Can I Use an Old Lamp Wire as an Extension Cable?

anotheruser

I took the wire off a old lamp. It ha two wires in it, brown and blue.
Can I stick a socket on the end and use it as a mini extension cable? It'all be for an electric heater.

I'm thinking no as it might burn the wire out.

Thanks

Ebe_Scrooge

Absolutely NO !!!!


A flex on a lamp will be designed to carry a current of 3 - 5 amps max. An electric heater pulling closer to 13 amps and probably a couple of kilowatts will fry the cable in no time. Fire and electrocution risk !!


Were it not for your post count I'd be calling troll ......

shaun_from_Africa

Apart from the current issue, what about the lack of an earth wire meaning that there would no grounding of the heater should there be a problem with it.

onomatopoeia99

Without knowing the specification of the cable it is impossible to answer, so the safe answer is no, else you might be getting a lot more heat than you expect when the house burns down.

Risteard

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Without knowing the specification of the cable it is impossible to answer

No it isn't. A two core cable may not ever be used to supply a BS 1363 socket outlet.

DigForVictory

Gosh. Unanimity.

Please, OP, don't.

marc81

I know this is a money saving forum, but on this occasion just buy an extension cable, they're pretty cheap (try somewhere like screwfix) and little chance your house will go up in smoke!

phill99

I wonder how some people have survived this long.

Dan-Dan

This is weird , i am sure (though will have to check) that the poster concerned sometimes actually does give out DIY advice

Worrying

jbainbridge

I'll just assume the question was a windup!?

societys_child

anotheruser wrote: »

I took the wire off a old lamp. It ha two wires in it, brown and blue.
Can I stick a socket on the end and use it as a mini extension cable? It'all be for an electric heater.

I'm thinking no as it might burn the wire out.

Thanks

I did this but I extended it with some old speaker wire I had.
It's connected to the lights, a three bar fire and a big old compressor in the garage. It blows the fuse occasionally and melts the snow in winter, where the wire runs across the garden but it seem ok . . . :rotfl:;)

It's lies, all lies . . . DON'T try this at home :eek: