Television, DVD and Mains Leads

[Shutpa]

Having just purchased a new television, DVD and video recorder, I, as I've always done, rolled up the 3 mains leads and bound them together with an elastic band. The purpose of this is just to conceal from view, the 3 leads. Now a friend tells me that that he has heard that this is a potential hazard but doesn't know why. Is it a hazard and if so, why?

 

[Diyisfun]

All I can think of is, should cables coiled this way & be subject to large loads being drawn then they could overheat as there is no air circulation. With the power consumption on your items I do not think there is any problem. (Just dont coil the cable for the electric fire with these )

 

[Shutpa]

Thanks. Have just had a look at the leads and the TV one which has been in use all day, is not hot, but very noticeably warmer than the DVD and Video leads, which have not been in use. Is this a very mild version of the potential hazard?

 

[Diyisfun]

Yes. I would not be concerned, I think the dangers are when the leads are under carpets.

 

[Steve]

The TV, is it a plasma? If so, its probably drawing 300 watts, as much as a small heater. Compare this to your old CRT set which probably used less than 100 watts, and you'll suddenly want to watch TV less

 

[breezer]

actualy you are wrong regarding the leads

its true that a coiled lead gets hotter than an uncoiled one.
This is to do with it being a coil, in a coil you oncentrate the magnetcic field, this magnetic field interupts the incoming magnetic field , drops the voltage so the current goes up so the lead gets hot

 

[ricicle]

actualy you are wrong regarding the leads

its true that a coiled lead gets hotter than an uncoiled one.
This is to do with it being a coil, in a coil you oncentrate the magnetcic field, this magnetic field interupts the incoming magnetic field , drops the voltage so the current goes up so the lead gets hot

An Ac lead with both Phase and Neutral in will not create a magnetic field as the current in the conductors are always going in opposite directions and will cancel each other out if they are equal

 

[Shutpa]

Thanks Crafty, but I never said that I had a cash flow problem! Thanks to you too Breezer, but who are you saying is wrong? Is it me, or Diyisfun or is it Crafty? And what's this 'Note what goes where' business?

 

[RF Lighting]

I think that Diyisfun has got it spot on.

And what's this 'Note what goes where' business?

That is Breezers signature, which appears on the bottom of all his posts.

A few of the regulars on here have them, me included.

 

[breezer]

An Ac lead with both Phase and Neutral in will not create a magnetic field as the current in the conductors are always going in opposite directions and will cancel each other out if they are equal

in theory no, but in practice they do.

If what i sid was not true, why do they over heat when coiled?

see 9 here

also see here

 

[ricicle]

in theory no, but in practice they do.

If what i sid was not true, why do they over heat when coiled?

Heat dissapation.All those turns of cable all carrying the same current trying to get rid of heat to free air but are surrounded by similar cable trying to do the same thing.

 

[breezer]

sorry to disagree, but lets not argue over it.

if what you say were true why is a strait cable not even slightly warm?

 

[ricicle]

The straight cable will be able to dissapate its heat to the surrrounding air (assuming there is a temperature difference - the air being cooler)

 

[breezer]

yes, but it doesnt even get its witsy little teeny weeny bit warm

 

[ricicle]

It might get an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini bit warm if the surrounding air was particularly warm and couldn,t get rid of its heat quick enough.The copper conductors inside might be a tad warm but you couldn't probably feel it through the insulation.Also depends how long the appliance has been on for as well