1st year apprentice

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A good try for Pointless?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Roughly what I'd expect. Did the extension lead flex melt?

[tabbypurr]

70C is its rating, not its limit. It is designed to run at 70C for a percentage of the time long term, and as I discovered can exceed it, but doing so reduces its life expectancy.

Wiki gives its glass transition temp as 82C, so that's about its real physical limit.

NT

[tabbypurr]

you're in for some surprises then

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not likely. The only long extension lead I possess uses 2.5mm flex. Made up perhaps 40 years ago. But have shorter ones of 1.5mm for where they are long enough. I do wonder why so many appear to have long extension leads for DIY - don't they have sockets nearer? And if doing major works outside the house, surely a decent extension lead is no different to any other decent tool?

[Fredxx]

Can you provide any evidence of this 'design' feature from a cable manufacturer?

And what percentage this design would be based on?

[Cursitor Doom]

Good point. A fuse is so short in comparison with the lead it would be negligible.

[Cursitor Doom]

Ah yes, China. Tested one of their multipoint extension leads recently and less than half the earth connections were actually connected!

[Cursitor Doom]

Microfurlongs sounds a bit continental to me. Thoufurlongs would be ok though.

[Cursitor Doom]

Yeah, but as I've remarked before, all that is Cultural Marxist BS and if you're not a CM yourself why on earth would you feel obliged to pay any heed to it?

[tabbypurr]

that's how domestic wiring works.

The hotter pvc is run, the shorter its life expectancy. It's normal uk practice to run 30/32A rings at well above 30A some of the time, and the cable lasts almost indefinitely like that. You figure the rest out.

NT

[tabbypurr]

nothing to do with china or quality problems. 1mm2 extension leads have long been compliant.

NT

[Fredxx]

No, domestic wiring is based on a maximum design temperature of 70C

I can figure most things out, but you specifically said "It is designed to run at 70C for a percentage of the time long term". I would say quite the opposite. it is designed to operate at or below 70C.

If you claim otherwise please cite a manufacturer's cable design.

[tabbypurr]

so no disagreement there

that's the same, not the opopsite.

I'll leave that until you've figured out what I'm claiming

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Just wait till you get all those nice cheap imports you want after Brexit. You'll get down to zero.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

2.5mm cable in a ring being rated at well above 15 amps, though.

[Fredxx]

You claimed, "It is designed to run at 70C for a percentage of the time long term". I am simply asking for a reference to that claim, rather than one you made up on the spot, and now possibly regret.

[Cursitor Doom]

I'd just give up if I were you, mate. This is one of his specialist subjects!

[Tim Streater]

I don't but many people and institutions appear to be intimidated by it.

[Dave Liquorice]

Eh? 30 A = 7 kW ish. ah, missed word "total" before "load". Both kettle and urn are plugin devices. The kettle isn't a "rapid boil" one.