A lesson about resistance learned the hard way

[nevermind1534]

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Basically, we smelled burning/melting plastic before this got really bad, but didn't notice it, and assumes that it was just dust in somebody's computer. We noticed it after the wired connection went out, but the wireless was still working (the enet cable melted and shorted out).

There were 6 computers and monitors running off of that cord (if you can count a laptop). In addition to this, it was a long extension cord, was coiled up, and had stuff piled up on top of it.

Funny thing is, the new extension cord that we put out after this didn't even get warm.

Luckily, the power cord, itself didn't melt.

 

[dude_56013]

There were 6 computers and monitors running off of that cord (if you can count a laptop). In addition to this, it was a long extension cord, was coiled up, and had stuff piled up on top of it.

I hate to ask, but WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Seriously....

Wow. I have no words to explain the stupidity. 6 computers!?

I wouldn't plug all of that in to one circuit, let along one EXTENSION CORD!

 

[root_assassin]

lmao dude 6? wow thats freaking crazy, but you learned your lesson so its all good

 

[nevermind1534]

I hate to ask, but WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Seriously....

Wow. I have no words to explain the stupidity. 6 computers!?

I wouldn't plug all of that in to one circuit, let along one EXTENSION CORD!

The other one that we put out after didn't even get warm. But it was shorter, not spooled up, was minus one computer after a few minutes, and didn't have stuff piled up on top of it.

I wasn't the one who set this up.

 

[dude_56013]

I wasn't the one who set this up.

Thank God! I couldn't imagine a CF member doing this haha.

The other cord was probably heavy duty.

I've got a few of those green cords and the only thing I've used them for is for X-mas lights outdoors. I wouldn't trust them in the house with anything. They aren't made for anything high demand. And yes, it was WAY too long.

 

[J03]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU............


That's impressive!

 

[Teny]

That's nuts, when we have an lan party, each computer gets their out outlet and power strip.

 

[Remeniz]

It wouldn't have been that bad had you un-coiled the cord.

The coil acts like an inductor.

Six computers = high AC currents flowing in that coil = high Inductance. Imagin the magnetic field around that coil!!!

The high current through the coil induces an EMF. This is what generates the heat.

 

[root]

it's not really that the problem was the amount of load plugged into the reel, more that it was all spooled up.

spooling the wire up creates an inductor, inductors are resistive to AC currents.

if you'd have only unspooled all of the extension reel it's have been... well not OK, but wouldn't have cremated itself.

 

[berry120]

Funny thing is, the new extension cord that we put out after this didn't even get warm.

Was your (or whoever it was) immediate reaction not "crap we've clearly plugged too many computers into one coiled up extension reel, we better check some things through before doing that again" instead of "ah well, these things happen, let's go grab another extension cord"?! If you're pulling power close to the limit of a 13A socket, then you should be using uncoiled cable rated to 13A or more... it's worth checking these things through!

Flippin heck, whoever set that up and then just swapped it with another cord like that without thinking needs some very basic but vital lessons in electricity before he touches the stuff again!