I have had a tumble dryer in the garage as we are renovating. Plugged into extension reel along with washing machine and both keep tripping if used together. Noticed that the tumble dryer cord was caught under the machine and was warm as the machine was on. No cuts to the cord but it is slightly squashed. Will this be safe? I will not plug it into the extension reel again but worried the wires inside the cord could be damaged without me knowing.
Will my tumble dryer be safe?
- Thread starter Wainere
- Start date
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What is tripping?
It's very unlikley that an 'extension reel' would be man enough to run both a WM and dryer simultaneously - is it getting hot?
Kind Regards, John
And if you try and run even one of them, you must fully unwind the cable from the reel or the cable will melt and catch fire.
Thanks. I have realised I shouldn’t use the extension reel for both after looking it up. My real question is do you think the mains cable for the tumble dryer is safe if it has been slightly crushed (but not broken) and got hot as it was trapped in parts between the dryers base and the floor?
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It’s the builder’s reel and wasn’t hot but now know not to do this.
Thanks. I have realised I shouldn’t use the extension reel for both after looking it up. I won’t use it at all for the tumble dryer. My real question is do you think the mains cable for the tumble dryer is safe if it has been slightly crushed (but not broken) and got hot as it was trapped in parts between the dryers base and the floor?
It's obviously impossible to be sure 'at a distance', but it's pretty unlikley that the 'slightly crushed' cable is a problem.
Kind Regards, John
Thank you. We have an electrician coming to upgrade our fuse box tomorrow, I guess he can advise if the cable getting hot as it was next to the tumble dryer while on May have caused damaged but assume if it’s not melted on outside then won’t be inside?
Oh, in that case, it would obviously make sense to ask him to give the 'slightly crushed' cable a look over.
Kind Regards, John
If it's fully unwound, rated at 13A and serving nothing else at the same time as the dryer, that's probably OK, even if not ideal.
Kind Regards, John
Probably ok? it depends. The instructions for many tumble dryer tell you not to use an extension reel. Here’s why:
Current draw of the dryer. The draw of the average tumble dryer is 11amps.
Home Appliances Ratings | Electrical Safety First
A guide which includes common domestic appliances and their amps and watts power ratings as well as further information for your reference.
www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk
Now look at the rating of your extension lead. Example below. Fully wound it can only hack 3amps. Unwound it may not be able to handle the tumble dryer.
So care needed. Make sure your extension reel can do 13amp. As John has pointed out.
And with regards to the mains cable that was sitting underneath the dryer and had been squashed and was hot (because the dryer was hot) if the casing is in tack just a bit squashed and not melted is your opinion that it should be okay? Clearer pics here
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Impossible to tell without being there and testing.
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