ones? All UK extension cords are rated at 13 amps (for 3kW devices) and have a
13 amp fuse in the plug so you cannot overload them. I assume in the US this would be 26 amps (ouch! THICK wire!).
purpose for the rest of its life. They get moved around. You cannot predict what you will want to plug into it in the future. And they are so cheap you may aswell get the 13 amp ones.
And your lamp would stay there forever would it? And you'd never want to plug something else in next to the lamp? Do you never move anything around in your house?
Besides, what you stated above is not safe - you have a FIFTEEN amp breaker for a ONE amp bulb?!?!? An how many amps can a #18 cord take?
that's what the fuse is for. The fuse in the equipment's plug stops its cable catching fire. To put a fuse of the full capacity of the wall outlet off in the fusebox is stupid, because you will most likely plug a device into that outlet with a low power consumption and a thin cord, which is now not protected.
Of course the lamp is fused. All UK mains plugs have fuses, by LAW.
fusebox, and people who are obsessed with safety, I just have fuses.
is. It breaks at the rating of the outlet, not the appliance and it's cord.
Adding a 13A extension cord does not remove any protection which is already there by plugging the appliance in without an extension. The 13A fuse in the extension cord stops you plugging two 13A appliances into the end of it and melting the extension cord.
conditions, or policies in my life. I have more important and/or more interesting things to do with my time!
It sounds like I realise they are a waste of time. Instructions are for people who don't have a clue how something works. The other things I listed are of no interest to anyone but a parasitical scumbag (you may know them as lawyers). In fact normal people can't understand them anyway - I once saw an agreement which contained ONE single sentence spanning the whole A4 (letter size to you) sheet of paper! Lawyers need to take basic English lessons.
here.
I wasn't talking about voltage. I was talking about your location of fuses, see above.
But since we're on voltage, it's a lot more convenient to have every outlet the same, I can plug anything into any socket.
Just a minute, does that mean you can use a 240V appliance you bought over here when you go back to the US? I thought you were 110V only.
the US? And I thought you chose 110 volts for SAFETY......
and I haven't changed them. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether the extension cord is fused or not. If I removed the extension cord fuse, I would be no more likely to survive.
The reason I mentioned the fuse is thatyou did - "end of your fused extension cord".
Anyway 240V may be more dangerous, but we can have much thinner cables. And it ain't as dangerous as you make out anyway.
110), and I'm still alive.
Just doesn't happen. Are you suggesting I have an unusually strong heart?
electrocution occur due to >secondary accidents.
Read the link I posted to the other pedant.
The CAUSE of death was a faulty appliance.
If I pushed you off a ladder and you broke your neck, you seem to be saying it wouldn't be called murder.
Who uses corded drills anyway?
--
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If you\'re cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 23:49:48 -0000, via , "Peter Hucker" spake thusly:
110), and I'm still alive.
electricity,
You've met some strange people. I've met exactly zero people who so severely misunderstand the word.
OK, here's a clue for you - stalwart defense of ignorance is stupid in the extreme. You've been twice corrected; a sensible man would accept the corrections and be improved by the process. An ignorant man will belittle those who attempt to educate him. Your choice.
And oh by the way, your use of the word "pedant" is also incorrect.
I suspect he meant to say "Our 120 V sockets are different from our
240 V sockets"
do exist in US homes?
Almost all outlets in US and Canadian homes and offices are 120 volt. In older construction, they would be protected by 15 amp breakers in the distribution panel, but 20 amp is more common now. A single breaker will normally feed several outlets. The same style outlets are used for both 15 and 20 amp circuits - two parallel blades for hot and neutral, and a "U" shaped pin for ground/earth.
240 Volt outlets are usually only provided for high power devices, like electric stoves and clothes dryers. These outlets are different than the 120 volt style - there is no possibility of putting a 120 volt plug in a 240 volt outlet, or vice versa.
--
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one purpose for the rest of its life. They get moved around. You cannot predict what you will want to plug into it in the future. And they are so cheap you may aswell get the 13 amp ones.
plug something else in next to the lamp? Do you never move anything around in your house?
for a ONE amp bulb?!?!?
You're missing the point completely. The 13 amp fuse in the extension cord is NOT to protect things you plug into it. These should already be protected by the fuses in their own plugs. The 13 amp fuse in the extension cord is to protect the extension cord from being overloaded, by a total of more than 13 amps worth of devices being plugged into the end of it.
Just as your fused outlet does NOT protect the appliance you plug into it, as the appliance (and it's cord) are most likely of a lower current rating than the outlet. The fuse is to protect the OUTLET from being overlaoded.
So you have just told me that a #18 cord will happily take 15 amps. Yet earlier you compared it to a "13A monster" as though the 13A one was overkill?
that's what the fuse is for. The fuse in the equipment's plug stops its cable catching fire. To put a fuse of the full capacity of the wall outlet off in the fusebox is stupid, because you will most likely plug a device into that outlet with a low power consumption and a thin cord, which is now not protected.
When I said pansies I was referring to electric shocks. I don't wish my house to burn down and cause me financial losses when I am not at home to operate the extinguisher.
people who don't have a clue how something works.
No, the instructions are read if you don't know how to use the device.
here.
see above.
But you have a mixture of different voltage and current outlets - must be highly inconvenient, aswell as providing the possibility of people plugging the wrong thing in the wrong place.
the same, I can plug anything into any socket.
Try writing that again!
Anyway you said you had different current outlets earlier. Just what outlets do exist in US homes?
here when you go back to the US? I thought you were 110V only.
Yes I noticed. Someone came to me with a £300 (!) coffeemaker (he's a perfectionist with coffee) that was imported from th US and was 120 volts. The store wanted £80 for a transformer which was bigger than the coffeemaker! I got him one for £30 from ebay (ex-building site isolating transformer).
house and I haven't changed them. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether the extension cord is fused or not. If I removed the extension cord fuse, I would be no more likely to survive.
cord".
No, but you were wittering on about my FUSED extension cord as though the fuse would make it more dangerous.
it ain't as dangerous as you make out anyway.
If we had a thinner insulation it would not be as resistant to getting damaged. A UK 240V mains cord most likely has enough insulation for a few kV (the flimsy ribbon cable for IDE hard drives for example is rated at 300 volts!), but if it was only just thick enough, it would get damaged through handling.
It is more dangerous, but it's still trivial.
That wouldn't stop my heart getting knackered.
electrocution occur due to >secondary accidents.
You don't get it at all do you? You're a pedant. Go look it up and learn something.
This is like talking to a brick wall. You don't get it at all do you? You're a pedant. Go look it up and learn something.
it wouldn't be called murder.
Too complicated for you was it? Cause is what makes the thing happen. The cause in the murder case is me. The cause in the drill case is the faulty drill.
No, a simple question, as they are inconvenient. Any appliance which requires you to climb or move around a lot is a hell of a lot easier to use if it's cordless.
I can use my cordless drill in the rain.
--
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Bumper sticker seen on a B-2 Stealth Bomber:
"IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THEN WE WASTED 50 BILLION BUCKS."
Another pedant. I, and almost everyone I've ever met who has spoken about electricity, uses "electrocute" as a synonym for "electric shock". Here's a clue for you - not everyone speaks like they've swallowed a dictionary.
--
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Someday we\'ll look back on all this and plough into a parked car.
In the UK it would be illegal to sell such a cord.
--
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Red meat isn\'t bad for you. Fuzzy blue-green meat is bad for you.
In the UK, I simply buy a 4 way strip for £2.99 - it's got a 13A fuse both in the plug and in the strip (they all do, or they're illegal). For a quid extra I can get one with basic surge suppression.
--
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http://www.petersphotos.com
I go fishing; I catch nothing. I go to orgies; I catch everything.
You don't get it at all do you? People are not machines. Words are not precise. And they vary vastly from place to place.
You just shot yourself in the foot.
--
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Three Scousers and three Mancs are travelling by train to a football match in
London.
At the station, the three Mancs each buy a ticket and watch as the three
Scousers buy just one ticket between them.
"How are the three of you going to travel on only one ticket?" asks one of the
Mancs.
"Watch and learn," answers one of the Scousers. They all board the train. The
Mancs take their respective seats but all three Scousers cram into a toilet and
close the door behind them.
Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor arrives to collect the
tickets. He knocks on the toilet door and says, "Ticket please."
