Coiled cables

[phil_in_npton]

Good Evening
Once packed away I’m constantly looking out for whoever it is that puts it all into knots before I go to use it again!

Phil in Northampton

 

[meanders]

I do think some people make assumptions then let themselves worry based solely on unproven data

Why take the risk? You might only expect to use a few amps to charge teh battery and then it gets chilly, or snows and you need the heating on or boil a couple of kettles for hot drinks. Do you then want to go out to uncoil it?

If the reel does go up, and it's under the van, the consequences could be horrendous! Having a shorter lead for short runs removes the temptation.

 

[Grummyb]

Whats the bigger nuisance winding cable on or waiting to direct the fire engine to the smoldering mess that used to be your pride and joy?

 

[Widge]

Its simple, i have 1 long and 1 short cable, and use which ever is suitable, or both if a particularly long reach is needed, i also have adapters to convert to standard euro plugs/sockets, only once have i ever needed to buy an additional extension lead. I hand coil them, they are flat when coiled, so easier (imo) to store than cable reels anyway.

 

[Gromett]

If you are just charging batteries it does no harm, but electric heaters or cookers are a potential problem and likely to result in over-heating.

You are of course technically correct but in practice not such a good idea.

You are only stopping one night so don't unroll it as you are only going to use the charger and lights.
But then you decide to go out for a meal. You turn on the boiler with electric element on so you can have shower, then missus uses hair dryer. Possibly time for the fire brigade?

Too easy to forget to unroll if plans change. I always unroll and have loosely looped,

To be honest I carry multiple leads, 3 in fact. really short, medium and very long. They can be linked up in combination.

I am paranoid about this due to the practical experience of not unrolling an extension lead when I was younger and using a heat gun to strip some paint. I thought the burning smell was the paint, not realising the extension lead was smoking behind me.

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[PlacidoD]

Can you connect them to extend the run (not that I ever needed to )

CAMC sites in the UK specifically ban that and likely others will have similar rules.

 

[Fdhadi]

Like Gromet I carry 3 different lengths of cable and use accordingly.

I’m the sad get that when hooking the cable over arm after use, have a clean cloth in hand to wipe the said cable before storing it in a bag.

Thinking about it, I also try to have the cable in a straight row, like my shorts and tee shirts and undies ironed, changed each day but do quite often stay off grid. I also like to shave & shower before turning out.

Don’t think I’m quite ready to join the un-washed club just yet.

 

[Gromett]

I’m the sad get that when hooking the cable over arm after use, have a clean cloth in hand to wipe the said cable before storing it in a bag.

Not a sad get. I do the same. I don't like getting mud on my hands/clothes when wrapping up. And I don't like dragging unnecessary mud into the garage if I can help it.

Also part of the reason why I have a very short lead and try to use it each time. Pure laziness on my part

 

[bobnick]

Never uncoiled.
After reading on here that i should i made a point of feeling just how warm/hot the cable got both what was remaining on the drum and the exposed length. Cold everytime i tested. So don't now bother.

 

[bobnick]

I thought that thing in electric box trips and cuts the electric if owt were to go wrong.............like overheating. If no what's the point of those trip things.

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[Gromett]

I thought that thing in electric box trips and cuts the electric if owt were to go wrong.............like overheating. If no what's the point of those trip things.

The trips are if there is an electrical fault. that electrical fault will only happens once the cables have melted and perhaps burned enough for the live to touch the earth or neutral.

After reading on here that i should i made a point of feeling just how warm/hot the cable got both what was remaining on the drum and the exposed length. Cold everytime i tested. So don't now bother.

It is perfectly fine until you do something different...

 

[bobnick]

The amount of tips i have got from this forum have been so handy being relatively new to the game.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

Its simple . Leave it coiled if you want to take the risk. Un coil if you dont. Im in the uncoil corner.

 

[makems]

Many, many years ago when I was just starting out on my musical journey I made an extension cable making the socket end out of plywood and the cable wound on a small drum I borrowed from the rope factory where I worked during the day. It worked well and made sure my band could get power where we needed it on stage where many places only had a single socket. My Dad asked me one day if he could borrow it but unknown to me he wanted to plug in the washing machine and the separate spin drier.
Unsurprisingly the cable on the drum overheated, burst into flames and nearly burnt the house down.
When I had a moho I never put the uhu cable on a drum but always wound it by hand using the under/over method I always used for guitar and mic cables to stop them getting tangled and knotted. With this method you pretty much just throw the cable on the ground and it lays out nice and flat with no kinks or coils. Only takes seconds to rewind too once you have mastered the technique. Plenty of youtube videos showing how to do it.

 

[BillandHelen]

We have noticed that the CAMC now have reminders at checkin to fully unwind all cables, they have had 2 serious fires on site this year, both reported on here, don’t know if cables were the cause though.

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[meanders]

The problem is that it's almost impossible to determine the precise conditions that will cause a thermal runaway because there are so many variables. Conductor type and size, insulation material, size and tightness of the coiling, the number of turns left on the spool, air temperature and current being drawn at the time all have an influence. The coiling of the cable means that the innermost loops have little or no chance of air cooling added to which you have to add a relatively small, but still significant inductive effect because you have formed a perfect coil. Electrical resistance rises as heat rises, and as the resistance increases, assuming a constant potential (Voltage), it will get to the point that you get a thermal runaway and the insulation will burn. As Gromett states, when it gets to the point that the insulation has melted and the conductors touch, the trip on the post should drop, but by then it's too late. The proportional rise in resistance as the heat increases will, if anything, reduce the current being drawn up to the point that conductors touch, so a simple MCB will provide no protection until it's too late.

If you add a lump of iron or steel to the middle of the coil you will create even more heat.

 

[Bognor Saint]

Out of interest how do you store it in the garage - loose ?

We coil ours and store it in a bag similar to this.

 

[Barryh]

A long time ago I hired a steam wallpaper stripper and plugged it into my coiled up on a reel extension lead. It worked fine until there was a bright flash and loud bang, the cable had literally melted inside the reel.

 

[DDJC]

We have four. Three (30m, 10m and 5m) live in the van all the time. The 30m is loosely coiled and in use, is loosely uncoiled. The 10m is used in UK, at home for our house commando socket to van if I want to get it warmed up or the fridges on. Also have a 25m that lives in the shed. I always unwind or uncoil.

My point is about cable thickness. The continent all seem to use 1.5 cables. All mine are 2.5mm heavy orange jobbies. Is it safer to have 2.5mm cables? Does it depend on your draw, or the camp site amperage? We do use electric to heat the bus if the site amperage allows it. Apart for the kettle and toaster, all cooking is done on gas though.

 

[meanders]

My point is about cable thickness. The continent all seem to use 1.5 cables. All mine are 2.5mm heavy orange jobbies. Is it safer to have 2.5mm cables?

Yes. But be aware it's the conductor size that's important for carrying current, not the overall cable size. It's quite possible to have larger conductors with thinner insulation and sleeve that looks 'thinner' than another cable with smaller conductor size and thicker insulation. So called Arctic spec cables such as the bright orange stuff has a very thick outer sleeve that will tolerate being run over and remain flexible at low temperatures. etc. You only have to compare the size of cable supplied with an electric kettle or washing machine, with your hook up cable yet both are designed to take 13-18 amp.

Does it depend on your draw, or the camp site amperage? We do use electric to heat the bus if the site amperage allows it. Apart for the kettle and toaster, all cooking is done on gas though.

Both. The main thing is what you are drawing, but if the site will only deliver say 6 amps, you are less likely to have a problem than if it's 16 amps, because the site trip will drop first. That really does spell out the difficulty in that there are so many variables to consider. If in doubt, reel it out.

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[Gromett]

Both. The main thing is what you are drawing, but if the site will only deliver say 6 amps, you are less likely to have a problem than if it's 16 amps, because the site trip will drop first. That really does spell out the difficulty in that there are so many variables to consider. If in doubt, reel it out.

Agreed but a site may say 6amp limit. But one or more of the trips may have been replaced with a 10 or 16 at some point for various reasons. I have seen this.

 

[dunnah01]

Electricity won't go round corners so you need to unwind your cable. This is a FACT - it came straight from X (fka Twitter)

 

[royandsharont]

Can you connect them to extend the run (not that I ever needed to )

No never, I believe they say it is not safe, but I’m no electrician. I carry 2 to suit the distance to the bollard & so I have a spare in case of damage or theft.

I think in the U.K. regs are 25m max. I’ve seen them joined and much longer abroad, especially in France.

 

[meanders]

No never,

I disagree. We do it in events and theatre all the time with the same Ceeform connectors. Provided the cable is the right spec for the load, and it's not a ridiculous length, and the connections are all secure, it's fine. Certainly adding a 15 to a 10m should give no problems whatsoever.

 

[KNWH]

I’ve posted this photo before, but just a reminder that even uncoiled 2.5mm cables can get warm

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[Gordy29]

I see that most of our continental cousins don’t unwrap their ehu cables - do you have to or not as it’s a pain rewinding them

I’m an electrician by trade of nealy 50 years my advice is always unwind any extension lead , I ve been to many cases of leads not being unwound and the damage and near fatality in could of caused ,that extra few minutes that can be a pain will maybe saving your pride and joy or your life

 

[Brummie64]

I have a 25 metre cable on a coil, always uncoiled it fully, until it became a pain, so I now carry a 10 metre cable as well. Although we mostly tour France we their weasy 6 amps

 

[bobnick]

I have 2 X 25mt cables. 1 in the truck on a drum and one in the garden shed still in it's new wrapper

 

[Rapido925M]

..... added to which you have to add a relatively small, but still significant inductive effect because you have formed a perfect coil. ...

If you add a lump of iron or steel to the middle of the coil you will create even more heat.

I'm confident that there was a discussion about this several years ago where the concept of induction effects were debunked because the current in the live wire EXACTLY CANCELS the current in the neutral wire which is flowing in the opposite direction.

Adding an iron core would have an effect if induction was present BUT who would reduce their payload AND give themselves extra work in lifting the cable by doing such a thing?

Gordon

 

[Apacheman]

I have a 25 metre cable on a coil, always uncoiled it fully, until it became a pain, so I now carry a 10 metre cable as well. Although we mostly tour France we their weasy 6 amps

I mirror you and where possible use the 10m cable. Whichever I always totally uncoil it though. Peace of mind.

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