The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Izzy on October 19, 2014, 07:39:31 pm

Title: Electrical safety
Post by: Izzy on October 19, 2014, 07:39:31 pm
I was recently called to help an elderly friend whose interweb wasn't working. (It turned out to be a switch off router, pause, and now switch on router problem.) But while rumaging 'round the back of her telly I was really alarmed. She had 8 items running from an extension cord - phone, router, CD player, telly, DVD player, sat box, lamp and electric fire. This had all been done for her by a friend from church. All the excess length of cables were tidied up into coils with elastic bands.
 
I have looked at the RoSPA website and it doesn't really deal with the modern realities of out digital media world. It just says don't overload sockets.
 
Am I being v overcautious? I def remember in O grade physics being told never to run electricity thru a coiled cable.
Title: Re: Electrical safety
Post by: bloomer on October 19, 2014, 07:45:16 pm
relatively short cables aren't a big issue, long extension leads on a drum are!!!


most of the stuff you describe uses very little power so the overall load on the socket shouldn't be too bad and assuming its correctly fused there is little risk...


personally we run a number of 4 gang extension leads in our house that allow us to meet the needs of modern gadgets in a house who's wiring plan is ancient (modern cables etc but serious lack of sockets)



Title: Re: Electrical safety
Post by: Izzy on October 19, 2014, 07:52:39 pm
Tks Bloomer
Title: Re: Electrical safety
Post by: shygirl on October 19, 2014, 08:57:33 pm
there are multi-plug sockets available which have a trip switch/fuse on them.
Title: Re: Electrical safety
Post by: paddy1200 on October 19, 2014, 09:00:16 pm
I would agree with Bloomer but would have concerns about the electric fire running off it. That should probably be fused at 13amp. If the fuse for the extension is 13 amp then the other appliances would easily overload as they should be on a smaller ampage fuse.
Title: Re: Electrical safety
Post by: bloomer on October 19, 2014, 09:02:47 pm
oops my bad i missed the fire


all the electrical entertainment stuff is fine the fire should probably have its own socket.
Title: Re: Electrical safety
Post by: claire on October 19, 2014, 09:19:27 pm
sounds like you been in my mothers house...

she used to work for Granada, in the olden days when you rented telly's ... and they had the whole shop front off one socket ...
so she thinks that's normal.