Safety Tip - Extension cord & Shoreline Melt Downs

[DanD2Soon]

Sent: 8/23/2004

Extension cords and Shorelines (just Fancy Ext. Cords) can get very hot and even melt when used in a coiled position - even when being used below their rated amperage! It has to do with a transformer action that occurs between the turns of wire in a coil under load that produces heat - not so noticeable at fractional draws like 5 amps in a 20 amp rated extension cord - but under the right/wrong conditions, a 12 amp load on the same 100' cord wrapped around a cord reel might melt the insulation right off it! Same sort of thing can occur with your shoreline, though not usually as severe, if you only pull out the four feet you need to reach the campground service box and leave the rest "neatly" coiled in the compartment under your bed. Ever wonder why the shoreline stowed in the air conditioned RV was "warm?"

What to do:
- Don't use an extension cord if you can avoid it.
- If you have to, then use the shortest one you can find &
- DON'T coil it - Same for your shoreline - Pull it all out! &
- Lay it out under or alongside the RV in long, easy loops.

When stowing the shoreline:
- Feed it back into the compartment in random "easy" loops or "criss-crossed" "figure eights"
- Don't coil it neatly and stick it in the compartment! (Especially important if your shoreline accesses your Genset by plugging into a Genset receptacle inside the same compartment.)

Hope all this saves someone some trouble or at least prevents the scare that comes from smelling burning rubber...

Later,
DanD

[Beatty1950]

Sent: 8/23/2004

Thanks for the great tip.

Dave Beatty

[Oz]

Sent: 1/30/2006

Things you never even thought about that are so important.  Thanks!

- Sob

[GONMAD]

The same applies when welding as you have to uncoil any extra length of cable attached to the welder or the loss of amperage is enough to reduce penetration of the weld.

[circleD]

This is a serious matter and I've never thought of it either. But man, the jokes that could be made with this post  . Stripe!!! Old Rock and Roller!!! You're up  :)rotflmao

[M & J]

What?