"Make sure your extension has a surge protector"

Tuttle · Jan 20, 2013

The fire brigade advised (see link below): "Make sure your extension has a surge protector and never put one extension lead into another extension lead"

Overloaded extension cable leads to bedroom fire - News - getreading - Reading Post

Surely extension leads without surge protectors can't really be a fire hazard can they?

GLENNSPARK · Jan 20, 2013

Tuttle said:
The fire brigade advised (see link below): "Make sure your extension has a surge protector and never put one extension lead into another extension lead"

Overloaded extension cable leads to bedroom fire - News - getreading - Reading Post

Surely extension leads without surge protectors can't really be a fire hazard can they?

its daisychaining them thats the worst....
especially when their using them to feed heaters etc....

Adam W · Jan 20, 2013

GLENNSPARK said:
its daisychaining them thats the worst....
especially when their using them to feed heaters etc....

Try telling that to the general public who "just want it to work".
OK the whole lot will be protected by a 13A fuse which theoretically should blow if overloaded to protect the cable, but you don't know if they've used a 6A extension and put a 13A fuse in there because it's all they had to hand, or wrapped the fuse in foil because it kept blowing or something stupid like that.

lister101 · Jan 20, 2013

I think these electrical basics should be taught in school i.e max wattage & current of extension leads & what size fuses to fit in plug tops.
The 'watch managers' comment on 'unraveling the extension lead could have been put better.

Tuttle · Jan 20, 2013

lister101 said:
The 'watch managers' comment on 'unraveling the extension lead could have been put better.

Yeah, I thought that as well. I was expecting, before I read the article, for them to say that's how the fire started. My leads have a thermal cut-out which trips if the reel overheats, more useful than a surge protector I think.

Rockingit · Jan 20, 2013

Shame they didn't mention these little beauties.....

[ElectriciansForums.net] "Make sure your extension has a surge protector"

Adam W · Jan 20, 2013

Rockingit said:
Shame they didn't mention these little beauties.....

View attachment 16763

I'm sure the unfused ones were 'banned' years ago, but it's difficult to know how many are still in use.
The same goes for those plug in socket 'protectors' which unfortunately haven't been banned yet even though they make a socket less safe.
Go to FatallyFlawed for more information; a cause championed by Adam Hart-Davies and Johnny Ball off of the telly, and Tony off of this forum.

Knobhead · Jan 20, 2013

I’m going to make an admission here.

Behind my desk there are 3 four point extension leads. I’m not happy with them but they serve a purpose. The plug tops to each has a 3A fuse in. They would be even less if I could find the box of fuses I put so carefully away!

Extension leads are fine in the hands of a knowable person. A fire waiting to happen when used indiscriminately.

Due to arthritis I’ve got to wait until GlennSpark comes to visit me to extend the RFC with a spur via a 3A FCU to 10 MK K1257 sockets. It really pi$$es me off I can’t hold a chisel any more! I would have thrown the extension leads in the bin (plugs chopped off) yonks ago. But needs must.

Now who’s man enough to admit just what is lurking behind their desk?

Silly Sausage · Jan 20, 2013

Tony said:
I’ve got to wait until GlennSpark comes to visit me to extend the RFC with a spur via a 3A FCU to 10 MK K1257 sockets.

????????!!!!!!!!!!

You really are going to have ease up on them horse tranqualisers!

grantr37 · Jan 20, 2013

Tony said:
I’m going to make an admission here.

Behind my desk there are 3 four point extension leads. I’m not happy with them but they serve a purpose. The plug tops to each has a 3A fuse in. They would be even less if I could find the box of fuses I put so carefully away!

Extension leads are fine in the hands of a knowable person. A fire waiting to happen when used indiscriminately.

Due to arthritis I’ve got to wait until GlennSpark comes to visit me to extend the RFC with a spur via a 3A FCU to 10 MK K1257 sockets. It really pi$$es me off I can’t hold a chisel any more! I would have thrown the extension leads in the bin (plugs chopped off) yonks ago. But needs must.

Now who’s man enough to admit just what is lurking behind their desk?

I have a spare pack of 2A fuses i can put in the mail...

timbobelfast · Jan 20, 2013

I've got a cheap chinese 6 way below my desk. Not a CE marking in sight and it looks cheap and nasty. There's also no fuse in the plug top as it's a European plug. But a power strip burning up is the least of my worries over here!

Knobhead · Jan 20, 2013

Archy Styrigg said:
????????!!!!!!!!!!

You really are going to have ease up on them horse tranqualisers!

Best I can get, (cheap)

grantr37 said:
I have a spare pack of 2A fuses i can put in the mail...

I'll leave it untill Glen's done the work.

Thank you for the offer, it's nice to know there are some genuine lads still out there. It's pure idlenes on my part. The wholesale warehouse is only 200Mtr past the pub.

Knobhead · Jan 20, 2013

Archy Styrigg said:
????????!!!!!!!!!!

You really are going to have ease up on them horse tranqualisers!

Could always get my mate Marcus from the local pub to do it.

Hhhmm thinking about it, Marcus would be the better option. Non of this crap about regulations. Here when I whistle, shifts the furnature and paints the room afterwards. All while I'm in Harrogate.

Bit of a no brainer really, except I have to strip everything he's done so I'm happy in my own mind.

grantr37 · Jan 20, 2013

timbobelfast said:
I've got a cheap chinese 6 way below my desk. Not a CE marking in sight and it looks cheap and nasty. There's also no fuse in the plug top as it's a European plug. But a power strip burning up is the least of my worries over here!

have you met mr crosbie there yet?

malcolmsanford · Jan 20, 2013

The biggest issue I have with this statement from this watch manager is the surge protection device !!! I'm pretty sure he must have picked this up because of the recent admission in the amended regs with concern towards SPD.

Let's be honest here to be a watch manager or a fire man all you need to know is don't touch the yellow/orangey thing in the corner, and do you like a drink son ........... which was told to me by the chief fire officer at Riyadh airport many moons ago.

Seriously pretty good advice about the daisy chaining, but in all honesty if the lead has not been tampered with in any way, then that first one will never take more load than it is designed for which is a maximum of 13amps.

As the Rock points out it is the dreaded cube blocks that could be problems

"Make sure your extension has a surge protector"

Tuttle

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GLENNSPARK

Adam W

lister101

Tuttle

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Rockingit

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Adam W

Knobhead

Silly Sausage

grantr37

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timbobelfast

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Knobhead

Knobhead

grantr37

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malcolmsanford

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