Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 31 replies
  • Subscribers 32 subscribers
  • Views 3869 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Electrical Safety First Warning.

Zoomup
Don't overload sockets and extension leads.....

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8174165/People-working-home-told-pay-extra-attention-electrical-safety.html


Z.
  • 0

    OMS:




    Zoomup:




    OMS:




    broadgage:

    An electric shock to earth would be very dang



    When it's been your nth time in the cold and dark that month and you still have to get to a factory tomorrow morning to make Spitfires then running an extension lead doesn't seem all that risky- and we didn't (and still don't) lose that many souls due to electrical incidents.

     


    You don't need an enemy like the Luftwaffe to cause damage and mayhem, and risk lives and destroy homes....just leave an electrical appliance plugged in, like a washing machine or tumble drier.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43056887


    Z.




    You really are an total ***, Z


    Do you really think the occasional tumble drier getting a bit smoky because the lint filter is never cleaned out by the hard of thinking  is in any way comparable to a concerted air attack on civilians



     





    REPLY:

    The devastating Grenfell Tower tragedy started with just one electrical appliance fire O.M.S. The stats. show more than an occasional electrical appliance fire in the U.K. annually.


    Z.



     




     



















     




  • 0
    Remember the Grenfell Tower tragedy?

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2017/jun/14/grenfell-tower-blaze-video-explainer



    Z.
  • 0
    Continuing the theme of WW2 and uplifting the spirit of the nation, I would like to recommend a film called "Their Finest" with Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy and others. It is uplifting and entertaining.


    Z.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member

    Zoomup:

    Remember the Grenfell Tower tragedy?

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2017/jun/14/grenfell-tower-blaze-video-explainer



    Z.



    And has the enquiry concluded that it's a domestic appliance problem ?


    You really are a prize ***


    OMS 
     

  • 0

    OMS:




    Zoomup:

    Remember the Grenfell Tower tragedy?

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2017/jun/14/grenfell-tower-blaze-video-explainer



    Z.



    And has the enquiry concluded that it's a domestic appliance problem ?


    You really are a prize ***


    OMS 
     


     




    Yes, tall fridge freezer.


    No I am not.


    Peace man.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phPG9CI1Y8E


    Z.

  • 0

    Broadgage

    . . .

    DONT USE EXTENSION LEADS THAT TOTAL MORE THAN 10 METERS IN LENGTH"


    . . .




    Broadgage, as someone that spent a substantial time in education, I applaud the idea of explaining things at the level of understanding of the recipient, while remaining factually correct.


    I have a 25-metre extension lead, which according to you seems to be a thing that should not be made. It is certainly better than three shorter extension leads daisy-chained. I use it mainly for electric power tools in the garden.


    The other day I needed to use a power tool right at the back of the garden, where even the 25 m lead will not reach.


    So I daisy-chained another extension lead onto it. Job done. What's the problem?


    As for the Daily Mail, I take what I read there with a pinch, nay a truckload, of salt. I haven't forgotten its scathing attack a few years ago on low-energy lamps. They were a dreadful EU idea foisted on us by the bureaucrats of Brussels, whose sole mission was to make life for us Brits as difficult as possible.


    And what did the Daily Mail give away free that day? Yes, you've guessed - multi packs of those lovely old tungsten filament lamps.

     

  • 0
    You need one of these  50m lead from argos  

    Or for those with a toolbox and some knowledge, as I suspect many of us have done, a socket on the end of a roll of whatever was in 'stock' at the time and sprintl down the garden unreeling  a 100m roll of  twin and earth or something. We know its not permanent and should be rolled up and hidden once "mischief managed".


    One of the most 'power of opportunity' things I have ever done was to use two 'singles'  made from  all 3 cores of some inadequate flex in parallel to get L and N  to a welder in a silly place.

    As someone  I know well once remarked, if a  little knowledge may be a dangerous thing ,  perhaps a lot of it can be more so..
  • 0

    . . . The other day I needed to use a power tool right at the back of the garden, where even the 25 m lead will not reach.


    So I daisy-chained another extension lead onto it. Job done. What's the problem? . . . 



    The man problem is that at the end of a very long extension cable you may not be able to operate a 13A fuse if there is a fault. 


    Regards,


    Alan.
  • 0
    To be clear unless it is hundreds of metres of skinny flex, a 13A fuse will operate eventually , just not within the 0.4 seconds you might like for shock protection on a TN system, (on TT I expect the RCD to fire) .And you will  start to see serious volt drop issues with all but the lightest loading first.


    Even loop a round loop of 10 ohms (PSSC of 23A )will operate a 13A fuse, just not smartly,  and  250m of 1mm  flex would meet that.

    (1mm single core being 16 ohms per km cold and perhaps 19 ohms per km hot and limit of tolerances..)

    It is not a good idea, but there is some form of protection against short circuit.

  • 0

    mapj1:
    . . .

    As someone  I know well once remarked, if a  little knowledge may be a dangerous thing ,  perhaps a lot of it can be more so..




     

    Indeed!


    I was wondering if the picture in the Daily Mail article was a real-life case history, or just something made up for the purpose of a sensational article.  It reminded me of an incident many years ago when I was involved in the maintenance of the electrical installation of a small theatre. We were graced with a visit from the BBC, who were doing a radio broadcast from there. They took over a dressing room and piled in there loads of professional sound equipment kit - many complicated-looking boxes. These were connected into a nest of multi-way adaptors and extensions - not unlike the one in the picture, and all connected into a single 5 A socket.


    I spoke to the engineers, tactfully broaching the subject of whether this would be too much load and offering a more-substantial mains supply. The response was a very casual, "Oh that's OK, there isn't as much as 5 ampères on that lot.


    So much for a lot of knowledge. I think it is a case of knowing what you can get away with. Of course we need to play safe when we deal with people with limited electrical knowledge, but there is the matter of setting an example.

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines