Tightly wound EHU cables

[Fisherman]

I am currently on an Aire on Harris. In the photo below the van next to me is connected to the mains with a cable which appears to be below required rating, and left tightly wound around a drum. I see this all of the time. People are either ignorant of the risk, or can’t be bothered unraveling the cable. Using a cable which is properly rated like this can lead to fire, doing it with a cable below required rating increases this risk. I thought this was worth a mention.

 

[Canalsman]

A tip.

If you wind up the cable make sure that the connection to the cable is so tightly wound at the innermost point that it's impossible to connect to anything.

That way you have no option but to unwind the cable fully.

 

[merl]

I am currently on an Aire on Harris. In the photo below the van next to me is connected to the mains with a cable which appears to be below required rating, and left tightly wound around a drum. I see this all of the time. People are either ignorant of the risk, or can’t be bothered unraveling the cable. Using a cable which is properly rated like this can lead to fire, doing it with a cable below required rating increases this risk. I thought this was worth a mention.

View attachment 142100

Oooh, wait until he's had his 3Kw electric heater running all night, you'll be able to pull up a chair and toast your marshmallows off of that reel in the morning Bill.

 

[mistericeman]

I've had hoovers with wind up cord storage get warm too ....

 

[barryd]

Have you been and spoke to them Bill? Awkward I know but that looks like a thin cable. Whats the ampage?

 

[merl]

I plait my EHU cable now.

If i'm parked close to the EHU post I can unknit just what's needed and leave the rest plaited and chuck it under the van.

 

[Fisherman]

Have you been and spoke to them Bill? Awkward I know but that looks like a thin cable. Whats the ampage?

I may do so Barry, but honestly I see this all of the time, even on club sites where you think the wardens could highlight this to their customers.
Sadly many moons ago I attended a fire where two students lost their lives in a fire caused by this. They were probably ignorant of the risk, maybe this guy is to.

This needs to be highlighted more than it is currently.

 

[colinm]

Have you been and spoke to them Bill? Awkward I know but that looks like a thin cable. Whats the ampage?

Looking at the colour, and the reel, I'd guess it's homemade and 13a flex.

 

[colinm]

Sadly many moons ago I attended a fire where two students lost their lives in a fire caused by this. They were probably ignorant of the risk, maybe this guy is to.

So, I got the call, "the heating's packed up".
Well of cause it had, after all it was a week since W-B serviced it, and that usually happens.
Anyway I go over to see if it was something simple, as soon as I walked in the door I could smell hot plastic, yes BiL had plugged an electric heater into a almost fully wound cable reel, which of cause begs the question "why not plug the heater straight in the socket", which I did ask and got no sensible answer., so I explain why not, and got him to touch the reel which was pretty hot.
A about a year later I get a call from SiL who was visiting, "the heating's packed up over here", as I was about to end call I thought to ask if the electric heater was plugged into the cable reel, what do you recon?

 

[Robmac]

I always completely unwind my EHU cable but of course this leave a lot of cable on the ground next to the van.

I have decided to cut the cable in half to keep things tidier and only join them up when I am too far from the EHU post for a shorter length.

 

[Canalsman]

I always completely unwind my EHU cable but of course this leave a lot of cable on the ground next to the van.

I have decided to cut the cable in half to keep things tidier and only join them up when I am too far from the EHU post for a shorter length.

Make sure it's a watertight connection...

But I'm sure you'd got that sussed already!

 

[Robmac]

Make sure it's a watertight connection...

But I'm sure you'd got that sussed already!

Yes, I'm looking at something like this;

Watertight Cover For Outdoor 16 Amp Camping Electrical Leads - Camper Happy

Electric CEE Safebox. 16amp 240 volt socket plug and socket waterproof cover, available in 3 colours

camperhappy.co.uk

 

[wildebus]

I don't use a reel avoids the problem from the get-go

 

[alcam]

I am currently on an Aire on Harris. In the photo below the van next to me is connected to the mains with a cable which appears to be below required rating, and left tightly wound around a drum. I see this all of the time. People are either ignorant of the risk, or can’t be bothered unraveling the cable. Using a cable which is properly rated like this can lead to fire, doing it with a cable below required rating increases this risk. I thought this was worth a mention.

View attachment 142100

That's an awful lot of cable

 

[runnach]

I have a long and short ehu cable, if the long cable is in use, any excess I spool off, then loosely spool around the bump guard fitted to rear of camper. This also stores excess cable of the ground.

 

[Wooie1958]

Like runnach i had 2 cables, one was 25 meters and the other was 10 meteres, both of them were 2.5mm and not the cheaper thinner 1.5mm.

The 25 meter one was still a nice dark orange colour but the 10 meters one had seen that much sunlight and was that pale it was almost yellow.

Which ever one i used it was always fully unwound and the excess was laid out flat in elongated loops the length of the van or the edge of the pitch.

 

[GMJ]

I also fully unwind ours and have it as a loose pile under the MH when plugged in. I carry a main 25m one and 2 x 10 - 12m ones as well which were the remnants of my old EHU lead which I cut down and rewired after it failed (after I found the break in the cable and cut it out).

 

[Okta]

An expensive Carthago with a bonfire built under the garage and ready to go on fire. Rather stupid as far as I am concerned.

 

[caledonia]

Maybe he’s using it to heat his garage. I would personally go over and politely let him know the error of his ways. Put your Fireman’s hat on Bill and educate the man.

 

[Fazerloz]

Or maybe he knows exactly what he is doing and is only pulling a small amount to charge batteries. Bought reel extensions usually have two values on coiled and uncoiled. Why does everybody seem to assume others don't know what they are doing. But it is worth a mention to them.