This was very nearly very nasty
Discussion
This is the plug of an extension lead that had a single 1600 watt fan heater plugged into it. Fortunately I was in the room at the time and smelt the burning and switched it off. It was blisteringly hot and on a wallpapered wall
The reason it's still in the socket is because it's melted in. It's slightly out because I tried to lever it out with a screwdriver.I looked at the rest of the extension and mysteriously although there are kite marks and BS numbers on it, there's no manufacturer or even country of origin. I'm not sure where I bought it, but I thought it was Ikea. Can anyone help identify where it came from? I'd like to have a chat with them and Trading Standards.
If you have one of these, which have a very distinctive transparent cable insulation and transparent body, then I'd consider binning it.
Be so careful with electric heaters. Went out clubbing with a few friends last Saturday till the early hours. One of them is now in hospital. She went home to sleep and was woken up in her flat (of ten) in the early hours by a burning smell .. opened the front door to see hallway in flames .. luckily she wasn't in a deep sleep as the smoke alarm didn't go off. The fire was started by a faulty electric heater. Landlord who lived with them wasn't insured either, but luckily no one died. As a side note, i did offer to let her stay round mine as we live near each other, but she declined to her near misfortune.
Edited by fido on Saturday 23 January 15:05
Very impressive - it's a 24 year old Crabtree.Your theory sounded good so I decided to take the plug and socket apart. I'd assumed the problem was a poor wire connection to the top of the pin in the plug.
Breaking the socket apart revealed more heat discolouration to the top of the pin than the bottom. The end inside the socket contacts showed none and the contacts show none. The reason the plug wouldn't come out was because the safety sleeve on the pin had melted away and the shutter had shut slightly.
The pin broke out of the plug as I took it off, revealing a firmly attached metal strip which ended in one of the the fuse-holder clips. So my suspicion is now the contact with the fuse or perhaps within the end of the fuse itself. The heat damage to the plug, now I have it apart, seems to be centred on that end of the fuse.
I've another of these, so I popped the fuse out. The clips seem firm and clean enough and the fuse is "Bussmann" in Made in England.
Maybe just one of those things.
ETA pic
Edited by FamilyGuy on Saturday 23 January 15:39
Edited by FamilyGuy on Saturday 23 January 16:10
Smiler. said:
Hey FamilyGuy, in your picture, it looks like the neutral conductor can be touched though the gap in the mounted strain relief. Can it?
If so, then the product is definitely not complaint with the appropriate standard.
Does it have a CE mark?
It does look like that from the last pic, but the transparent outer insulation makes it look that way. (see earlier pics) That's a good point about the CE marking though - I can't find one.If so, then the product is definitely not complaint with the appropriate standard.
Does it have a CE mark?
Furyous said:
Is your main circuit board fuses or RCCB'S?
MCBs plus an RCCB - but I'm not sure that would help here because there is no short (overload to trip the MCB) or leakage to earth (Residual current difference to trip the RCCB).robinhood21 said:
Simpo Two said:
Curious to me that it seems worst on the neutral side - I'd have thought the live would go pop first.
I think it is the live side of the plug. Mind, I did at first think it was the neutral side too. spikeyhead said:
Simpo Two said:
Curious to me that it seems worst on the neutral side - I'd have thought the live would go pop first.
There is equal current flowing through both, so it's entirely dependant on where the poor contact is.As I understand it, fuses fail if the current passing through them is sufficient to create enough heat to melt the wire inside them. As the fuse did not fail, the heat did not reach that point. Perhaps plugs should be fitted with some kind of thermal detector that will fail and break the circuit at a preset temperature?
Smiler. said:
Hey FamilyGuy, in your picture, it looks like the neutral conductor can be touched though the gap in the mounted strain relief. Can it?
If so, then the product is definitely not complaint with the appropriate standard.
Does it have a CE mark?
From the big pic, looks like the cable has a clear outer sheath.If so, then the product is definitely not complaint with the appropriate standard.
Does it have a CE mark?
And for what it's worth, the Ikea electrical stuff I've seen is crap - the light fittings aren't exactly high quality, never mind extension leads supposed to take 3kw through them.
I'd be taking that back to Ikea on a sunday afternoon and dumping it on their desk talking loudly about kid's bedrooms going up in smoke.
You might get a free wardrobe
The heat does look centred around the pin/fuse contact, still can't rule out a dodgy socket as heat does transfer down a brass pin well (pin is welded to the contact, right?) but you did mention the I*ea word, having attended to a disproportionate number of failed light fittings carrying their hallmark I'd wager the child labour item at fault.
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