The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The
conductor takes it and moves on. The Mancs are mightily impressed by this, so
after the game, they decide to copy the Scousers on the return trip and save
some money.
When they get to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip...To
their astonishment; the Scousers don\'t buy a ticket at all!!!
"How are you going to travel without a ticket?" asks one perplexed Mancunian.
Watch and learn..." says one Scouser.
When they board the train the three Mancs cram into a toilet and soon after the
three Scousers pile into another nearby.
The train departs. Shortly afterwards, one of the Scousers leaves the toilet and
sneaks across to the toilet where the Mancs are hiding.
He knocks on the door and says, "Ticket please..."
It's the mixture of 15 and 20 amp that's odd. The UK used to have this mess - 5 amp and 15 amp - but we had different sockets for each (small and large).
--
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http://www.petersphotos.com
During the weekly Lamaze class, the instructor emphasized the importance of
exercise, hinting strongly that husbands need to get out and start walking with
their wives.
From the back of the room one expectant father inquired, "Would it be okay if
she carries a bag of golf clubs while she walks?"
one purpose for the rest of its life. They get moved around. You cannot predict what you will want to plug into it in the future. And they are so cheap you may aswell get the 13 amp ones.
plug something else in next to the lamp? Do you never move anything around in your house?
for a ONE amp bulb?!?!?
NOT to protect things you plug into it. These should already be protected by the fuses in their own plugs. The 13 amp fuse in the extension cord is to protect the extension cord from being overloaded, by a total of more than 13 amps worth of devices being plugged into the end of it.
--
A 15 amp breaker will do essentially the same thing if it\'s placed
in front of the cord since, in either case, the cord will be
expected to carry 13 or 15 amps before the protection device
activates. The problem with the 13 amp device at the end of the
cord is that the cord will still be hot if it\'s at the load end,
while if it\'s at the generator end it\'s just redundant since the
breaker in the service panel will trip and cut off the power to the
outlet.
precise. And they vary vastly from place to place.
--
I see... When you make an error and are apprised of it, we who
apprise you don\'t "get it", and you blame your error on what you
would like to consider the vagaries of the language. Certainly it
_couldn\'t_ be you who is at fault...
in the plug and in the strip (they all do, or they're illegal). For a quid extra I can get one with basic surge suppression.
abuse by overload."
--
So what? That has nothing to to with solving his problem, it\'s just
you trying to lord it over him with your
"We\'re better than you are." crap.
His problem can easily be solved by buying an extension cord rated
for the service he needs, which we can easily find over here.
plug something else in next to the lamp? Do you never move anything around in your house?
for a ONE amp bulb?!?!?
is NOT to protect things you plug into it. These should already be protected by the fuses in their own plugs. The 13 amp fuse in the extension cord is to protect the extension cord from being overloaded, by a total of more than 13 amps worth of devices being plugged into the end of it.
That's ok if the outlet has its own breaker. And if all cords you can buy are the same rating, which you've said is not the case in the US. You could buy an unfused extension cord of less than 15 amps, and the 15 amp breaker would not stop you overloading this cord with 15 amps.
Yes you're right, the fuse at the load end does not cut off the power to the cord, but it does stop you overloading it. The appliances are still shut off if you exceed 13 amps. There is always a 13A fuse in the plug anyway, so I'm not sure why they all have a fuse at the load end aswell.
I hate breakers anyway - they are too damn sensitive. At work for example, we have a trolley of 15 laptops. If you plug the trolley into an outlet with a 30 amp breaker, it quite often trips (presumbly all the laptop PSUs have a large inrush current, and if I mistime it and plug it in at the peak of the sinewave it exceeds 30 amps momentarily). No problem with a fused outlet. Maybe you can get less sensitive breakers, but ours are certainly very jumpy.
the appliance (and it's cord) are most likely of a lower current rating than the outlet. The fuse is to protect the OUTLET from being overlaoded.
