Thoughts on 13amp hook up lead (1 Viewer)

[takeaflight]

I am interested in this Link Removed

Changing the plugs and sockets of course and using it fully extended, but 13amp !

Any thoughts.

 

[pappajohn]

at £44 its cheaper to buy a proper hookup lead and its a full 25mtr and rated at 16aoh:

 

[Linda and Steph]

I am interested in this Link Removed

Changing the plugs and sockets of course and using it fully extended, but 13amp !

Any thoughts.

It isn't clear (to me) whether the auto retract will allow the cable to remain fully extended in use or if it's spring loaded and will try to wind itself in.

 

[old-mo]

I was always told/taught that you should always uncoil an extension lead when on prolonged use,, So I never leave my excess coiled up.

Dont ask me why,, cos I dont know why. oh:

 

[Linda and Steph]

I was always told/taught that you should always uncoil an extension lead when on prolonged use,, So I never leave my excess coiled up.

Dont ask me why,, cos I dont know why. oh:

Cos it will get hot

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[scotjimland]

I was always told/taught that you should always uncoil an extension lead when on prolonged use,, So I never leave my excess coiled up.

Correct..

using it coiled up and it is likely to melt and go on fire ..

 

[JayDee]

The cable may well be rated at only 13 amp and so could get somewhat over heated if used at 25% over load .

If the cable is used coiled it can get very hot.

We always spread the excess coils out over a couple of feet under the van.
A purpose assembled 25 metre hook-up cable is the way to go in my opinion and I think the cable itself is tougher - as well as it being orange and can be more easily seen.
If you want it on a reel I imagine there's something available.

Just my opinions, of course

John

 

[JeanLuc]

As others have said, it must be fully unwound before use. The other key point to check is the cross-sectional area of the conducting wires. They should be 2.5 mm sq. As it is rated at 13 amp, they could be 1.5 mm sq which is more common in domestic use.

Apart from that it looks a pretty heavy solution to cable storage and I'm always conscious of payload - but that may not be an issue for you.

 

[keith]

What do people plug in that uses 16 amp, we never get close to that, even in the UK. If you go abroad you have difficulty finding sites that have above 10 amp so I never get close to 16 amp usage & use a 13 amp reel.

We have a JCB reel that has a cutout if it overheats, & it has yellow wire so no problems with seeing it. A lot smaller & lighter than the Orange lead used by most of us. :thumb:

You can buy reels to hold your 16 amp lead, bright Orange, & I sold one recently.

 

[walburga]

What do people plug in that uses 16 amp, we never get close to that, even in the UK. If you go abroad you have difficulty finding sites that have above 10 amp so I never get close to 16 amp usage & use a 13 amp reel.

Exactly !
I got fed up carting the very heavy & bulky 16 amp 25 metre cable about, so, I got a 25 m extension reel of arctic cable (£ 12 ish from wilkinsons) and made up the tails each end, one for the site supply post and t'other for connecting to the van. Result is that everything packs away much neater, and I've got a cable that's nearer 35 m long. I always calculate the current draw I use, and I make sure it's never over 10 amps. I also unwind completely the reel even in France when quite often the supply will not exceed 6 amps.

regards
Allen

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[Braunston]

Hi,

Taking what everyone has already said, I would just add that I have had 4 or 5 vacuum cleaners over the years, and the automatic cable retraction on each of them failed at some point and its a bl**dy nuisance trying to get that last 5 or 6 feet of cable back,

I am sure it would not happen with this type of equipment but I just thought I would mention it.

 

[scotjimland]

What do people plug in that uses 16 amp, we never get close to that, even in the UK.

I guess you don't winter in the UK Keith ?

We regularly trip the 16A MCB , I noticed yesterday that the EHU lead had melted the snow around it .. it's not hot but clearly warm .. and it's a 2.5mm cable.

However, I do agree, when abroad many EHU are only 10 A or less and a 1.5mm cable is more than adequate ..

I have a fixed 15 mt lead from the RV, this is usually enough on proper pitches, in addition I have a 25 mt on a plastic reel and I also carry a 30mt 1.5mm extension reel , this comes in useful on aires when the hook ups points are centrally located .. one think I learnt, you can never have too much cable.. nothing worse than being a few meters short .. and before anyone asks.. yes I have used them all at the same time.. total distance 70 mt ..

