Coiling flex

It will be fine...

-- Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\ | Internode Ltd -

At 50Hz (or 60 Hz as used in some countries) the heating effect for any reasonable non-industrial use can be ignored.

(I only mentioned industrial use because someone might be drawing 300 amps or something.)

The issue is heat build-up, within the cable, due to resistive heating of the cable cores. Basically, a cable, carrying near it's limit, generates heat. Coiled up, the ability to dissipate the heat is greatly reduced, so the cable can melt.

Some wrongly assume the problem is induction, or inductive heating. A

Thanks everyone for the answers.

A 3kw electric fire through a coiled extension lead is a severe fire hazard. Somewhat less than industrial. 4w is inconsequential.

Not sure what the frequency has got to do with it. Coiled cable heating is nothing to do with induction and everything to do with resistance.

(if you think about it, a flex has counter directional current flow in the L&N, so no inductive effect)

Just to add another data point: I have seen the results of somebody who should have known better powering a washing machine from a coiled up extension lead. There was a pool of melted insulation on the floor, but fortunately no fire. John

I don't think caravan hook-ups allow 300A

Many cable reels today have a thermal cut-out to protect against coiled use. I often use one of my cable reels coiled, but only for short periods such as drilling or sawing, unrolling all 120ft of it in one location would be a trip hazard.