OT charging

[polly filler]

Hi All due to recent spinal surgery, I am now incapacitated and having physio to try and get back on my feet again. A friend has kindly lent me an electric wheelchair, which is kept in my shed. In the instruction manual it states that the charger must not be plugged into an extension lead, only direct to the mains. Can anyone please explain why this is? as I do not electric in the shed and was going to use an extension lead to do the charging. Thanks in anticipation

[David WE Roberts]

Possibly so the can't be sued if you used a dodgy extension lead to outside or in the garage/shed? It does not seem likely that the current demand on charging will melt an extension lead but you never know. Unreel the extension lead completely, plug it in, and try it. Smoke bad, charge good.

[John Williamson]

If you're running an extension lead from indoors to outdoors, it's possible, although difficult, to damage the lead in such a way that you could get a shock from the chair, if there's also a problem with the charger. An RCD connected in the lead at the plug end should guard against this, although I have managed to get a tingle in my foot from a damaged lead by stepping on it in the past without tripping the RCD.

[ARWadsworth]

+1

An unrolled 13A extension lead will not melt when the wheelchair is plugged in.

[Jules Richardson]

It may be due to voltage drop with long leads, particularly if the same chair is available in the US (120V rather than 240V AC and typically radial wiring).

I'd say just try it, and if it works, it works.

[Martin Brown]

Possibly because the current draw is enough that if the extension cable is not completely unwound the resistive heating will set the reel on fire. Someone managed to do that to a village hall extension cable - I think running a 3kW kettle outdoors without having unwound it completely. Melted the plastic internally to a rather alarming extent!