Melted

Whoops! For some reason a triple adapter decided to melt. Two things were plugged in at the time, both rated at 1kW, one switched on, one not. Both devices are still functional and undamaged. No fuses have blown, including the one in the photo, although when I noticed the problem (the day after I was using the 1kW device which I switched off normally the day before) neither device would operate, presumably the fuse had fallen out of the holder. I can only assume there was an arc due to a loose fuse? There was a slight dodgy smell when I was using the device yesterday, but I couldn't work out what it was.

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Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword
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re plugged in at the time, both rated at 1kW, one switched on, one not. Bo th devices are still functional and undamaged. No fuses have blown, includ ing the one in the photo, although when I noticed the problem (the day afte r I was using the 1kW device which I switched off normally the day before) neither device would operate, presumably the fuse had fallen out of the hol der. I can only assume there was an arc due to a loose fuse?

I couldn't work out what it was.

What did you have for dinner the night before ;-)

That looks much worse than I expected, I've only seen this sort of thing on ce and it was a 2 bar electric fire (1.5-2KW) was plugged inin to a 4 way extesion lead (a cheap one) the pin seemed a bit loose when in the socket b ut that was after it was burnt.

Reply to
whisky-dave

I actually suspected a bee in the insectocutor, they make a stench like that.

Since nothing else was damaged (including other parts of the socket and adapter), no fuses blew, and everything else still works, I guess it had to be a loose fuse holder with an arc. Don't you just love it when a safety device causes danger?

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

It might have been the fuse holder clip at the pin end. Once these get warm, they corrode and lose their "spring" Resistive heating increases at this point, heat has conducted down the pin and cooked the socket.

It's a progressive failure, four amps is quite enough to do this. Probably dissipating a couple of hundred watts locally at the end.

Reply to
newshound

Perhaps you had a poor electrical connection inside the plug socket. All you really need to get hot for a specific current is to have resistance. Not the I know anything about it.

Reply to
Nick

I'm not having a good day. My cat's flea killer just went bang. On closer inspection, it's got a 240V bulb in a 125V fitting. I've had nasty words with the seller and manufacturer (Aspectek).

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

Now that's possible. One of the devices is a vacuum cleaner, and it does yank the cable sometimes. So it could have been the adapter pin in the socket contact, or either end of the fuse clip. It had melted all the way from the socket clip to the far end of the fuse, presumably by thermal conduction.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

Yes well another one down to the dodgy adaptor or the dodgy fuses being supplied. Have you watched Watchdog this year, they repeated the item about fake fuses only a few days ago as trading standards are still finding them on sale in corner shops. the problem is that if they get into equipment, there was a recent post about a tumble drier with this isse, then people trust them.

1KW is nothing. I have a 3KW fan heater and the fuse does not even get warm in its plug. Brian
Reply to
Brian Gaff

I would blame the socket - looks a bit old.

Reply to
DerbyBorn

Every 3kW thing I've used for at least half an hour makes the plug warm (about 40C). I thought fuses (or plug prongs?) just did that. Maybe those newfangled safety ones that have a sleeve on them? Therefore making the conductor much thinner for half the prong.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

Actually the socket is only about 6 years old, it only looks old due to the gunk from the melting plastic all over it. I replaced them all with brass ones not that long ago.

However the triple adapter could be 30 years old.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

WTF is a "plug socket"? It's either a plug or a socket. Which did you mean?

Reply to
Tim Streater

I don't understand why people say that. I say plug or socket, never both. So er.... if there are plug sockets, there must be other types of sockets? Ones you don't put plugs into but something else?

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

Eye socket Tooth socket Dry socket Ball and socket Spark plug socket Cigar lighter socket Hip joint socket Shoulder joint socket Croquet hoop socket Drain pipe socket Lighting rig spigots into barrel socket Trans-tibial prosthetic socket for lower limb amputee etc

:-)

Alan

Reply to
Alan Dawes

But tends to get called an adapter.

When people say "plug socket" I think they mean socket. For some reason they add plug as an adjective.

Do you ever say "I'm just driving my road car to the food supermarket"?

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

Try "electrical socket". "Plug socket" is still ambiguous. And normally context helps anyway. "Plug the vacuum into the socket" is quite clear. You obviously don't mean to plug it into your eye.

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

It appears to be common usage.

I don't know where the resistance occurred, Maybe the Plug. Maybe the connection between the plug and socket.

I did say I didn't know anything about it. Are you the type of person who takes an admission of ignorance as an opportunity to try and appear clever?

Reply to
Nick

That's a different kind of animal. Mostly one talks about a plug at the end of a wire, or a socket on the wall. That's clear enough.

Reply to
Tim Streater

Reply to
Tim Streater
[snip]

A socket made to accept a plug?

Also, some holiday light strings have a socket built into the plug (as well as the socket on the other end).

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

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