Schoolboy Error 2kw electric fire

[Jamiec2018]

Think I've made a schoolboy error

Running a brand new 2kw electric fire from the mains via an extension.

Smelt burning tonight and found the plug and socket housing red hot after the fire switched itskit off.

Checked the extension plug to find it has only a 5 amp fuse inside.......

Is this the most likely reason the plug and socket got hot or is there something more sinister with the fairly new socket?

Cheers

 

[SJD]

The 5A fuse suggests the extension cable should not be running more than 5A, i.e. not the 8A of the fire.

 

[westward10]

Could be a combination of an undersized fuse, undersized extension cable, poorly terminated plug or poorly terminated socket.

 

[static zap]

Was extension on a spool , fully wound out ?
(If not fully un-wound ,the rest will be a plastic blob!)

 

[Jamiec2018]

The socket was fitted 4 weeks ago and has been alright, I'll take it off the wall tomorrow and check anyway, especially for the heat damage. The socket has cooled now though and inside the extension plug the brown wire has melted!

 

[westward10]

Show a pic of the offending plug.

 

[Jamiec2018]

The socket was a 5amp fused every ready 5m non reel

 

[Jamiec2018]

Just going to take a photo

 

[Jamiec2018]

The inside of the plug

 

[Rpa07]

How about the pins of the plugtop? Melted plastic on the live pin?
Another photo?
Is that brown terminal tight?
Excited now!

 

[Jamiec2018]

Yeah brown is tight, pins are clean. The wire sleeve covering the live is melted where it it goes into the live terminal!

 

[westward10]

It is hard to gauge the size of cable from your pic but the 5A fuse is underrated for a 2kw heater and theoretically it should have failed but it has not. It looks like a poor connection at the brown conductor and/or a combination of the fuse getting hot contributing to this. A 13A rated extension lead should resolve this but you should also get the socket it was plugged into checked out.

 

[Jamiec2018]

Pins

 

[Jamiec2018]

It was plugged into the socket furthest away. No evidence of burning on that, just in the extension plug

 

[Jamiec2018]

Yeah the fire went off by itself so I presume the 13amp plug attached to the fire itself did it's job

 

[stevethesparks]

Although the live pin is tight,has it crimped the insulation instead of making a good connection to the copper? Is the fuse secure or does it turn easily?

 

[Jamiec2018]

Fuse is tight! Struggled to get it out to see the ampage! Hard to tell with the brown wire as it's melted, the fire had been blowing for a good four hours though before i smelt the dreaded burning plastic! Lol

 

[Jamiec2018]

I'm just going to sit here all night to make sure nothing burns

 

[Strima]

Could be a dodgy fuse that doesn’t comply with current regulations. There’s loads of them out there.

 

[Jamiec2018]

Well the extension is an ever ready B&M special lol

 

[Jamiec2018]

Cheers everyone, I'll let you know what I find tomorrow out of interest.

I'll try plugging something else into the socket and see if it gets hot, or I'll buy a socket tester

 

[PEG]

Have you made appropriate arrangements,for that 5 amp fuse?

 

[Pete999]

Think I've made a schoolboy error

Running a brand new 2kw electric fire from the mains via an extension.

Smelt burning tonight and found the plug and socket housing red hot after the fire switched itskit off.

Checked the extension plug to find it has only a 5 amp fuse inside.......

Is this the most likely reason the plug and socket got hot or is there something more sinister with the fairly new socket?

Cheers

Was the extention lead coiled up?? Any loose conections any where??

 

[dmxtothemax]

When you say fire ? Are we talking full on flames ? Or just some smoke from melting plastic ? Good quality electrical fittings should be "fire retardant" !

 

[telectrix]

Was the extention lead coiled up?? Any loose conections any where??

pete, i think the lead is one of this type:
4-Way Extension lead - CLAS OHLSON | Clas Ohlson - https://www.clasohlson.com/uk/4-Way-Extension-lead/18-4688?gclid=CjwKCAjwnLjVBRAdEiwAKSGPI9iPzjjmSihRbXC6aJXBC18reSVnEe51KET58d--fl-4IRrDS9I9shoCSE4QAvD_BwE

but only 5A rated and probably of inferior manufacture.

 

[Pete999]

pete, i think the lead is one of this type:
4-Way Extension lead - CLAS OHLSON | Clas Ohlson - https://www.clasohlson.com/uk/4-Way-Extension-lead/18-4688?gclid=CjwKCAjwnLjVBRAdEiwAKSGPI9iPzjjmSihRbXC6aJXBC18reSVnEe51KET58d--fl-4IRrDS9I9shoCSE4QAvD_BwE

but only 5A rated and probably of inferior manufacture.

Agree look at the price?

 

[rapparee]

When you say fire ? Are we talking full on flames ? Or just some smoke from melting plastic ? Good quality electrical fittings should be "fire retardant" !