This was exceptional, but when your full time you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

 

[keith]

I guess you don't winter in the UK Keith ?

We regularly trip the 16A MCB , I noticed yesterday that the EHU lead had melted the snow around it .. it's not hot but clearly warm .. and it's a 2.5mm cable.

However, I do agree, when abroad many EHU are only 10 A or less and a 1.5mm cable is more than adequate ..

I have a fixed 15 mt lead from the RV, this is usually enough on proper pitches, in addition I have a 25 mt on a plastic reel and I also carry a 30mt 1.5mm extension reel , this comes in useful on aires when the hook ups points are centrally located .. one think I learnt, you can never have too much cable.. nothing worse than being a few meters short .. and before anyone asks.. yes I have used them all at the same time.. total distance 70 mt ..

This was exceptional, but when your full time you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Yes Jim, with that much space to heat you need 16A. But the majority of M/H wont use that much lecy.

Yes we do winter (although clearly not at the moment) in UK but our smallun dont need much more than 1000W fan heater to keep us warm.

 

[moandick]

As the Warden of St Agnes Beacon Caravan Club Site in Cornwall in 1992 I saw an electric kettle - A Swan Brand electric kettle - that was rated at 4000 watts

I don't know where they got it from, I don't even know if it was legal - but I was so shocked to see a 4000 watt kettle that I actually showed it to several other people on the site at that time.

I am not an electrician but I reckon that was in excess of 16 amps and everytime they put it near a socket in the caravan it blew the site!

That was until I eventually worked out that it was their hook-up and their problem and confiscated that kettle until they left the site!

 

[scotjimland]

As the Warden of St Agnes Beacon Caravan Club Site in Cornwall in 1992 I saw an electric kettle - A Swan Brand electric kettle - that was rated at 4000 watts

I don't know where they got it from, I don't even know if it was legal - but I was so shocked to see a 4000 watt kettle that I actually showed it to several other people on the site at that time.

I am not an electrician but I reckon that was in excess of 16 amps and everytime they put it near a socket in the caravan it blew the site!

Hi Dick

yes indeed, it's nearly 17.5 amps at 230v .. but I'm surprised it blew the site .. it should only have tripped the mcb for that point.. and then only after a few minutes..

I suspect the site main CB (or was it a main fuse ?) was loaded up to the hilt.. and it was them that got the blame for tipping it over the top.. but you were prudent to relieve them of it until they left .. ..


Jim

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[moandick]

Hi Jim

This was in the days when most Caravan Club Sites were fitted with just enough electric for everybody to light one 100 watt light bulb and most people stored their milk in a bucket of cold water under the Caravan.

It wasn't until Coronation Street came on TV in the evening that we had the problem - 7.15pm almost without a doubt the site would blow - everybody rushing to put the kettle on during the adverts in the middle of "Corry" :thumb:

 

[walburga]

Hi Jim

This was in the days when most Caravan Club Sites were fitted with just enough electric for everybody to light one 100 watt light bulb and most people stored their milk in a bucket of cold water under the Caravan.

When I was caravanning in the 80's and especially in the 90's I regularly saw other caravanners, usually on CC sites, heating up their uninhabited awnings with 2 kw fan heaters. Add that 8 amps to what they were using inside the van and boy did they need 16 amps !

Anyway, moandick, ex-army, did you know the major who used to be the warden at park coppice ?

regards
Allen

 

[scotjimland]

This was in the days when most Caravan Club Sites were fitted with just enough electric for everybody to light one 100 watt light bulb and most people stored their milk in a bucket of cold water under the Caravan.

Were you the Hitler oops I mean warden in '95 ?

We stayed at St Agnes site for three weeks that year.. great site.. but no use for RVs .. :Sad:

 

[moandick]

Hi Allen

The only person that I can actually remember who was definitely associated with Park Coppice was Bill Phillips - but he was warden at Kingsbridge (Slapton) when I knew him. We did meet an awful lot of 'names' whilst we were Wardens but as for remembering where and when......... oooooh! :Sad: :Sad:

Hi Jim

We were Wardens at St Agnes from the middle part of 1990 to the end of 1996 when we went to The National Trust as Stewards of Killerton House, near Exeter. The only time we were not there was a week in the middle some time when we had Flying Squad in to give us a couple of days break!

