Cable reel etiquette

[Jaws]

A few years ago, those attending a Funster meet at Waldergraves in Essex on a rather snowy day may remember the van with a coiled HU lead on one of the pitches near where we was BBQing... I nice slow rise of steam prompted a knock on the van door to be met with abuse... later the steam turned to smoke and the owner coming out to see why he had lost electric

 

[Podney]

Unwind it. It’s safer.

 

[42208]

Can't believe it - a thread sugesting that it's worth risking using a coiled cable rather than being arsed to just unwinding it......

How much time does it take?....

Too busy being a motorhomer on holiday ?...



Do you feel lucky punk?....

You better believe, its out there and common. Living a sheltered life no excuse. Actually the question was is it polite to fully unwind to appease people like you or just ignore it and do what you know is safe anyway.

 

[BreweryDave]

Ask for advice, and ignore it.
Rule 1 prevents me from saying more.






Twat.
TTFN !

 

[gus-lopez]

Was he on unlimited amp hook up and drawing a huge current?

No it just needs to be wound up.Works like the thin wires on an electric fire.

Perhaps they have special non combustible electricity on the continent.

No they have less amperage supplied usually & secondly they have no interest if it catches fire.

do what you know is safe anyway.

That's the problem ,it isn't . You might get away with it for years until one day.........
Or someone comes along need electric & disconnects yours bungs in a splitter & starts using a welder/grinder ,etc; I have seen it happen, I have been asked by another mhomer who wanted to do it & when desperate I've done it myself.
& as others have said on sites anything goes & the amount of burnt out cables I've seen & had , I've lost count.& the same attitude occurs with people who want to plug in, especially where there are not enough supply points..

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[keithchesterfield2]

I worked in a factory for a few decades and we had reels of cable powering a wide variety of devices - blowers, heaters, generators - and we never had a problem or fire in all that time despite the cable being wound round the drum with only a short amount of cable extended.
I'm not advocating that its good practice but we somehow survived despite Elfnsafety often making an appearance and not bollocking us or asking for cables to be fully extended.
I extend my cable fully when on hook up now but often wonder whether materials are not as good or as well built as the 'good old days'

 

[ianthebuilder]

Given my luck, 2 ex wives/ lost houses, horrible kids, bad investments, I alway unroll mine fully. Why take the chance to save a minute, mind you at my age every minute is growing in importance

Are you sure your not my doppelgänger!!! Lol

 

[1ten]

You could also leave your reeled up cable under the van but leave the grey water dribbling on it to keep it cool, much safer.

 

[sweetie]

Charming.

 

[BreweryDave]

Not sure which part of rule 1 calling me a Twat comes under, however, wouldn't really expect anything else from you, what a loathsome individual you are

I changed my mind........cos you’re worth it ?

( Some folk are easier to wind up than an electric cable.......)

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[hilldweller]

Actually the question was is it polite to fully unwind to appease people

But the issue is, are you putting at risk all the non technical people on here who may now use coiled up hook-up cables because you said it is safe to do so.

"and do what you know is safe anyway."

 

[DavidG58]

I don’t use a reel for my cable seems a waste of good drinking time, either g+t on arrival or another coffee before leaving ?

Unplug, Pick up, coil loosely, chuck in garage , repeat in reverse when next needed ?

 

[gus-lopez]

We have a Henry vacuum cleaner . Regardless of the amount of times I told my wife to unroll it fully she would never do it. then one day it melted & shorted out. Now we have Henry vacuum cleaner with a cable 7' long.
You can't educate pork.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ours is coiled neatly today, but not on a reel. Just the fridge on so will probably get away with it. ?

She'll have the hairdryer on tomorrow though ? ?

 

[Wellington]

Can't believe it - a thread sugesting that it's worth risking using a coiled cable rather than being arsed to just unwinding it......

How much time does it take?....

Too busy being a motorhomer on holiday ?...



Do you feel lucky punk?....

Time has different values to different people. My time, especially on holiday, is incredibly precious. I will eliminate any job I can, even if it’s just a few minutes, because it does make a big difference to me. I appreciate that people with a lot more time than me think it’s silly, but everyone tries to conserve their most precious resources, and time is mine.

I do uncoil my cables, but it’s a job I loathe, and I would gladly buy some sort of magic cable reel you could use coiled if possible. I’m hoping the inverter is going to mean we need significantly fewer hook ups this year and it’s one less job to do.

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[Richard n Ann]

Time has different values to different people. My time, especially on holiday, is incredibly precious. I will eliminate any job I can, even if it’s just a few minutes, because it does make a big difference to me. I appreciate that people with a lot more time than me think it’s silly, but everyone tries to conserve their most precious resources, and time is mine.

I do uncoil my cables, but it’s a job I loathe, and I would gladly buy some sort of magic cable reel you could use coiled if possible. I’m hoping the inverter is going to mean we need significantly fewer hook ups this year and it’s one less job to do.

You can buy 230v computer fans, you could fit one in the middle of the cable reel ??

The deluxe version would have a controller on it with temperature alarm... Hey and even a dial out plant alarm to fire brigade ??

 

[Barclaybasher]

Time has different values to different people. My time, especially on holiday, is incredibly precious. I will eliminate any job I can, even if it’s just a few minutes, because it does make a big difference to me. I appreciate that people with a lot more time than me think it’s silly, but everyone tries to conserve their most precious resources, and time is mine.

