Safe to coil up Power leads?

[iburnell]

Being a neat freak at work I have ordered a cage to go under my desk. Most computer power leads are 2m long

Question: - is it safe to use cable ties or something to put them in "figure of 8" for example to try to clean up the excess. i.e. when power is flowing does it make it too hot coiled up ?

 

[Burnerman]

High current flowing through coiled cables is a big no - no.....computer cables don't carry much current at all but even then, give them space so air can circulate and don't tie them down tightly, just to be on the safe side.
John

 

[foxhole]

Computer leads come in all sizes ? Simply cut it down if you want it tidy . Though no risk from wrapping it up.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Maybe worth noting that in the UK several of the large construction companies have banned the use of extension drums on their jobs (most notably ISG, although I've had it on a couple of Carrillion jobs, too). I've seen first hand the result of someone leaving a 50ft cable wound up tight over the weekend with a 5kVA transformer plugged in at the drum - turned the drum into a giant blue rubber football which had just started to go golden brown and crispy in parts. Good job it wasn't a bank holiday or there would have been no building to go back to in all liklihood. Our sparkie explained that leaving a drum coiled up and carrying power this way means it acts a an induction coil - or like the wound heater filaments you used to see on old electric fires only not as efficient. Extension leads should always be the shorted practical length and should not be tightly wound into any sort of coil, figure of 8 or otherwise

 

[mattylad]

This is one of the reasons I am helping rewire our factory, I am ensuring that they have enough sockets in the right places so that they do not need extension leads for the grinders and I tell them all to never plug the welder into it.
However, it seems that welders have zero IQ and cannot follow simple instructions like that - Ill post photo's when it happens

However a computer setup (unless its a high end gaming\CAD PC) is not likely to cause much of a problem, is there any evidence that such low power draw does?

As for cutting them up, if the Op is referring to the IEC ended leads, the other end may be a molded on plug.

 

[foxhole]

Just cut lead down to size, any molded plugs can be replaced with standard plug.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

However, it seems that welders have zero IQ and cannot follow simple instructions like that - Ill post photo's when it happens

I've seen it! management on one job were wondering why it was that 20kVA transformers were going down like flies. Turned out the that welders, who were welding 25mm thick ballast plates onto a bouncy steel staircase in the hope that it wouldn't bounce so much after treatment, were in the habit of running two 32A and often several 16A cables from the tranny to where they were then working and then running a couple of 9in grinders and a couple of fairly hefty stick welders until they fried the tranny, and occasionally the cables, and in a couple of instances the carpets a well (the building was nearing completion) - at which point like a bunch of steel locusts they would move on the the next victim. They "did" four transformers in as many days until they were caught, billed, and told to bring their own diesel generator set onto the job. Truly, thick as mince!

 

[endecotp]

One of my extensions is marked "max current fully wound 5A, max current fully unwound 13A".

I imagine other leads would require similar derating. To be safe, maybe derate 90%.

 

[Astra99]

If you do cut off a moulded plug, make sure you snap off, or at least bend the pins before disposal to ensure that "one of the welders" does not plug it in! I believe there was a case in Scotland some years ago where an electrician cut off a moulded plug which a child picked up, plugged it in and bang. The child died, the electrician faced culpable homicide charges.