ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 260 guests, and 20 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
pauluk Offline OP
Member
Thanks to SimonUK for this photo of a British extension power strip.

(West-of-Pond members, don't be afraid to have a go here! [Linked Image] )

Quote
Here's a pic of an extension lead I was asked to check out for someone who uses our yard and workshop. He told me it would trip out the breakers every now and then!!!!!
[Linked Image]



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 04-18-2005).]

Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Looks like a fused neutral to me.

Peter


Peter
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Hi there Simon,
This picture looks rather strange.
Is that cord the factory original type?.
Reason I ask that is because, how many flexes in the UK have a bare, solid earthing conductor in them?.
I thought that that was only used in fixed wiring cables.
Looks like the person that attached that cord could have some colour-blindness issues.
BTW, that cord clamp doesn't look that robust. [Linked Image]

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50
S
Member
Well spotted. The bare earth should give away the chord type as the photo doesn't.

It's 1.5mm T&E with the Live and Neutral swapped. The plug was actually wired correctly as far as polarity goes.

The T&E was removed there and then and the extension was wired correctly.

the person who made up the extension removed the original chord because it was too short at 3 feet.

I'm now working as a mechanic for a plant hire firm and have come across dozens of photo opportunities in our workshop alone.

Simon.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Ahaa!. [Linked Image]
I thought that cord looked rather strange.
Quote
I'm now working as a mechanic for a plant hire firm and have come across dozens of photo opportunities in our workshop alone
Bring it on, mate!. [Linked Image]
It's also rather strang that this multibox should have tunnel terminals in it, must of the ones I've seen aren't made for alteration and just have crimped connections inside them.
Either way Simon, that bare Earth should have been sleeved. [Linked Image]

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 806
Member
At least on that side of the pond [Linked Image] they use solid, heavy conductors for the internal bus...I've seen many power strips here with #18 wire and cruddy crimps at each recept. or more commonly a very thin, brass-colored strip for the bus. No wonder they don't last and are prone to heating up with moderate loading.

Is that mains lead aluminum or just tinned copper?


Stupid should be painful.
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
pauluk Offline OP
Member
Quote
The T&E was removed there and then and the extension was wired correctly.

For the benefit of non-Brits:

T&E = Twin-&-Earth, our equivalent of NM/Romex.

All the modern T&E is just plain copper. Tinned conductors were used on pre-metric cables, prior to about 1970.

That doesn't look like bare copper poking through the terminals though. Did somebody run some solder on these first?

There's no particular reason why the reversed polarity should trip a breaker. Or was this cable damaged due to flexing and shorting intermittently?


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 04-20-2005).]

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 161
G
Member
"There's no particular reason why the reversed polarity should trip a breaker."

Doesn't it depend on how the equipment downstream is wired? A large neutral to earth suppression capacitor might trip an RCD if missconnected live to earth. Were there computers on this multi-way?

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50
S
Member
Paul the cable had been through the wars. Run over by trucks, cherrypickers, tractors etc. I'm surprised it lasted this long.

The soldered conductor is the remnants of the previous cable.

Mike, I'll take a few pics in the next few days. I missed a good opportunity 2 weeks ago when I was on a breakdown at Ailsa shipyard in Troon which is being demolished. The main shed was full of equipment dating from the first half of the 20th century.

A good thing about our plant is its either construction or demolition companies that hire it which gives me plenty of opportunity to photograph old and new.

Simon.

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50
S
Member
Okay, I promised more pics so I'll pass them on to Paul.

Simon.

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5