Hi,
I was wondering if it is safe to use americal extension cables in the UK (cutting off the ends and using UK plug/socket).
I know that with moving from 110V to 240V, the useable current limit/rating is effectively halved, but apart from this is there anything else that would make it unsafe or not advisable. The cable seems fairly heavy gauge.
Thanks
TS expressed precisely :
The cable will not be to UK specifications or colour code. Why bother when proper UK spec. extensions are so cheap?
Cable won't be to EU spec (it may or may not actually be OK for
240V), and it will have wrong colours, black (live) white (neutral), green (earth).It would come under the general heading of a bodge, so you shouldn't do it.
Actually, the current rating is not halved. It may not be the same however, as the standards may impose different levels of acceptable heating in such a lead. US extension cords are often much thicker than ours, or they can't get any useful power out the other end at only 120V. ;-)
The current rating doesn't half - in principle it remains the same. Indeed lower voltage cables may be slightly thicker for the same rating as voltage drop becomes more an issue.
But don't use it. The colours will be wrong. And it's probably cheaper to buy a ready made one from a shed than to buy a suitable plug and socket for your cable.
And some US stuff is only 2-core, and it's often unsheathed - fit only for speaker wire.
I've had several "IEC" kettle leads with UK moulded plugs which have had US colours... admittedly most came with Far Eastern computer cases ;)
Lee
Many far eastern countries use our 13A plugs and sockets. However one of them (not sure which one) has some unfused
13A plugs, and every once in a while, a bunch of them come in with imported goods, to be pounced on by Trading Standards.
But how do you know? ;-)
Was that meant to be rhetorical ;)
I noticed because they are poorly made and the outer sheath separated from the moulded end of the IEC plug when flexed ;)
About the same quality as the PSUs that are usually fitted :(
Lee
limit/rating
gauge.
US flexes are liable to: be single insulated not double get hot during running lack earth core
why bother? Have you got a mile long one or something?
Will it work? yes. Would I do it? no.
NT
Thanks for all the responses.
The answer seems to be a resounding "DONT do it!", So I wont.
Not the current rating - that wouldn't be affected.
The potential (sorry for the pun) problem is the voltage rating. Put bluntly it is possible that the insulation could breakdown and the cable might develop internal shorts. That said, unless the insulation is very thin, it would probably be OK. Although for the cost of a 240 volt rated extension cable, is it worth the risk? If you want to try it, make sure it is fused correctly for the current rating, plug it in with no load and watch it for a while. Unplug and check the cable for hot spots. If it's cold it should be OK.
I remember years ago reading an american electronics book where they used mains leads with built in resistor wire. That way you could just rectify the mains inside your transistor radio or whatever and avoid all those nasty transformer things. I bet those flexes must have run hot!
Indeed, especially when the "line cord" was tucked away behind a heavy curtain...
People would also cut the cord shorter, hence overrunning the appliance.
You can get hand held fluorescent inspection lamps, where the flex is resistance wire which acts as the ballast. There's normally a note on them saying do not shorten or replace the mains flex, and don't run the lamp with the flex coiled up. It doesn't get noticably warm in use if it's stretched out.
they were used here as well, known as curtain burners.
NT
Sorry if I sound liike an authoratarian, but I don't think it is terribly helpful to offer suggestions of that nature. There are some people who are dumb enough to think "ooh, that's a great idea!".
Andrew
Please note that the email address used for posting usenet messages is configured such that my antispam filter will automatically update itself so that the senders email address is flagged as spam. If you do need to contact me please visit my web site and submit an enquiry -
Known as mains dropper flex. Or that was the polite name. But not used with transistor radios - cheap small valve radios, etc.
Believe it or not (according to trading standards) it's actually legal to sell an appliance in the UK with a US colour coded mains lead providing there is a label with instructions of how to rewire the plug should it have to be replaced.
I was incredulous when T. Standards said this.
What's the world coming to?
The issue arose when the mains lead (US colours) on my daughter's hair GHD straighteners perished where it flexes close to the appliance, the conductors shorted out, causing a flash burn on daughter's hand and a burn mark on the carpet where she dropped it.
T. Standards were actively disinterested in the incident saying it just a SOGA issue for us to resolve with the shop where they were bought.
I had to really labour the compliance/safety aspect. We have come across several other instances of this happening amongst her schoolmates and told trading standards about it but no overall action was taken.
All a bit sickening considering the subsequent part P legislation.
DG
The thin resistance wire also frequently broke, my dad repaired the line cord on his 110v american electric razor, by dissecting out the resistance wire and winding it on a cardboard former and insulating the whole lot with black tarry cloth "Insulation Tape".
A different even more horrible device was sold in the classified ads in the early '60s for transistor radios.
Called a "Petit Fulmiter" it was the size of a PP3 battery and had a paper capacitor as mains dropper / ballast, a diode rectifier and a reservoir capacitor, plus maybe a zener diode to get somwhere near 9v. When plugged into the mains there was 50% chance that one of the battery terminals was at mains live potential, and with it the rest of the radio inc maybe the telescopic aerial and earpiece socket !
We survived.
DG
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.