Oh, Oh - did we fall out, or something? oh:

As for not being suitable for RVs - well there was one bad turn at the top of the site which needed a couple of shunts to get through - and most of the pitches are on a bit of a slope but......

The Caravan Club states that you cannot get anything over 30ft on site

but I guess that doesn't count the 38ft Monaco Diplomat that has been there for the last couple of years as a seasonal pitch, does it?

Parked over by the gate leading into John Sawle's site - Beacon Cottage Farm.

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

£10-75p

Handheld cordwheel cable storage solution:

* Easy winding
* Accepts cable up to 25metres

Link Removed

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[scotjimland]

Hi Jim

We were Wardens at St Agnes from the middle part of 1990 to the end of 1996 when we went to The National Trust as Stewards of Killerton House, near Exeter. The only time we were not there was a week in the middle some time when we had Flying Squad in to give us a couple of days break!

Oh, Oh - did we fall out, or something? oh:
.

Hi Dick

not at all, but there was an incident ..

Paul, who is 19 now, was run over by a kid on a bike, we made a report and complained about the kids racing around the site.
As I recall you said you would have a word with the parents but as there was nothing in the club rules about cycling on site there was little else you could do..

You probably don't remember.. but the odd thing is, I had a feeling I had met you somewhere, now it all comes back... how time flies, seems only like yesterday.. :Sad:

 

[moandick]

Have to be honest, Jim, neither Mo or myself can remember it - we do remember a young girl coming down the hill on her bike toward the office, sliding on the gravel - and Mo spent the next hour picking stones out of the front of this young girl's 'grazes'.

Anyway, hope he didn't suffer too much from the experience. :shout:

 

[PeteH]

Cables nonono!

Hi

There are an awfull lot of Germans, French, Dutch, etc using low amperage cables. They do not seem to have too many problems??.

However, my advice is to stick to the standard UK cable and fittings on the grounds that they will cope with as much power as you are likely to throw at them. First, with smaller cross section leads the longer the length the bigger the voltage drop, the larger the cross section needed. Second, If you have a coil of cable the induction force leads to the production of heat, (Part of the reason Transformers run hot) and in severe cases has been known to cause overheating in the insulation. Look at the instructions on most 13amp coil leads, they often give instructions on uncoiling before use.

Pete

 

[pappajohn]

I am not an electrician but I reckon that was in excess of 16 amps

16.6 amps @ 240v 'border line'

17.4 amps @ 230v 'too much'

 

[scotjimland]

£10-75p

Handheld cordwheel cable storage solution:

* Easy winding
* Accepts cable up to 25metres

Link Removed

I would endorse this product 100% ..

used mine for about ten years now.. excellent bit of kit :thumb:

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[Reallyretired]

I would endorse this product 100% ..

used mine for about ten years now.. excellent bit of kit :thumb:

I have one too, very useful once you enlarge the hole in the side to poke the blue plug through. The bits that stick out at the bottom to stand it up sometimes catch the cable when winding which can be irritating, especially as I have never wanted to stand it up.

I also carry a short lead for when the EHU is on the pitch, and have sometimes had to plug them together to reach the EHU on some CLs and Dutch sites. Incidentally some continental sites I have used have used much thinner cable to supply the EHU on the supply side

 

[reader]

One of the reasons 2.5mm2 cable was/is used is the heavier protection it offers with vehicles running over it. Surprising how many HUCs are used with damaged insulation

 

[Tony Lee]

If you have a coil of cable the induction force leads to the production of heat, (Part of the reason Transformers run hot)

Heating of an extension cord is almost entirely due to I²R losses (meaning resistive heating that is proportional to the square of the current flowing. Since both active and return cores run together and touching there is NO inductive effect. Cables are normally rated when mounted against a surface with the other three sides exposed to free air. Installing cable in enclosed spaces or under insulation downrates the current rating and in the case of a cord that is wound in two or three layers, the downrating of that part of the cable in the inside layers is very considerable.

[Even in transformers - which obviously do rely on inductance to work - most of the heat is generated due to current flowing through winding resistance and the other source of heat is due to eddy currents induced in the iron core - which is why it is laminated]