Burnt extension socket plug
Discussion
I'll start by admitting I have poor knowledge of electricity...
Our house electrics tripped the other day, I narrowed the problem down to our pantry which houses the washing machine and tumble dryer, both run off an extension lead from the panty wall socket.
I unplugged them both and noticed the plug on the extension socket looked like this..
I plugged in a brand new Masterplug extension socket and put new 13amp fuses in both appliances. After plugging it all back in I saw the washing machine was still mid cycle and it sprang to life, the tumble drier was also powered on but not mid cycle, but then the electrics tripped again.
After unplugging the appliances and resetting the consumer unit RCD I did the same again, and a couple of seconds after plugging the appliances back in and pressing 'Start' on the WM, they both turned off and the lights on the extension socket went out. This time the RCD on the consumer unit hadn't tripped so I unplugged the extension socket and plugged it back in, and now all is fine.
So my questions are..
1) What would have caused the burnt extension socket plug?
2) Why would both appliances and extension socket have turned off, but the consumer unit RCD didn't trip?
3) Why is it working fine now?
Our house electrics tripped the other day, I narrowed the problem down to our pantry which houses the washing machine and tumble dryer, both run off an extension lead from the panty wall socket.
I unplugged them both and noticed the plug on the extension socket looked like this..
I plugged in a brand new Masterplug extension socket and put new 13amp fuses in both appliances. After plugging it all back in I saw the washing machine was still mid cycle and it sprang to life, the tumble drier was also powered on but not mid cycle, but then the electrics tripped again.
After unplugging the appliances and resetting the consumer unit RCD I did the same again, and a couple of seconds after plugging the appliances back in and pressing 'Start' on the WM, they both turned off and the lights on the extension socket went out. This time the RCD on the consumer unit hadn't tripped so I unplugged the extension socket and plugged it back in, and now all is fine.
So my questions are..
1) What would have caused the burnt extension socket plug?
2) Why would both appliances and extension socket have turned off, but the consumer unit RCD didn't trip?
3) Why is it working fine now?
Edited by The Gauge on Wednesday 29th January 17:35
You absolutely must not run a tumble dryer and washing machine off an extension. Get an electrician to put in proper sockets where they are needed.
Also check the socket that the extension was plugged into, it’s possibly been damaged from overheating.
Also check the socket that the extension was plugged into, it’s possibly been damaged from overheating.
Edited by essayer on Wednesday 29th January 17:35
Mmmm, it's been like this for the last 11yrs since the new kitchen fit, but then the consumer unit does occasionally trip, maybe this is why?
The pantry has a double wall socket, I assume that would be ok to plug both appliances into? Awkward to get to, but doable.
Not sure why I posted this in the Home Cinema & Hifi section!!!! Hopefully it will get moved.
The pantry has a double wall socket, I assume that would be ok to plug both appliances into? Awkward to get to, but doable.
Not sure why I posted this in the Home Cinema & Hifi section!!!! Hopefully it will get moved.
Edited by The Gauge on Wednesday 29th January 18:00
The Gauge said:
Mmmm, it's been like this for the last 11yrs since the new kitchen fit, but then the consumer unit does occasionally trip, maybe this is why?
The pantry has a double wall socket, I assume that would be ok to plug both appliances into? Awkward to get to, but doable.
Not sure why I posted this in the Home Cinema & Hifi section!!!! Hopefully it will get moved.
Insulators, sockets, plastic degrade slowly over time with repeated heating and cooling cycles. Watched quite a few youtubers who found EV’s plugged into normal mains sockets burn them out over time because of the load. Its usually ok for a few months, but at some point, the materials fail catastrophically.The pantry has a double wall socket, I assume that would be ok to plug both appliances into? Awkward to get to, but doable.
Not sure why I posted this in the Home Cinema & Hifi section!!!! Hopefully it will get moved.
Edited by The Gauge on Wednesday 29th January 18:00
I concur with others that its a safety hazard.
I’d get an electrician in to create proper sockets / consumer unit rcd protections.
Its madness to run stuff that guzzles power like a washing machine and tumble dryer off an extension lead.
Edited by wyson on Wednesday 29th January 18:40
https://www.masterplug.com/uk/products/surge/exten...