I was inaccurate, yes it's the house WIRING the breaker is protecting, not the actual outlet. We have those breakers (or fuses) too. Although our houses are wired in a strange manner - a 30A breaker or fuse in the main box serving half the outlets in the house (there are usually two sets - upstairs and downstairs if it's a 2-storey house). The outlets are 13 amps. So you can plug a 30 amp device into a 13 amp outlet. Except I suppose that never happens, as you can't buy 30 amp devices, and if you plugged two 13 amp devices into an adapter, the adapter would have its own 13 amp fuse which would blow. We also have what's called "ring mains" - the outlets are all connected in a circle around the house, with 15 amp cable for a 30 amp circuit. Cost saving I believe. Shouldn't cause a problem, unless of course one of the cables becomes detached, causing you to have a 15 amp cable protected by a 30 amp fuse or breaker.
earlier you compared it to a "13A monster" as though the 13A one was overkill?
People do tend to leave them coiled up if they are too long for the task. I've seen extensions on a reel (like a hosepipe) which have two current ratings: one for extended, and one for rolled up.
They're not monsters, the cable isn't that thick. I'm not sure what # you'd call it (or even if the US and the UK use the same system), but if I use one with 13 amps going through it, it doesn't get the slightest bit warm.
I suppose if I was making my own extension cord (you can't buy them like this anymore) I could use thinner cheaper wire, which I've done in the past. But I always end up needing to use it for a different appliance some other time which needs more current.
house to burn down and cause me financial losses when I am not at home to operate the extinguisher.
ROFL! I had to look hatup - I take it you mean "Cover Your Ass"?
Insurance only pays for the finances. It does not replace family heirlooms, or dead pets.
people who don't have a clue how something works.
No, I'm just so clever I don't need to ;-)
I only read instructions as a last resort.
fuses, see above.
highly inconvenient, aswell as providing the possibility of people plugging the wrong thing in the wrong place.
But.... for a given power of appliance you have thicker cord and thicker cable in the walls than we do at 240 volts.
the same, I can plug anything into any socket.
What? You wrote "Our 120V sockets are different from out 120V sockets"
do exist in US homes?
So there are no different current-rated outlets? Just the 240 volt and 120 volt?
Another point - I see your plugs don't have to have an earth prong. Our sockets have shutters over the live (er... hot) and neutral so kids can't stick god knows what in there without sticking something in the earth hole first. A german student over here in the UK used to carry a screwdriver in his pocket which he called an "adapter" - he shoved it in the earth hole to allow the german 2 pin plugs to fit in the UK sockets!!
here when you go back to the US? I thought you were 110V only.
perfectionist with coffee) that was imported from th US and was 120 volts. The store wanted £80 for a transformer which was bigger than the coffeemaker! I got him one for £30 from ebay (ex-building site isolating transformer).
What do you mean? He didn't run it off 240 volts, that would no doubt have blown the thing up.
extension cord".
fuse would make it more dangerous.
Psychologists are as pointless as lawyers :-)
Anyway I doubt 90% of people know enough about electricity to think that way.
And it ain't as dangerous as you make out anyway.
damaged. A UK 240V mains cord most likely has enough insulation for a few kV (the flimsy ribbon cable for IDE hard drives for example is rated at 300 volts!), but if it was only just thick enough, it would get damaged through handling.
My point is it isn't thinner. Your 120 volt 13 amp cord will be just fine at
240 volts. The insulator thickness is probably a minimum reuqired to stop it being damaged through handling. Look how flimsy an IDE ribbon cable is. That's rated at 300 volts.
Nah, I'll more likely die in a car accident. At 140mph. Gotta love speed camera detectors!
In which case a THIN head would stop my heart getting knackered. A thick one would cause me to misplace my fingers.
something.
No, I don't care about minor inaccuracies. Try allowing for context, reading between the lines, etc. Don't take every word at dictionary meaning.
You're a pedant. Go look it up and learn something.
I am alledgedly talking to a human being, not a computer. Humans are not 100% logical, so I don't expect to have to use precision words - this is not Germany.
it wouldn't be called murder.
cause in the murder case is me. The cause in the drill case is the faulty drill.
A causes B to cause C to cause D to cause E. What is the cause of E?
requires you to climb or move around a lot is a hell of a lot easier to use if it's cordless.
So sorry for not sticking precisely to the subject (rolls eyes in disbelief).
I was merely stating an advantage, silly.
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A note left for a pianist from his wife: "Gone Chopin, have Liszt, Bach in a
Minuet."
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