Electric Cable Extension aka "Cable Wheel"

[STD Warehouse]

I had a cable extension what I call a cable wheel like this one

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/vct-2x1-sqmm-20-2-i1127236691-s8075863673.html?

 

which recently broke, it was very old. Anyhow, a friend who was over on holiday was shocked that the wheel was made from metal, and said "better get a plastic one next time".

 

Looking on Lazada, they all seem to be made from metal, I did find this one 

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/randy-4-30m-20m-i2910429662-s10653925778.html?

 

which says "Abandon the steel shell, Thai design, change to durable engineering plastic instead, reducing the risk of electric shock" although it seems to be more than double the price of the Thai Metal one.

 

My question is:

 

Are the Thai metal wheel ones really a danger?

 

Also what does everyone think of the non wheel ones like

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/vct-2x1-20-30-nano-2x4-i2147710836-s12619864728.html?

 

im quite tempted to get this one as the price is much lower

 

And second question is, what cable do i really need?

 

I really want a 30m cable, to plug in a makita pressure washer 

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/makita-hw1300-hw-1300-hw-1300-hw-1300-i661414623-s1289764316.html?

 

The pressure washer says its 1800 watts. do I need a 1, 1.5, 2.5, 4 mm cable....

Edited January 8, 2023 by STD Warehouse

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, STD Warehouse said:

Also what does everyone think of the non wheel ones like

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/vct-2x1-20-30-nano-2x4-i2147710836-s12619864728.html?

im quite tempted to get this one as the price is much lower

 

Potential hazard, it has 2-core cable and 3-pin outlets!

Also, they say it's 2x1mm² and that it's 16A (Bangkok cable 2x1mm² VCT is 10A in free air 

https://www.bangkokcable.com/system/product/file_upload/210524_450!750V 70C VCT_1-4core_Rev04.pdf )

 

The red metal one appears also to have a 2-pin plug which would mean that the metalwork cannot be grounded! And the 3-pin outlets problem as above too.

 

The middle plastic one looks OK, but we don't know the size of the cable, should be 3x1.5mm² (it's sometimes called 2-core with ground just to confuse) for 16A minimum.

 

We have one of the red ones (ours is yellow), but it's long since had the cable replaced by 3x1.5mm² and the metalwork is connected to the ground pins of the outlets.

 

In the end it's actually cheaper to buy the bits and make your own cables, and you know it's made right. 

 

Your pressure washer is 1,800W, so about 8A and it's likely double-insulated so it would actually be safe on all of your quoted leads (still really should have the red one's metalwork grounded).

 

[xtrnuno41]

Wouldnt have any of them

"Best" would be the second only as having 3 pin in and out, however IP 20 class and surely the others are as well.

Good for inside, but not that best to use when you are playing with water. You need to look at IP 65.

[bluejets]

Seriously doubt any extension lead on the market would be 100% water proof.

 

• IP65 Enclosure - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against water projected from a nozzle.
• IP66 Enclosure - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against heavy seas or powerful jets of water.
• IP 67 Enclosures - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against immersion. for 30 minutes at depths 150mm - 1000mm
• IP 68 Enclosures - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against complete, continuous submersion in water.

[Crossy]

2 hours ago, bluejets said:

Seriously doubt any extension lead on the market would be 100% water proof.

 

Yup, IP20 would mean basically finger-proof (objects up to 12mm) and zero water protection. 

 

Outside use only in dry conditions.

 

One of many online references to what IPXX actually means: -

https://www.wolfautomation.com/blog/what-does-ip20-mean-actually-what-does-any-ip-mean/

[STD Warehouse]

On 1/8/2023 at 11:51 AM, Crossy said:

 

Potential hazard, it has 2-core cable and 3-pin outlets!

Also, they say it's 2x1mm² and that it's 16A (Bangkok cable 2x1mm² VCT is 10A in free air 

https://www.bangkokcable.com/system/product/file_upload/210524_450!750V 70C VCT_1-4core_Rev04.pdf )

 

The red metal one appears also to have a 2-pin plug which would mean that the metalwork cannot be grounded! And the 3-pin outlets problem as above too.

 

The middle plastic one looks OK, but we don't know the size of the cable, should be 3x1.5mm² (it's sometimes called 2-core with ground just to confuse) for 16A minimum.

 

We have one of the red ones (ours is yellow), but it's long since had the cable replaced by 3x1.5mm² and the metalwork is connected to the ground pins of the outlets.

