Practically Classics Forum

.... my bathroom wallpaper off.

I need to use my 'coiled reel' for the 240v into the steamer. It is rated 13A - but always remember to un coil all of the cable before running a big draw/amperage......

The cable is strewn all about the place but it is WARM. Not good if tightly coiled

alfaSleep

I have made two or three shorter extensions - about 5m - that are handy for jobs like this. My "big" Bosch drill is a real pain as the cable is only about 2m and needs an extension most of the time: a reel is useless when working off a 10-feet high ladder!

When I was a science technician and H&S assistant (and did PATS) in a school, I was always going on about misuse of extension cables. Especially after Open Evenings and events, where teachers would run two large tea urns from an extension (sometimes the 4 socket strip type). As the urns were 2-3kW each (if on full whack), I don't know how the 13A fuses coped! On the other hand, one fuse I checked said 5A and had been working both urns...and had large blobs of solder on the ends. I also condemned a number of extension cables as the flexes had very pretty patterns melted into the outer sheath!

I had the last laugh though - there was a big celebration when the school turned 400 years old (I think it was 400!) and the teacher who was organising some of the activities had roped in the star Physics/science student to help. The lad brought a large extension cable from home and, like many things at the do, it didn't get checked before use. I saw it the day after the celebration and there was about four feet of usable cable (with a plug) and a large lump of multi-coloured plastic and copper!