Oh, the increased safety you get by having the earth at the top isn't perfect. AIUI, in the USA it's usual to have it at the bottom - and they don't have shrouded power pins!
Indeed. No self-respecting company (apart from M&S) ever prices their products in complete pounds.
I think 2 inches is the limit, but can concur I've been able to do the same, or at least from the 'give' in the conductor managed to conclude which end of the cable the break is.
If you want the volt stick to detect a broken earth, then for the purposes of testing, you will need to make the earth wire live in the flex (obviously isolated from anything else!)
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This is accomplished with a new, custom-designed internal distribution circuit board. Wiring to the individual sockets is with Kimber?s high capacity TCX internal wire, using twin runs of wire per double socket, and twin runs are also used to the internal distribution board and outlets.
Higher performance TCX earth wire is also used than in the older PowerBlocks, and in total over 6m of TCX wire is used per PowerBlock. TCX is a heavy gauge copper cable, of the same quality as the individual wires woven together in our Evolution PowerKords?, but capable of handling higher currents."
Mmmm. 8 socket outlets providing 'high power' but all fed from a single plug with a 13 amp fuse :-)
I've had conductor failures in power cords near the strain relief fixings perhaps ten times in sixty years. Not necessarily earths, not necessarily extension leads. Electric irons seem particularly prone. I've had a couple in vacuum cleaners and in mains power tools. I'm not sure if I have ever had an earth conductor fail, in many cases they are sensibly arranged with more slack. Nevertheless, I feel my experience is directly relevent to the OP with an earth conductor failure in an extension lead; If you want to argue otherwise, fine.
I thought my music system was about as good as it could get but I was wrong. Very wrong!! I have a top of the range 4 1Linn system powered by a balanced ring main and silver signature superkords all connected by Kimber select 1036 interconnects with all the filters and other enhancements that Russ Andrews sell. It was with surprise and delight when I connected my new Signature Powerblock with double silver internal wiring upgrade. From the very first note the improvement in quality was so obvious. My wife Donna (who loves music but has no interest in the equipment)thought I was mad until she heard it. This fabulous piece of kit also enhanced the picture from my Epson 4K laser projector. Just like the music the picture was more dynamic with darker blacks and brighter colours and sharper clearer images) deeper crisper bass, clearer vocals and instruments with soaring clear highs with less distortion, bouncing rhythm and realistic wide soundstage
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Those simple component testers you can buy on eBay would guide you.
I've just tried it out with a number of IEC mains extensions in series - simulating the break by not plugging in one of the joints fully.
I'm seeing just over 100pF per metre, earth to either neutral or line, so you should get a pretty good idea of where the break is - particularly if you do the test at both ends of your cable. Once you've narrowed it down, curving and manipulating the section of cable indicated might reveal exactly where the break is.
It will pull out. Also, if you apply a bit of pull and also wiggle the cable will ease out even if the break is a foot or so from the end. I've done this many times.
The insulation has little strength compared to the conductor. It will snap when you pull. It's easy with cables that have fine dust (talc etc) inside them to assist flexibility, which most have.
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