Non-motoring > Halogen heaters Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Ambo Replies: 11
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 13:15 
 Halogen heaters - Ambo
I have two of these, 3-element/1200 watts each (but rarely used on more than one element). Instructions with them say not to use them on extension leads. Why would that be?
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 13:51 
 Halogen heaters - Dog
I've had a cheapo 800w halo heater for years which I bung on 1 bar occasionally when sitting at my desk.

Tis plugged into an extension lead and I'm still alive ... I believe.
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 13:54 
 Halogen heaters - No FM2R
Because people are not to be trusted to choose an appropriate lead, to put them out of the way to avoid tripping and to avoid risk of fires so it is easier to say that none may be used.

The lead required would not be a normal household extension lead.

This might help, if you care enough. [complete the table at the bottom to calculate]

www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

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New Sun 29 Dec 19 13:57 
 Halogen heaters - sooty123
Most/some extensions can't handle 1200w x3. Normal limit is about 3000w.
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 14:08 
 Halogen heaters - Ambo
Perhaps I should have made clearer that each element is 400 watts, total 1200 watts.
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 14:25 
 Halogen heaters - Zero
The general recommendation is not to put heaters on extension leads/multiway plugs. I can show you plenty of overheated sockets where I ignored this recommendation.
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 16:34 
 Halogen heaters - Bromptonaut
>> The general recommendation is not to put heaters on extension leads/multiway plugs.

These tend to be sold mainly for use with computers or AV kit where multiple items are involved but all low wattage. Typical retail offer is 10 amps max which on face would be OK for Ambo's 1400 watts but not if some chump tries to run two of them on same lead.

Most people's knowledge and the relationship between Watts, Amps and Volts is between sketchy and non existent. They'll happily daisy chain extension leads and not think too much about what's plugged in.

Miss B, who worked for a while with a peripatetic blood donor team, had been well schooled in these things. She had a couple of frank discussions with (mostly) male colleagues who were connecting tea urn plus microwave and several bits of professional kit to a single 13amp socket via a chain of extension leads.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 29 Dec 19 at 16:36
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 16:43 
 Halogen heaters - smokie
The risk is exacerbated if a reel isn't fully unwound as any wire heats up when current is flowing, and an overloaded wire still coiled therefore becomes a major hazard. Used with caution and common sense I'd say it's probably OK so long as the amps you are drawing are within the wire spec.

My "office" (kin other houses it's the small bedroom!!) has one wall outlet on the ring. I regularly have in excess of 17 (- that's the number I can see) devices running simultaneously. This is achieved by use of extension leads and chained 6 way trailing sockets. As this is all low current its pretty sager and I've never yet had the 13A fuse blow. But I would out a heater on it!
Last edited by: smokie on Sun 29 Dec 19 at 16:43
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 19:08 
 Halogen heaters - bathtub tom
>>The risk is exacerbated if a reel isn't fully unwound as any wire heats up when current is flowing

Isn't a further risk a coiled reel also acts as an inductor, creating a further impedance to the current. I've a long (home made) extension lead and always wind it with the cable doubled so any induction gets cancelled (in theory).
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 19:11 
 Halogen heaters - Robin O'Reliant
When it was highly fashionable to try and make the outside of your house look like Regent Street on steroids you'd see some diabolical wiring trailing over the front gardens. Multi sockets meant for indoor use festooned with plugs and further extensions wrapped in plastic bags as waterproofing. It is a wonder much of the country's housing stock wasn't burnt to a cinder.
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 19:19 
 Halogen heaters - smokie
... but also goes to show that maybe it's not quite as dangerous as made out to be if done "properly"...
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New Sun 29 Dec 19 21:44 
 Halogen heaters - henry k
>> ... but also goes to show that maybe it's not quite as dangerous as made out to be if done properly"...
>>
Exactly.
It was normal in our household ( no electrical sockets) for mum to stand on a chair and plug the iron into a Y shaped adaptor ( with or without a pull switch) and plug that into the pendant bayonet light fitting hanging in the middle of the kitchen.

www.1900s.org.uk/1940s-house-ironing.htm
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