When he says fire he means something like this
DIMPLEX OPTI-MYST ELECTRIC FIRE New Ex Display | eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/162935888040?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=52130512215&rlsatarget=pla-412983607570&abcId=1133906&adtype=pla&merchantid=114934286&poi=&googleloc=9045188&device=m&campaignid=1058844235&crdt=0&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-134428-41853-0%252F2%253Fmpre%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%25252Fi%25252F162935888040%25253Fchn%25253Dps%252526dispItem%25253D1%2526itemid%253D162935888040%2526targetid%253D412983607570%2526device%253Dm%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9045188%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D1058844235%2526adgroupid%253D52130512215%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-412983607570%2526abcId%253D1133906%2526merchantid%253D114934286%2526gclid%253DEAIaIQobChMIkZfT3L712QIVirftCh3LCQlXEAQYAyABEgL9qfD_BwE%2526srcrot%253D710-134428-41853-0%2526rvr_id%253D1470115072536

 

[telectrix]

looking at that, i'm going to design a coal fire that looks like it's electric. will be all the rage among the "keep up with the neighbours" brigade. this time next year i'll be a millionaire.

and it will revive the ailing construction industry as builders will be busy fitting chimneys to the silly new builds where the developer has forgotten to include them.

 

[Andy-1960]

If you look at the attached curves, you will see that a 5A fuse will run at 8A for a considerable time before blowing, but the fuse will be getting very hot which is probably what caused the insulation to melt in the plug top.
People think that if you stick a fuse in it will blow as soon as it hits the rating of the fuse, this is simply not the case.
I went to a school a few years back, the DNO’s fuses were rated at 300A, but for most of the school day in excess of 400A was being drawn, fuses were failing about every 6 months due to fatigue and the cut-out was so hot you could not put your hand on it!

 

[7029 dave]

IMO, running a 2kw fire, should be plugged direct into the socket on the wall, forget the extension lead.

 

[Jamiec2018]

There wasn't even any smoke just a burning plastic smell!

It was a single plug extension at 5amp with no indication of ampage on the outside of the plug!

Any suggestions on a single extension? As there's no way the fire will reach the plug socket, it's about 2m off!

Everything you buy from B&M ends up rubbish!

The fire is this one

Adam Southwold Fireplace Suite in Oak with Colorado Electric Fire in Brass, 43 Inch | Fireplace World - https://www.fireplaceworld.co.uk/package/11500/adam-southwold-fireplace-suite-in-oak-with-colorado-electric-fire-in-brass-43-inch

Extension is this one wished I'd looked on website

Eveready 1 Socket Extension Lead 5m - https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/eveready-1-socket-extension-lead-5m-299227

Socket is this

BG Twin Double Pole Switched Power Socket - 13A White | Wickes.co.uk - https://www.wickes.co.uk/BG-Twin-Double-Pole-Switched-Power-Socket---13A-White/p/148105

 

[Jamiec2018]

There wasn't even any smoke just a burning plastic smell!

It was a single plug extension at 5amp with no indication of ampage on the outside of the plug!

Any suggestions on a single extension? As there's no way the fire will reach the plug socket, it's about 2m off!

Everything you buy from B&M ends up rubbish!

The fire is this one

Adam Southwold Fireplace Suite in Oak with Colorado Electric Fire in Brass, 43 Inch | Fireplace World - https://www.fireplaceworld.co.uk/package/11500/adam-southwold-fireplace-suite-in-oak-with-colorado-electric-fire-in-brass-43-inch

Extension is this one wished I'd looked on website

Eveready 1 Socket Extension Lead 5m - https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/eveready-1-socket-extension-lead-5m-299227

Socket is this

BG Twin Double Pole Switched Power Socket - 13A White | Wickes.co.uk - https://www.wickes.co.uk/BG-Twin-Double-Pole-Switched-Power-Socket---13A-White/p/148105

 

[telectrix]

easiest way would be to get an electrician to add another socket or FCU close to the fire.

 

[rapparee]

looking at that, i'm going to design a coal fire that looks like it's electric. will be all the rage among the "keep up with the neighbours" brigade. this time next year i'll be a millionaire.

and it will revive the ailing construction industry as builders will be busy fitting chimneys to the silly new builds where the developer has forgotten to include them.

Too late.

Dimplex have moved onto virtual reality

 

[Richard Burns]

If you must use an extension lead then purchase one that is the right length presumably in your case about 3m and that is rated to 13A (there is rarely a reason to have an extension lead rated at less than this, to ensure problems do not occur).
The plug you have looks as if there has been arcing in the line terminal, the heat is localised to this area but has been intense but not spread.

 

[CACJL]

Think I've made a schoolboy error

Running a brand new 2kw electric fire from the mains via an extension.

Smelt burning tonight and found the plug and socket housing red hot after the fire switched itskit off.

Checked the extension plug to find it has only a 5 amp fuse inside.......

Is this the most likely reason the plug and socket got hot or is there something more sinister with the fairly new socket?

Cheers

With this type of plug in which a screw is use to squash the conductor I would always use ferrules. My wife used an extension lead in which I had fitted with a 7 amp fuse so as not to cook the cable, it blow when she load it with a 2.2 kW shredder.

 

[Pete999]

With this type of plug in which a screw is use to squash the conductor I would always use ferrules. My wife used an extension lead in which I had fitted with a 7 amp fuse so as not to cook the cable, it blow when she load it with a 2.2 kW shredder.

The fuse was doing it's job then.