Recommendation for a heavy duty extension cord

[Ericlim]

Hi

I received a Bosch Universal Aquatek 130 pressure washer as a Xmas gift. I would like to ask for a few recommendation for a heavy duty 15-20m extension cord for this pressure washer; preferable with some safety features.

Thanks

[Noyade]

G'day @AlanM52 

So you still have three wire based fuses?

[AlanM52]

Yeah mate...original fuses and fuse wire from when the house was built in 1971.

You may be wondering why the board is so ancient and there is a reason for that.

Over the decades many electricians (people I know and contractors) have stood there staring at the board scratching heads - internal wall and two story house.

The board had one 'upgrade' when the smart meter was installed.

New kitchen (upstairs) and Sparkie gave up and installed better breakers.

Colorbond garage AKA Workshop Sparkie gave up and tapped of the dining room power point.

Previous to that late seventies the only option I had for aircon was wall mounted with 10A plug.

The same power point that the garage Sparkie tapped off of lol.

Cheers

[Noyade]

Afternoon Alan. @AlanM52 

My house was built circa 1947. An electrical disaster that has never really been solved and at one point we sat in our solicitor's office seeking advice. The front of the house still has the 'cloth' covered wiring which travels through steel conduit. An electrician in the early 90's put circuit breakers in with strict instructions to stay outta the roof and never step on the steel conduit.

I've done my best to stay out.

Cheers!

[AlanM52]

Good evening @Noyade,

WOW... wondering what your board looks like.

1947 is when I first saw daylight.

Cheers

[Dave-1]

Evening @Ericlim , @AlanM52  and @Noyade 

Wooooo its always interesting seeing what people have in their places And yeah I reckon the "Dodgy bro's" worked on mine.

With your 20m heavy duty extension cord. This Click 25m 250V 10A Heavy Duty Extension Lead (I think everyone has mentioned a cord ) or even a couple of shorter extension cords are what I used for my water blaster, drill, grinder around the yard. The Powerpoint that they are plugged into goes back to the fuse box and that is protected by an ELCB so if there is water anywhere then "cick" it shuts off. Nothing fancier than that. The little coverings that go over the lead heads are a good idea but generally if I have a lead anywhere near water I make sure that teh connection point is raised and protectecd from water. 

It dosnt harm having extra protection (I have a 4 way ELCB extension board the same as @AlanM52's) and have used that on occasion. It has tripped faster then the house ELCB but they both do the same job.)

Dave

[Noyade]

"It has tripped faster then the house ELCB"

Now this is interesting @Dave-1. 

True story - the names have not been changed.

My middle son - Jake - when five years old - for reasons unknown - cut a lamp cord with surgical scissors. No insulation on the scissors or his hands.

He was lying on carpet.

Double earthed two-core appliance.

I was at work.

Julie rang me and explained the situation. She thanked the circuit breakers for saving his life.

But when I got home I examined the scissors and the main blade had a melted section.

To do that would have taken a second or two?

Yet he was asymptomtic and felt no shock.

My thinking is - he walks the planet today - because he was not earthed? Not due to the circuit breaker?

Thoughts?

[Noyade]

Story No 2.

My father was a builder.

On a rural property in the 1970's where he was working one day, he had an Elu saw set up with a long extension cord.

He was working with it when the power stopped.

He looked around and saw the property owner's German Shepherd had bitten clean through the cord.

The dog, unharmed, just walked away.

The wire fuse was intact.

Dad just got out another extension cord and continued on.

He was understandably amazed.

Again, did the dog survive because it was not earthed where it was standing?

[Ericlim]

Thanks @Dave-1 

[Dave-1]

Evening @Noyade 

ok lets see if we can step through the scenerios.

1- 

- As your son wasnt touching any earthed object he was extremley lucky (as in lotto ticket lucky) He cut through active AND neautral or earth, it MELTED the blade, would have been sparks galore, blew the fuse. If he had made a better path for the electricity to flow as in touching the sink, something wet or and earthed light then it could have taken a path through the cord, through the scissors and to say the lamp.  (I am here even though I shorted a very large capacitor with a screwdriver to "discharge it" when I was an apprentice... My screwdriver is missing a chunk, a large chunk as the metal was the conducter and I was insulated.

2-

- Lucky doggo, not sure how the dog escaped. Maybe the dog was standing on super dry ground? only hit one wire with its teeth so it never arked but seperated the wire? I am surpprised the dog was ok glad he was but yet again Id be buying a lotto ticket.

The ELCB trips faster then a fuse, it is designed to detect miniscule amount of voltage difference between active and earth. As soon as it does "click" its off. 

A Fuse or circuit breaker detects an overload of whatever rating it is. If its a 15A rating then the fuse/CB will work fine until the current heads over the 15A. It does NOT protect you from dropping things into water that are live. 

Fuse boxes have an ELCB installed in them (Newer ones will definently have something installed.) This protects the power circuits of the house. I do not know the actual rules for the installation as I have not intstalled Fuse boxes

Dave