13/C14) on its male and female ends















The cable is rated at 10A and 250V max. Or should I strictly use the power cord that came with my power supply?

I am pretty sure that the wire gauge of both power cords must be relatively the same since they're both rated at 10A each. Unless there is some hidden design or restriction that can't possibly be known, then it must be safe to use power cords from another power supply or in that regard, buy another power cord?


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

You don't mention your Country, but you probably need Universal Power Adapter.


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## Azurax598 (Feb 4, 2021)

I should get the 3 prong one. Most adapters are 2 pronged (Hot and Neutral) and don't provide grounding. 

But just curious though if its safe to use a 125V cable but your mains, your UPS and your dual voltage PSU handles at 220V.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

If you were in my country, I'd recommend 10/3. I don't know how that corresponds to where you are.


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## Azurax598 (Feb 4, 2021)

> I'd recommend 10/3


Do you mean something like this? 75' 10/3 SOOW SO Portable Power Cord Outdoor Durable Flexible Wire Cable 600V - Electrical Cables - Amazon.com
Wire Gauge: 10 and 3 Conductors inside the wire

I'm from Asia and most Asian countries are on 220 Volts. I have a similar power cord nearby and it has the "GBT5023.5-2008" standard labeled on the cable. Googling it, I found that this cord is made from China, which uses 220V as its mains. 






GB/T 5023.5-2008_English: PDF (GB/T5023.5-2008)


GB/T 5023.5-2008_English: PDF (GBT 5023.5-2008)



www.chinesestandard.net





It has 2 cores, idk what's its wire gauge but _it looks as thick as 10 gauge if I'm not mistaken_.

I'm not an electrical engineer but from what I've researched, since 220V is a higher voltage than 110V, you would only need half the current to deliver the same amount of power required by your device. This might explain why this cable only has 2 cores in its design, and lower voltage cables tend to have more cores in it. Its just what I think. 
















As shown, its a PSU Power cord - Type B plug to C14 jack. 
Type B Plugs are used in USA, Japan and some Asian countries

I haven't really heard of any problem using power cords for PSUs which are made from different countries. As far as I know with power cords for PSUs, as long as it fits then it should be good to use. Just avoid the very cheap ones because its a sign that they skimped out on quality and can risk burning your equipment. Most stuff nowadays made in China, I wouldn't say all Chinese products are low quality, otherwise half the world would be experiencing issues by now.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Correct cable, but only buy the length you need.


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## Azurax598 (Feb 4, 2021)

Alright, I'll try getting a 220V max rated one. The length that I need is just about the same as in the picture. Lockdowns due to covid variants making it hard for me. 
In case it doesn't fit, I'd also buy a C13 male to C14 female IEC Connector PSU cable that is rated at 220V and do it all in one go so I don't have to keep going out.
As well as that Universal 3 pronged adapter...


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## Azurax598 (Feb 4, 2021)

I know now the reason why any Type B plug won't fit into the ALL of the sockets of my UPS (except for the two C14 female sockets). I have another UPS of the exact same model and all of those Type B plugs fits there. It must only mean that the sockets of my current UPS is the problem.

I examined all of the sockets of my current UPS. Again, except for the C14 female jacks/sockets on the UPS, inserting any 3 pin plug will not work and I must use a 2 pin adapter to do so. I took a picture of my current UPS' socket and compared that to my older UPS' socket (again, both of them are exactly the same model).

Using a 3 pin universal adapter to this UPS will probably not work because I've already tried several different 3 pin Type B plugs. It just will not fit into any socket of the back of that UPS. I think the only fix for the socket of that UPS is to take it to repair.









Again for reference, this is what a Type B plug looks like​















(Left - Current UPS. *Type B Plugs won't fit at ALL* of these sockets at the back of the UPS. Right - Old UPS *where Type B Plugs will fit.* Notice that the hole for the grounding pin is on the middle circle.​

You will see that they are "different". It feels like a manufacturing flaw? The "Hole" to which the grounding pin will lodge itself once the whole plug is fully inserted should be on the middle hole and not on the edge of the hole on the socket.

The only reason why I hold back against using my old UPS is because I changed the batteries on them (It is about 2 years old). I am not sure if its still safe to use if you changed its batteries, but I've been doing load tests on it like plugging in a laptop and it seems to work alright.

For the PSU power cords I was able to buy the following:










A Japanese C13 plug to C14 jack PSU cable, *rated at 10A 250V max*. It is labeled "Monitor cable CPU Power cord". Monitors use the same power cords as PSUs. Again I've scoured around google, and a lot of posts suggest that there is no issue with swapping/using different power cords for a PSU as long as it fits. I just want to make sure so that I don't get the magic smoke out of nowhere/fry my components one day.










A Type B Male to C14 Female/jack PSU Plug. Since the Type B male doesn't fit into my current UPS due to some physical "defect" or anomaly on its sockets, then I am unable to use it. Its rated at *10A 250V max*. 

So I decided to swap out my seasonic PSU plug to my first mentioned purchase, the Japanese "Commander" C13 Male to C14 Female PSU Plug.

*Seasonic's Type B Male to C14 Female 125V 10A PSU Plug ----> Japanese "Commander" C13 Male to C14 Female 220V 10A PSU Plug*

By swapping from a max 125V to a max 220V cable, I am within spec of the voltage of my mains, the output voltage of my UPS and within spec of the dual voltage of my Seasonic PSU (1000W Prime Platinum). I'm also able to utilize the grounding pin of the C13 Male of the Japanese "Commander" plug without the use of a cheat plug, thereby my UPS and my PSU are grounded towards earth. *The only thing I'm not quite sure yet is if the change in the male end of the plug will make any difference? (From Type B Male to C13 Male). If all is well, then my only problem left is the defective UPS sockets that I have. *










(Yes, my wall socket accommodates the grounding pin)

Lesson learned:
When buying a new UPS, carry a cable with at least a Type B Plug with you and ask the sales clerk to test it out by plugging it to each socket first on the UPS.

















When buying PSU power cords, carry your PSU power cord sample with you so you can match it side to side and detect any minute difference from your sample to the one you'll buy. If the PSU power cord has a thicker plug/jack, it may have a harder time fitting towards your UPS/PSU.


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

Power Cord Types, Power Cable types, Power Plug types | FS Community


In telecommunications, power cords are commonly used on computers, chassis switches, PDU, UPS and servers. How Much Do You Know about Power Cord Types?




community.fs.com


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