 

In the end it's actually cheaper to buy the bits and make your own cables, and you know it's made right. 

 

Your pressure washer is 1,800W, so about 8A and it's likely double-insulated so it would actually be safe on all of your quoted leads (still really should have the red one's metalwork grounded).

 

Thank you, once again invaluable advice, much appreciated.

 

What would you think if I made my own using this IP66 socket

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/weatherproof-5-ip66-i3948996385-s15242600899.html?

 

This 100m 3 core 2.5 cable

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/vct-3x25-100-50-pks-i3297029179-s12395126938.html?

 

And this plug

 

https://www.homepro.co.th/p/1218707?

 

It it was all wire up properly is this safe? Use case would be garden tool and power tools

 

 

[Crossy]

The outlet looks pretty OK.

Do you really need the "universal" socket? If not then try to find one with a standard Thai socket for better reliability. Of course, it's only IP66 when it has right-angle plugs inserted.

To be honest I'm not sure I want to be using electrical stuff outside in "IP66 weather".

 

You will need a cable gland to keep the damp out where your cable enters the box.

 

The plug also looks OK although I've not seen inside one to look at the terminal arrangements (some are really terrible).

 

The 2.5mm² cable may be too big to fit in the plug. Unless your extension is really long 1.5mm² would normally be adequate.

[STD Warehouse]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

The outlet looks pretty OK.

Do you really need the "universal" socket? If not then try to find one with a standard Thai socket for better reliability. Of course, it's only IP66 when it has right-angle plugs inserted.

To be honest I'm not sure I want to be using electrical stuff outside in "IP66 weather".

 

You will need a cable gland to keep the damp out where your cable enters the box.

 

The plug also looks OK although I've not seen inside one to look at the terminal arrangements (some are really terrible).

 

The 2.5mm² cable may be too big to fit in the plug. Unless your extension is really long 1.5mm² would normally be adequate.

Again thank you for your advice

 

A cable gland like this?

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/cable-grand-pg-1-1-i4000204260-s15525404354.html?

 

Im guessing the PGXX is the diameter of scree thread?

 

Yes I don't really need a universal socket, I just can not find one with a Thai socket.

 

I wont be using it in IP66 weather, only using it on sunny dry days, I just thought it might be better to get an IP66 socket for safety?

 

"Unless your extension is really long 1.5mm² would normally be adequate." how long is long? is 100m long? 50m long? 

 

 

[xtrnuno41]

Dont know where you live, but why not go to a Thaiwatsadu or Global House? You could do some real live shopping.

I love those shops.

[STD Warehouse]

7 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Dont know where you live, but why not go to a Thaiwatsadu or Global House? You could do some real live shopping.

I love those shops.

I also love those shops, and I wish I could I could easily go to them, but.... (rant coming...)

 

it would involve a car drive total 6 hours round trip, total travel time 9 hours, and cost over 2000 baht and i would be very tired when I got back. Where I live for the most part everything comes via Lazada/Shopee (you should see the Flash and Kerry delivery depots here, like 20,000 parcels arrive each day and 3 underpaid thai workers pile them up from floor to ceiling in messy disorganised piles and wait 4 days as their underpaid understaffed delivery team cant deliver them and they can send them back to the suppliers, and avoid the work of actually delivering them!) or Homepro delivery (no physical HomePro store, in fact where I live HomPpro don't even allow ordering on their website!) having said that we do have a Makro!!

[Pouatchee]

I bought mine (plastic) at Hardwarehouse. Make sure you check it has a ground. Been using it for years. No complaints here.

[xtrnuno41]

OK, well maybe one day, one opens

Im now in Satun, just a little place in south, but i was flabbergasted finding a Global House. And that thing is really, really big!

They had the guts to open one here, as it is not that old.

But as being big sometimes they dont have supplies you need.

I was searching for metric M4 screws and they dont have!

I was again flabbergasted. 

Not any of those, only big construction bolts. Amazing.

Maybe still to implement, but for now ...nope.

[Crossy]

54 minutes ago, STD Warehouse said:

A cable gland like this?

 

Yup, match the size to the outside diameter of your chosen cable.

 

We have a 2HP pump on the end of 50m of 1.5mm² it probably doesn't meet the volt drop regulations but it starts and runs just fine.

 

Power tools are very tolerant of supply voltage so up to 50m I'd go 1.5mm². Over that then 2.5mm², but remember 100m of 2.5 isn't something you want to be dragging around. Maybe split it into a number of shorter, more manageable lengths?