Mains cable coil

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alanw1947

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Duncan Kent writes in the current (no pun intended) March 2021 PBO experts (p82) "don't leave your [mains] cable coiled up when it's in use".
Mine is(!) and it's hung on the alloy mizzen mast. There are about eight loops of 2ft with a tight bunch where it is hung on the cleat.
How worried should I be ?
 
alanw1947 said:
Duncan Kent writes in the current (no pun intended) March 2021 PBO experts (p82) "don't leave your [mains] cable coiled up when it's in use".
Mine is(!) and it's hung on the alloy mizzen mast. There are about eight loops of 2ft with a tight bunch where it is hung on the cleat.
How worried should I be ?
Click to expand...

8 loops shouldn't be an issue, but it is dependant on the load applied.
 
Many thanks - knew I'd get some sense in here.
Answers: - the load is minimal, battery charger and an 80W tube heater (so 0.3a) in the engine room on a frost-stat.
Given the outside temp, the cable is well cooled!
 
I only fully uncoil a mains extension lead is when I am using it with my welding machine so drawing something over 15 amps (our 3 pin plug rating is 16 amps)
 
I have three shore power cables on the boat of different lengths .
One I made to suit my home berth - it has enough slack to allow for the boat moving but not enough to reach the water . Another a bit longer which came with the boat and a third is very long. One or the other suits most eventualities without needing lots of coils of cable .
 
I will check with my mate who is a sparkie, but the load from a charger is nothing to worry about. Boiling a kettle would be more of an issue, but even then 8 two foot loops in the open air will not be a bother.
 
Last edited:
dunedin said:
It’s only really an issue with these sorts of tightly coiled cable reels Pifco 2 Way UK 3Pin Plug 10amp Extension Reel with 10 Metre Heavy-Duty Winding Cable and Safety Cut Out Switch - Black: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Look carefully at the photo and you can see two different power ratings -
- 3 amp if fully coiled
- 10 amp if fully uncoiled
Click to expand...
Yup, I went away on holiday and our lodger managed to blow two of those - fortunately they had a thermal cutout but it doesn’t reset.
 
I remember it well: Dad putting a 1KW electric fan heater on an extension lead coiled on a 12" drum. 1KW/250V = 4 amps. Smoke and flames. He managed to salvage two short lengths of mains cable from the melted mass.
 
I learnt the hard way by plugging in a fan heater in the garage via a coiled cable, after a while I thought, what’s that funny smell? I turned off the power before any real smoke and flames but not before the cable was wrecked.
 
Yes the concern is regarding heating of the cable from resistance and the ability of the roll to dissipate the heat. So my domestic vacuum cleaner is a real concern with an internal spring recoil drum for the cable. The cable itself is as thin as practical the cleaner is 1200 watt so nearly 5 amps and the coil is internal to the cleaner. So never operate with any cord still coiled inside. Probably completely different for OP if coils are large, current low cable heavy, and lots of ventilation to the coil. ol'will,
 
MartynG said:
I have three shore power cables on the boat of different lengths .
One I made to suit my home berth - it has enough slack to allow for the boat moving but not enough to reach the water . Another a bit longer which came with the boat and a third is very long. One or the other suits most eventualities without needing lots of coils of cable .
Click to expand...
I'm now worried I'll be seen as a racer, saying that racers will probably remove the cable when competing. I only have one long power cable onboard that is used for all occasions.
 
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