And what statutory regulation would that be?
Fancy/better quality household plug...
- Thread starter Ttrees
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Agent_zed
Established Member
I believe you should also use a ferrule on the end of flex to protect the strands when you tighten the connections. If you are running high power through the cable and some of the strands are broken you effectively have a smaller cable at that point.
Ttrees
Iroko loco!
Interesting reading, and suggestions folks and @Agent_zed about the use of a ferrule
and also @rogxwhit mention of the already existing rubber sleeve.
I've never looked into cable ratings or the likes, going under the assumption that the thinner the cable the more it needs be watched, but can be estimated easier, i.e vacuum cleaner gets a bit warm.
Compared to using a heavier gauge cable and regularly inspecting the plug being about the best a joe soap can do, so therefore being more cautious,
especially so if using the old style bulb fuses, I'd not be convinced of them, and assume the wire would get a bit warmer than if it were an MCB or whatever.
I don't have much warming at all of my cables, and had to look up what size 1.5mm was, though I've bought it on few occasions.
If this random ebay listing is to be believed, 1.5mm is definitely the max I'll need.
and also @rogxwhit mention of the already existing rubber sleeve.
I've never looked into cable ratings or the likes, going under the assumption that the thinner the cable the more it needs be watched, but can be estimated easier, i.e vacuum cleaner gets a bit warm.
Compared to using a heavier gauge cable and regularly inspecting the plug being about the best a joe soap can do, so therefore being more cautious,
especially so if using the old style bulb fuses, I'd not be convinced of them, and assume the wire would get a bit warmer than if it were an MCB or whatever.
I don't have much warming at all of my cables, and had to look up what size 1.5mm was, though I've bought it on few occasions.
If this random ebay listing is to be believed, 1.5mm is definitely the max I'll need.
A lot of tools are used only intermittently. Vacuums and extractors can be powerful and left on for longish periods at a stretch. Those and electric heaters will demonstrate warming of cables more than most.
Any reputable cable manufacturer will publish the ratings of their cables.
Remember to uncoil extension cables. I've forgotten just once or twice over the years and after 30 mins of a 3kW fan heater, the flex near the middle of the reel got uncomfortably hot.
Any reputable cable manufacturer will publish the ratings of their cables.
Remember to uncoil extension cables. I've forgotten just once or twice over the years and after 30 mins of a 3kW fan heater, the flex near the middle of the reel got uncomfortably hot.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
We used to throw out melted extension reels regularly after their being used not properly unwound with vacuums.
Stuart Moffat
Established Member
Embarrassing confession/memory, when still a teenager living with mum and dad 50 years ago, their boiler packed up, and the immersion heater was disconnected. I got the thickest cable I could find in the garage and reconnected it. I didn’t see the point of cutting it to size for a very temporary fix, so i laid it on the floor with.nit wouldn’t have had many turns in the coil, but it very nearly set fire to the house. The charred floor boards still bear witness to it every time the carpet gets changed. I’m nerdy about unwinding extensions to this day!
Same with overloading sockets, below is the result of putting two 3Kw fan heaters onto one extension lead from one outlet of a double socket, house owner said I wondered what the fish smell was, thing is nothing tripped even though protected by an RCD, I suppose its lucky I found it before it got that bad. 
Attachments
That is what causes thermal events and house fires, there is no protection against overloads except a good smoke alarm to give warning and is only of use if someone hears it. There is insufficient current to trip the protective device and no in balance between the live and neutral so your RCD also fails to trip. That is why with machinery using motors you have overload protection in the system because there is a higher risk of overloads.
I would like to see the actual specs (they don't appear to be online unless you are willing to pay hundreds of pounds...), as that is contrary to both Australian regs (much of which is based on BS regs)- and physics....
We have a MINIMUM size cable required for various current limits (and voltage drop requirements) eg a 7.5A lead is no longer permissible for extension cords, because it plugs into a 'standard' 10A GPO, and has 1.0mm^2 cables (this is now the MINIMUM size allowable- previously you could buy 7.5A cords (0.8mm^2) which are now banned from new sales...
You can readily buy 2.5mm 10A extension cords here, pop into Bunnings and walk out with one...
Funnily enough, thats manufactured by Deta- a UK company LOL
Still waiting for you to tell us under what statutory regulation that fact comes under.
flying haggis
Established Member
the mk tough plugs have a terminal that the wire is wrapped round then the wire is held by a large washer under the screw, it's about the best you can get anywhere I use them a lot and the "ordinary" mk plugs intended for indoor use have the same terminal. The tough plugs also have lots of room for nice thick cables.
Although it is hard to get it through the plastic clear cover, this stuff isn't unusual for caravans on long runs with heavy loads (electric cooking and HWS) 4mm does 'just' fit into a standard 10A plug (although its a right pain to do)
Everything is a 'tight squeeze' but fits and is legal... (although most caravans are 15A plugs these days- same plug but a bigger earth pin..
.)
10A
Hilarious- literally the only larger connector- is the one that never carries any current- go figure...
15A
The 10A and the 15A will both take 4mm^2 easily in the clamp connectors- its bending it around the strain relief thats the right pain in the backside....
Everything is a 'tight squeeze' but fits and is legal... (although most caravans are 15A plugs these days- same plug but a bigger earth pin..
.)
10A
Hilarious- literally the only larger connector- is the one that never carries any current- go figure...
15A
The 10A and the 15A will both take 4mm^2 easily in the clamp connectors- its bending it around the strain relief thats the right pain in the backside....
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Off tack, but Tough Leads
are very good (maybe not the cheapest) for all sorts of leads. There's some useful info there as well.
are very good (maybe not the cheapest) for all sorts of leads. There's some useful info there as well.
The complaint is about household plugs, they are perfectly ok for domestic use but more questionable in harsher enviroments. So if you want to upgrade the workshop electrics then you have limited options. If you have 110 volt tools then you have a much better connector that is tougher and IP44 in either 16 or 32 amp versions, but note there is no fuse in the plug. Now with the blue 230 volt version of this plug, again in both 16 and 32 amp versions there is no fuse but you could fit the 16 amp sockets instead of the 13 amp domestic type on a radial and fuse at 16 amps in the board with RCD protection, now you just need to change the plugs on your tools to match. This gives a robust connector and might make your tools less desirable to any thieving scumbags.
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