Pat Test Question About Tumble Driers

[bertbuckie]

Hi all,

First off I do not believe I am wrong, however it has been known once before

My tumble drier is insured at home however the button broke and we called an engineer and when I unplugged it I found this ( see pics )

Now I PAT test as part of my job, and would like to hope I know what I am on about but the engineer told my wife (who I asked to argue as I could not be home) that the fault is the socket and all tumble driers do this to the plug after a year or so and also require a new socket!

Personally I have never seen this issue before unless an item is drawing too much current and I would instantly fail it.

Anyone got any input ?

 

[Marvo]

Classic signs of overheating. Possibly due to overloading, plug not pushed fully homer in the socket or corrosion on the plug pins/sleeves in the socket...causes resistance....causes arcing and heat....more resistance, more arcing and heat and so on until it fails. Replace both the plug and any socket(s) it's been plugged into, not just the plug. Check for wiring damage in the socket(s) also.

 

[Adam W]

It could be the socket. It could be that there is a high resistance connection in the socket rather than the tumble drier simply drawing too much current - if it needed more current than you can get safely and continuously from a 13A plug then why do the manufacturer supply the appliance with a 13A plug moulded to it?
I would expect evidence of overheating to be on the live pin, whereas this is on the neutral. I'd get the polarity of the socket checked as well.

Either way it sounds like you need to get someone to have a look at it.

 

[Pete999]

Looseconnection either in the plug top or the socket

 

[ruston]

Or a cheap tat socket in the first place, or maybe subject to years of heavy loads.

 

[telectrix]

socket from amazon or screwfix lap crap?

 

[hightower]

It's not a Hotpoint dryer is it? :smilielol5:

 

[ruston]

It's not a Hotpoint dryer is it? :smilielol5:

You are not allowed to plug products on this forum.

 

[hightower]

You are not allowed to plug products on this forum.

I know mate, but if anything it needs unplugging ​

 

[bertbuckie]

Socket changed and dismantled, looked fine when pulled to bits tbh, changed it first sorry forgot to mention that. Will run some other tests when I get home. Beko drier and didn't see anything about a recall on this model. Was also 100% plugged in its entire life as it's never moved and I plugged it in. I'm in agreement about the neutral tho, very strange.

 

[ruston]

Are you spurring me on?

 

[hightower]

Are you spurring me on?

Aye, you need putting in to isolation​, much like that dryer.

 

[bertbuckie]

He fitted a nice second hand plug for us tho! With a previous pat sticker still attached lol.

 

[hightower]

He fitted a nice second hand plug for us tho! With a previous pat sticker still attached lol.

I've just found a box of IEC leads (kettle leads) at work, brand new as in 2 years old but never used. Each one has the cable tie on still, and the little plastic prong cap over the plug end. And each one has a PAT sticker on. So these 100 or so IEC leads have each been uncable tied, unprong capped, tested, labelled, prong capped back up, and cable tied back up..... or the tester has thought "here's an easy £50" as he blindly stuck a sticker to each.

 

[Adam W]

I've just found a box of IEC leads (kettle leads) at work, brand new as in 2 years old but never used. Each one has the cable tie on still, and the little plastic prong cap over the plug end. And each one has a PAT sticker on. So these 100 or so IEC leads have each been uncable tied, unprong capped, tested, labelled, prong capped back up, and cable tied back up..... or the tester has thought "here's an easy £50" as he blindly stuck a sticker to each.

You CYNIC! :smilielol5: