EHU leads
Comments
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The greater the square area of the conductor the less resistance to electron flow, so the volt drop is less, the cable tends to remain cooler ie resistance =heat, running a 16amp rated cable (1.5mm2) on a 16 amp supply leaves nothing for wear and tear, aging etc it would only take a failing toaster element (for instance) and a slow mains breaker to turn the cable into an instant burning fuse (seen it happen on work sites) 1.5mm2 would be ok on a 10A supply but why take the risk on a 16Amp supply.
if you think about it, if I have an appliance that draws exactly 5 amps when on and I fit a 5 amp fuse, the fuse will blow every time I start the appliance as starting current is 8x running current (generally) so i fit a 7 or 10 amp fuse, the appliance will work until a fault occurs.
so i have a 16amp supply I turn stuff on because its winter my electric heater cuts in and draws an overload for a short period but not enough to trip the breaker, the supply cable will be under stress and heat up(even worse if its coiled), the more stress and over time it will fail as it is working at maximum or more of rated capacity.
1.5mm2 may be ok until a 240v fault occurs my advice is to stay safe go big ie 2.5mm2.
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A 5 amp fuse will not blow with current inrush at start up because it is designed not to do so. It takes a very long time for a fuse to blow at just over it’s rating. The fuse is there to protect the cable and should be chosen accordingly.
An uncoiled 1.5mm2 cable will carry at least 20 amps outdoors if not coiled (and that’s in a 30 deg. C ambient). The protective device in the bollard will protect against a continual small overload and short circuit.
As I said, a 2.5mm2 cable is better as it is more robust, however, if you travel on the continent you will see extensive use of 1.5mm2 cable and although there are mainly smaller current rated supplies, 16 amp is available in some areas.
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My orange one is fading slowly to yellow.
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