Print

[582LTR]

Is someone able to tell me which of the following is safer: to have a double wall socket with two ‘blocks’ in running two items from each or an extension lead plugged in with four things plugged in. The items are not used at the same time, hair dryers, phone chargers and the like. To spur another double socket from the current one is still the same set up in a different form.

Thanks

Martin

[g6anz]

I would use an extension block. BUT ensure that its a decent quality one with decent sockets. That way you could use the extension for the low power items ,phone chargers etc, and the ring main socket for the high current appliance.

[Clifford Pope]

It's funny how fashions and needs change.
Years ago rooms had very few sockets, sopeople ran enumerable extension leads. I remember large ceramic round-pin adaptors, often plugged into each other - one, two, even more.
Then, usually at the first rewire and the conversion to square-pin, rooms started to have two sockets.
As the need grew, so did the number of sockets. Now each wall often had 2 or more double sockets.

Then suddenly the number of sockets fell again, and now we have tower adaptors with up to 10 outlets, and trailing extension leads again.

The only room where there has been hardly any change is the bathroom. There might be one razor socket, but that has to double up for razor, toothbrush, water flosser, etc. No provision is made for hair-drier or washing machine.

[Noddy]

Fire Officers don't like cubes and especially ones without a built in fuse too easy to overload. An extension with a fused plug limits the load that can be applied.

[582LTR]

Thank you for your help, will sort accordingly.

Martin

[Scottie]

I am not a sparky, far from it, but my wife bought one of those cubed things with many sockets on it for the fish tank. Worked OK but was always quite 'warm' to the touch.

Replaced it with a good quality 'strip' type extension with 4 sockets and that does not get warm at all.

Just saying.  :) :)

[kev]

The only room where there has been hardly any change is the bathroom. There might be one razor socket, but that has to double up for razor, toothbrush, water flosser, etc. No provision is made for hair-drier or washing machine.

You have a washing machine in your bathroom?

I remember as a lad, my dad had a double adaptor hanging from the light fitting in the bathroom ceiling. - A bulb in one side and his shaver in the other...

[andrewR]

Fire Officers don't like cubes and especially ones without a built in fuse too easy to overload. An extension with a fused plug limits the load that can be applied.

This is basically the correct answer, for various reasons. You can gang as many as you like in series and its safe, due to the 13A fusing on the first extension plug, and the fact that mechanically the connections are not getting torqued (as they do with cubes) to create a partial "sparking" contact, which can create heat even if 13A is not exceeded.

By the way, we could start another thread here. Why, on the S2 electric layout, is the ignition circuit totally unfused? I can understand that having your vehicle cut out due to a blown fuse could be awkward, but it still strikes me as odd that the original S2 wiring has the whole ignition circuit unfused, while some parts are protected by the original 30A fuse. My vehicle now has several sectionalised fused circuits, but still the actual ignition coil etc. is totally unfused, as per the original wiring schematic. It functions reliably, but if you happen to get a short at the wrong place behind the "dashboard", it's going to melt wires etc. I've worried about this a few times, but not done anything about it so far, having not lost the vehicle to fire in 30 years .... I do have an extinguisher fixed to the drivers door though ....
 

[MikeT]

Just to add, i PAT test equipment regularly,  check the writing on the back of your extension lead, I find a few that only rated 10amp but have a 13amp fuse in them

[w3526602]

I can understand that having your vehicle cut out due to a blown fuse could be awkward

Hi,

When I was "mini-cabbing" in South London (Thornton Heath), I drove a Vauxhall FB Victor. In 1968, Third Party only insurance for "Hire and Reward" cost me £300pa. I did this for a year ... 52,000 miles mainly in South London. One night, clocking up Purley Way at about 70mph. I looked in my mirror ... and forgot to look back at the road ahead. I decided to get out before the decision was made for me.

To the point ... according to the Owner's Hand Book, the Vauxhall did not have fuses ... it had a device (which I never found) that, in the event of a short circuit, switched the electrics off and on, very rapidly. The object was to NOT leave you without lights, but still protect the wiring.

Can anybody tell us more about this device, and would it be a good idea to fit one on an S2?

602

[Formerlyjeremy]

Wonderful device - which could go 'soft' and cut for no apparent reason.  There was one Vauxhall running round with an in-line fuse soldered across the contacts - which stopped the lights suddenly cutting out after about 20 mins driving.

The device was on the back of the light switch.

[w3526602]

Wonderful device

Hi Formerly Jeremy,

Do you know if there is an "improved" version of this device.

A strip of "Bacofoil" wrapped round a fuse will stop it blowing ... but not recommended.

602

PS Formally? As in previously? Or, as in formal? I'll get my coat.

[Old Hywel]

The Vauxhall device ( thermal interrupter?) didn’t cover the ignition circuit. The coil came loose on our FD 2000 slant-four, and shorted on the block. To stop the smoke I wrenched the battery terminal off. Pleased to have stopped major damage, I was horrified to discover the actual battery pole still attached to the lead.

[Formerlyjeremy]

Don't know if there was an improved version - my next contact with Vauhalls was when my Wife traded her tatty Viva for an 1800 Firenza - which had the same Zenith carb (no doubt with different jets etc) as the 2.25 Land land Rover.  We used to go out in my 4.2 Jaguar for economy!

I was Jeremy on the last forum - and joined this one under the same name.  However it seemed to drop my identity or something - and I couldn't sign in - so I rejoined.  Perhaps I'll change my name again - but its probably best I don't invite suggestions!

[armalites]

The only room where there has been hardly any change is the bathroom. There might be one razor socket, but that has to double up for razor, toothbrush, water flosser, etc. No provision is made for hair-drier or washing machine.

There is actually no issues with have normal sockets in a bathroom, the reason it's not common is most bathrooms are not big enough to have required distance from a wet zone.