Extension Reel warning!

[Yorkie]

I have to confess to being the numptiest of numpties this weekend, disregarding something I've known and adhered to for at least five decades, namely, do NOT use an extension reel coiled up, especially when using appliaces which draw heavy current, such as fan heaters. I have (or rather had) a 25M (82 ft) heavy duty extension reel which I use mainly for outdoor jobs, but yesterday, I needed to work in my garage as there wasn't enough room to work in my double-glazed, insulated, heated, cosy workshop to make a router jig for cutting radio backboards (more of that in another thread).

I hate cold weather with a passion, so - having taken both cars out of the garage, where I have a wall-hung B&D workbench - I decided to put a 2KW fan heater on to try to warm things up a bit. I unravelled a few metres of cable from the extension reel but didn't really want 82 ft of it snaking around the garage so left some on the coil. I plugged in the heater and everything was tickety boo for a while - heat billowing out, radio on, I almost felt cheerful! Then the fan stopped, the radio stopped and - was that smoke that I saw and an acrid plasticky rubbery smell in my nostrils? You're already ahead of me.

A couple of pictures are attached, one of which - as if I didn't know it - cleary spells out a warning to completely uncoil the flex. The other pic shows the consequences of not doing so. I've bought another extension reel and note that all of those on sale in B&Q, including the one that I've bought, now have built-in thermal cutouts to prevent Darwin's theory of the 'non-surviival of the stupidest' from being proven. I guess I must have come from a small gene pool - do I hear the distant sound of duelling banjos? Yes, I think so:omg:

In a act of self-inflicted punishment I've worked in the perishing garage all day with no heat on today, which must be the equivalanet of self-flaggellation, but let's not go there! In definace against the forces of nature and Jack Frost, I've succesfully made the router jig to make a new backboard for a pre-war 'Little Maestro', which has been on my 'to do' list for at least two years. Having made the jig, it took less than half an hour to accurately cut three rows of 18 slots in a piece of oil tempered hardboard, which makes ideal radio backs. (A thread on that will follow).

So, the end result is that I've got my happy face on today:D

[AlanBeckett]

David,
I suppose the answer is RTFM, or in this case RTFS - Read The Flipping Sockets. It's just as well you didn't go back to the house while it warmed up a bit.
I must say that the difference between wound and unwound is very large, much larger than I would have expected.
If it wasn't so cold I'd go and have a look at mine.
Alan

[Skywave]

When accidents like this do happen, it is psychologically extra painful because we are well aware of the dangers - or downright stupidity, if you like - of doing it. But alas! None of us are infallible. "Many a slip . . . etc."
David - you're not the first to have made this mistake - and you won't be the last. Let me conclude by saying that things could have been worse - at least you were in the garage at the time - so could take instant remedial action before the situation got completely out of control. :omg:

Al.

[Mark R]

Hello David,
all I will say is it is a good job you were in the garage!

cheers Mark

[Yorkie]

I hadn't realised that there was a problem till the fan stopped and the radio also went off (they're on the same wall socket). The line and neutral of the flex had come into contact due to the melted insulation and had tripped the MCB at the consumer unit. The de-rating of the coiled up cable surprised me too, but it just goes to show how much power is dissipated within the coiled up flex. Everything else on that circuit had shut off too - boiler, microwave, computer, VCR etc.

Oh well, boys will be boys!

[Alistair D]

Yes Iv'e done it too.The reel was only going to be used for a couple of minutes. An hour later "whats that smell" Extension reels should really(pun intended) be fitted with a thermal trip.

Al

[Andy M0FYA]

I have to confess to being a party to nearly setting fire to a Stéphane Grappelli concert in around 1974! The concert was at the teacher training college in York where my brother was a student, and involved with setting up the stage lighting. I was visiting and got roped in. We had a big cable drum, coiled up, supplying the lighting. All was going well until somebody smelled hot rubber. The cable on the drum was too hot to touch and, even on the outside, starting to get sticky! Panic! We either plunge the concert into darkness or attempt to unroll the cable, live and on the verge of melting. Somehow we managed the latter and spread it out to cool. Phew! The audience (and Stéphane Grappelli) were oblivious to how close to disaster we were.

It was a bl**dy good concert, by the way!!

Andy

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your unhappy story David; it comes as a timely warning as many will be using electric heaters this time of the year.

In this situation I don't know which would have been worse; to be burned alive or break your neck by tripping on the uncoiled lead.

When I've been welding or using my big woodworking machinery coupled to the dust/chip extractor I always ensure I hang around a while in the garage just in case something has started to smoulder. I check and double check everything is switched off before knocking off for the day and my 3 phase transformer is my biggest worry; the transformer is almost silent and idles at 0.8A it is fitted with a panel lamp to indicate power on. Ideally I'd like to be able to throw a master breaker but unfortunately a number of items need powering full time such as the central heating boiler.

However careful we are we can all make mistakes.

Kind regards, Col.

I to detest our cold miserable climate.