I do uncoil my cables, but it’s a job I loathe, and I would gladly bu8y some sort of magic cable reel you could use coiled if possible. I’m hoping the inverter is going to mean we need significantly fewer hook ups this year and it’s one less job to do.

I save time by not using a reel.

I make two loose coils, tied with string, if the hookup point is close I just untie one end, if I need to I untie the other coil.

When I leave I remake the 2 coils from each end and re-tie them quick, safe, simple

 

[Stroppy Bird]

Time has different values to different people. My time, especially on holiday, is incredibly precious. I will eliminate any job I can, even if it’s just a few minutes, because it does make a big difference to me. I appreciate that people with a lot more time than me think it’s silly, but everyone tries to conserve their most precious resources, and time is mine.

I do uncoil my cables, but it’s a job I loathe, and I would gladly buy some sort of magic cable reel you could use coiled if possible. I’m hoping the inverter is going to mean we need significantly fewer hook ups this year and it’s one less job to do.

I split our 25m cable into 8 metre and 17 metre ones and just select whichever is appropriate to save on the coiling situation. It has saved loads of uncoiling/coiling based on the very rare occasions that I have had to join both together (ie. once that I can remember in the last 3 years). I carry a waterproof junction box should I need to join them.

Though in all honesty I rarely use hook up.

 

[Allanm]

Most if not all cable reels will have information on them as to their safe maximum current draw.
I don’t use a reel, I have a loose cable, but I have cable reels at home and they all have these types of labels.

So, in this instance, I could use the cable reel fully wound as long as the current draw is less than 1500W. Fully unwound, as long as the current draw is less than 3680w. I also have a reel that states 1000w/3000w.

If you see a foreign van with his cable reel fully wound it could mean he is using low enough power for the specs of the reel, if he just doesn’t care

I think the British MH market is geared towards owners using electric kettles, electric fan heaters, electric water heaters, hot plates and microwave ovens, whereas many foreign vans have no oven, microwave, hot plate or electric water heaters.

Just running a fridge and lights ( like us ) and maybe a TV requires little power so in this case, a fully wound reel is perfectly safe to use.

Of course, I am not advocating using a fully wound reel, but personally, I would if the conditions were right.

 

[thebriars]

A 16A supply doesn't supply 16A unless you are using it. So the same van with the same usage that's OK on a 5A supply will be OK on a 16A supply and will still draw less than 5A.

That is not logical. If I am on a site with just 6amps, we use a gas kettle and put the heating/hot water on gas. With 16 amps we use an electric kettle and electric heating.

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[Paddywack]

That is not logical. If I am on a site with just 6amps, we use a gas kettle and put the heating/hot water on gas. With 16 amps we use an electric kettle and electric heating.

It's perfectly logical Captain. And for information you could run your heating or the kettle on a 6A supply - just not at the same time.

 

[thebriars]

It's perfectly logical Captain. And for information you could run your heating or the kettle on a 6A supply - just not at the same time.

All depends on the wattage of the kettle, and also whether you have the heating on 1 or 2kw.

 

[Paddywack]

All depends on the wattage of the kettle, and also whether you have the heating on 1 or 2kw.

Yes your heater on 2KW setting will need 8.7 amps so I suggest you run your heating on 1KW, your electric camping kettle will be low wattage - typically 1KW. Problem solved - which is what Tony was saying.

 

[thebriars]

Yes your heater on 2KW setting will need 8.7 amps so I suggest you run your heating on 1KW, your electric camping kettle will be low wattage - typically 1KW. Problem solved - which is what Tony was saying.

I am fully aware of that thank you.

 

[autorouter]

Turn the electric heating on, then boil water in the gas kettle - just put it on the uncoiled cable reel.

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[PepnKook]

I thought fellow MH's were supposed to be chilled out! Jeez, how can such a innocuous subject promote such ire! For info, if anyone cares, I use a reel, unwind it fully to plug in, wind it up to put away. Got tired of getting wet and dirty arms/clothes without reel, so bought one and now takes a whole TWO MINUTES to roll it up! And to be on the safe side, I open a beer before I unroll so as not to waste too much time....

 

[JohnJan]

Am so glad you posted this.

 

[ceejayt]

A few yesarsd ago I ran an extension to a 2kw tea urn in a tent - I left the cable reel coiled. After about one hour the electrics all went off and sure enough I had a cable reel that had literally melted.

I always unwind my cable fully - can't see any reason not to do so. I also carry one 25m and one 10m so I don't have to uncoil a big cable unnecessarily.

It is definitely a problem and it is both the current and the coiling that causes the problem

 

[ceejayt]

From Intersafe website...

We caught up with Electrical Engineer, Ashley Boyce, who as part of the Intersafe team carries out portable appliance testing across the country at various sites every day. He said:
“Extension reels carry a real risk, I have seen the hazards sadly on more than one occasion. Users can overload an extension reel and plug in appliances that exceed the rating for the extension lead. This is in turn can cause the cable to melt and presents a serious health and safety risk. When using extension reels, add together the amperage rating of all the appliances used on that cable and you can tell which size extension lead you need. Today, extension cords either have the rating stamped on a plug, or a tag is affixed telling you what amperage it is rated to support. Devices that produce heat or power tools that do heavy work tend to be high-amperage items."

 

[Northernraider]

What's a hook up cable?

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