Ring extention - plug pin getting very hot.......

[D.I.Y-SI]

I have extended the ring main from my kitchen into the porch which is adjacent. I used two 30A junction boxes and 2.5mm2-twin and earth cable (approx. 2 meters) and a double socket.
I have had an electric oil filled radiator on in there today for about 1/2 and hour and when I unplugged it I noticed that one of the pins on the plug was almost to hot to touch! I haven't plugged anything else in since, until I can find out what’s wrong.
Can anyone tell me what the problem is????
Many thanks.

 

[RF Lighting]

Why did you use two junction boxes to add a spurred socket?


Could be one or more or none of the following:

Loose connection in the socket
Loose connection in the plugtop
Worn contact in the socket
Dirty pins on the plugtop
Loose fuseholder in the plugtop
Undersized fuse in the plugtop

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

Sorry should have been Ring extention in the subject-changed it now.

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

Could be one or more or none of the following:

Loose connection in the socket
Loose connection in the plugtop
Worn contact in the socket
Dirty pins on the plugtop
Loose fuseholder in the plugtop
Undersized fuse in the plugtop[/quote]

All the connections are tight and the plug to the heater is moulded and clean and correctly fused. Also the double socket is new as well as the kitchen ring which was fitted 6 months ago by a pro spark.

Any help would be appriciated!

 

[333rocky333]

KW rating of the heater

make of socket

check the neutral and earths are in correct terminals in the socket

What pin is hot

My girls MOULDED hoover plug caught fire

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

KW rating of the heater

make of socket

check the neutral and earths are in correct terminals in the socket

What pin is hot

My girls MOULDED hoover plug caught fire

Thanks for the reply,

The heater is 2KW and the brand of the socket is CED and is British standard. The pin that is getting hot is the neutral.

I also had a 100w light on through the same socket at the time.

I was planning to take a spur off this socket and run it up the garden(8 meters) to my shed but now I've lost confidence.

Any idea's?

 

[333rocky333]

Personally never used ced.

Some cheaper sockets although bs standard have been known to get hot and burn out under load

You sure socket connected right if your 8 amp neutral load is going through the earth 1.5 by mistake that may get a bit hot.

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

Seems that the heat source is coming from the plug pin. I will double check the connections in the morning. Its possible I have connected it the wrong way. From the 2 cables that went into the socket I wired the 2 live into the live terminal and the 2 neutral to the N terminal and the 2 Earths to the E and then linked it to the socket case and sleeved the bare earth.
I am a DIYer but like to think I do things properly, if I don't think I understand something I won't attempt it. I really thought I had been sucessful with this job but now I'm not so sure.

Thanks for your help.

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

I've double checked my connections and they seem in the correct places ie. the 2 blues in the N, the 2 browns in the L and the earth in the earth.

What can be wrong? I'm confused.

If you run a 2KW heater on full is it normal for the plug to get hot or warm or should it stay cold?

 

[bernardgreen]

It shouldn't be getting hot.

Most common causes have already been mentioned.

Try the heater in different socket and see if the pin warms up there.

If it does then there is a problem in the plug. I have had one moulded on plug which had a high resistance connection due to poor manufacturing standards. The pins should be shiny, plugs on heaters left in a garage during the summer can become tarnished

If it doesn't warm up in the socket then the original socket has a problem.

Once socket has become hot it is a good idea to replace it as heat will soften the metal of the contacts and reduce contact pressure leading to further heating across the poor contact with the pin. Use a quality make such as MK and steer clear of the cheapo stuff.

 

[IJWS15]

I would guess that it is the spring clip in the socket that is slightly loose on the pin.

Try the appliance in another socket - if it does not get hot there it is the socket. DONT leave it on long, or alone, it should heat up fairly quickly. Another method is to put a table lamp into the problem socket and with the light on wobble the plug, if the light goes on and off it is the spring clip loose on the pin - you may also hear arcing.

If it is the socket and IF you feel confident to do so pull the fuse, take off the socket and dismantle it, squeeze up the spring clip and re-assemble. If you don't feel confident doing this buy another socket and swop it. Alternately if it is new take it back and get in changed as defective.

I have had this with several sockets, normally SWMBO complains that the hoover stops working and tightening up the clip solves it.

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

I would just like to say thanks for the advice.

I tried the heater in another two sockets and the same thing happened so I can rule out my work as the cause(sigh of relief). I checked the plug pin surface and it was tarnished as it hadn't been use for a while so I wire brushed these and tried it, but it had no effect. So unless my wiring or the work I had done a few months ago could cause this to happen in every socket it must be the moulded plug thats got the fault??. I will be changing it later and retesting it.

Thanks again for the info, it was very helpful.

 

[plugwash]

make sure you use a good quality plug

 

[MarkBarl]

Slightly off the original topic, but you mention your intention to take a spur up the garden. Be aware that this is covered by Part P and is notifiable work.

 

[D.I.Y-SI]

Slightly off the original topic, but you mention your intention to take a spur up the garden. Be aware that this is covered by Part P and is notifiable work.

Thanks for letting me know.

I'm not planning to do it anytime soon but when I do it will be under the supervision of a qualified spark, so presumably it will not need to be notified?