Look at the max wattage, its 3120W. Bet your two machines regularly exceeded that when run together.
Look at the max wattage, its 3120W. Bet your two machines regularly exceeded that when run together.
The specific failure appears to have been caused by a bad connection between the live wire and the terminal in the plug. Perhaps the screw was loose?
That bad connection would have caused the plug to overheat and melt regardless of whether it was plugged into a wall socket, an extension cable, a distribution block or whatever.
Using a distribution board to run both a tumble dryer and a washing machine or indeed any high power device is not a good idea because it introduces more opportunities for duff connections that can overheat. But on this occasion that had nothing to do with the failure.
That bad connection would have caused the plug to overheat and melt regardless of whether it was plugged into a wall socket, an extension cable, a distribution block or whatever.
Using a distribution board to run both a tumble dryer and a washing machine or indeed any high power device is not a good idea because it introduces more opportunities for duff connections that can overheat. But on this occasion that had nothing to do with the failure.
The Gauge said:
1) What would have caused the burnt extension socket plug?
2) Why would both appliances and extension socket have turned off, but the consumer unit RCD didn't trip?
3) Why is it working fine now?[/footnote]
Overloading a 13A plug, as mentioned elsewhere. Far too much load for an extension lead. And most probably a loose connection, as highlighted elsehwere.2) Why would both appliances and extension socket have turned off, but the consumer unit RCD didn't trip?
3) Why is it working fine now?[/footnote]
The RCD has nothing to do with it - it will only trip in the event of an earth imbalance or fault. This hasn't happened.
Right, thank you. I'll inspect the double wall socket for damage and plug both appliances into that for now, and do away with the extension socket. I used the extension socket as the wall socket is difficult to get to, but is possible.
Are we saying that I ought to get an electrician to fit a specific wall socket for running the washing machine and tumble drier?
Are we saying that I ought to get an electrician to fit a specific wall socket for running the washing machine and tumble drier?
The Gauge said:
The pantry has a double wall socket, I assume that would be ok to plug both appliances into?
What kind of tumble dryer have you got? If it's a heat pump one, they don't take too much power (around 1kW). Other types will be near near 3kW and, as the washing machine also takes the same then that's 26Amps total and not ideal for double socket.Double sockets are tested to 20A continuously. If you run both appliances together you'll get away with it because the max level of current doesn't last for hours, but, as I said, it's not ideal.
Sheepshanks said:
What kind of tumble dryer have you got? If it's a heat pump one, they don't take too much power (around 1kW). Other types will be near near 3kW and, as the washing machine also takes the same then that's 26Amps total and not ideal for double socket.
Double sockets are tested to 20A continuously. If you run both appliances together you'll get away with it because the max level of current doesn't last for hours, but, as I said, it's not ideal.
It isn't a heat pump drier, its a condensing drier.Double sockets are tested to 20A continuously. If you run both appliances together you'll get away with it because the max level of current doesn't last for hours, but, as I said, it's not ideal.
The Gauge said:
It isn't a heat pump drier, its a condensing drier.
In that case if you've been running them at the same time for 11yrs, then that's pretty incredible. Either / or should have been OK, but still marginal through an extension lead. We've got one that gets warm after a hair dryer has been used for a few mins.Sheepshanks said:
The Gauge said:
It isn't a heat pump drier, its a condensing drier.
In that case if you've been running them at the same time for 11yrs, then that's pretty incredible. Either / or should have been OK, but still marginal through an extension lead. We've got one that gets warm after a hair dryer has been used for a few mins.If the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
ATG said:
And there 13A fuse in the extension cable ...
If the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
A 13A fuse will allow 20A almost indefinitelyIf the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
ATG said:
And there 13A fuse in the extension cable ...
If the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
Nah - Here's some info: If the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/fuse...
Sheepshanks said:
ATG said:
And there 13A fuse in the extension cable ...
If the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
Nah - Here's some info: If the tumble drier was running at 3kW, any load from the washing machine should have blown the fuse immediately. So either it's actually a much lower powered drier, or the two machines were never run at the same time, or someone replaced the extension lead's fuse with a nail.
https://www.pat-testing-training.net/articles/fuse...
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