110 Volt Floor Scrubber

[arunciblespoon]

Our work just hired a 110v floor scrubber. It runs off a yellow box transformer with a 16a yellow plug fitted.

It has come from a reputable hire company with a green OK to use sticker dated last week.

Now I have not done much more than spy this unit on my way home but I did see it was rated at 2500va.

Now 2500÷110= 22.73 no?

Is this not beyond the reach of a 16a plug to what used to be bs4343…?

Granted I have not measured what it does use but I would've thought it should have connections rated to the plated load?

 

[ProDave]

I'll bet the transformer is not rated to 2.5KVA either.

 

[arunciblespoon]

Its 3.3 kva 10 mins on 10 off. Out of the engineers workshop. Which also narced me cause it disappeared with a mains extension rather than the 110 extension lead.

I needed that to charge the cherry picker and couldn't so tomorrow will be a diesel powered day.

It goes faster on diesel.

I needed that to charge the cherry picker and couldn't so tomorrow will be a diesel powered day.

It goes faster on diesel.

Should I question the hire company?

 

[Andy™]

happens all the time. problem is, the people who work at the hire place usually dont know enough about it. they just think its under 3kw, itll be fine on a 13a / 16a plug regardless of voltage

but it does just go to show how much abuse a 16a plug can take - even running at well over 20a, they rarely fail

i was talking to someone who works at a well know national hire place about the same thing the other week - mentioned if they brought them to me for testing, they would come back with a lovely red fail sticker on them if they are over 1.7kW

 

[arunciblespoon]

So Andy should I be snipping the plug off tomorrow or 'having a word' the hire company?

Its wired in what appears (like I said I only glanced at this thing by the clock machine) to be 3x 2,5 so current cap of cable will be OK....

 

[Andy™]

take it back and ask for one that is fit for purpose and wired with a suitable plug. just remind them that 22a is a little over the 16a rating of the plug. but be warned, they will just have a blank gaze and not understand what you are trying to say

another misconception by some of the idiots - the plug can only be used for 6h at a time...  or 4h in case of 110v...

 

[arunciblespoon]

Ha. It took me yonks to fathom out the 4h 6h and others on the 4343. Then one day I was peering in to a red plug with a reversible l1 and l2 prong and it just fell into place....

Its sadly not my call to send it back but I will make the recommendation.

Idiots us a bit harsh though.

People who don't know are not by definition stupid. Just ignorant.

 

[Andy™]

but if you are the competent person, then it is your call not to allow a piece of equipment to be used that you know isnt fit for purpose...

 

[arunciblespoon]

What I allow and what happens are not the same thing.

 

[Andy™]

well although it does say 'self employed' under my name, i am technically 'employed'. but yes, what you say and what happens can be completely different. some companies just dont care as long as the job gets done. its not right, and like i said, i would fail something like that if i was to test it, but in reality, its unlikely to cause any problems. just dont use a 16a extension wired in 1.5 flex

 

[arunciblespoon]

Anyway I'm not too worried because our tx has each socket outlet on a c16 MCB.

Sorry Andy I took that part out of my post. I thought it a bit liable to war.

 

[Andy™]

22a will never trip a C16. takes 23-24a to do so, and even that will take 20+ minutes

 

[arunciblespoon]

But it (the socket) won't get the full 32a the tx is rated for. If it were on a 32a plug it wouldn't be a problem except we don't have a 32a socket tx and that will be more hire cost.

 

[Andy™]

the socket can get the full 32a that the tx is rated for... just might not last long before the breaker trips though

 

[arunciblespoon]

What I was getting at is the socket is rated and therefore the plug is rated for the breaker. Probably why the 4343's do their job so well.

But it dosent excuse the scrubber thing being incorrectly plugged.

30a not 32a

3,300÷110=30

I've had too much to drink to think now.

Bed time.

 

[Andy™]

you can actually have a 16a on a 20a breaker. but yes, 4343 (well, 60309, now, but 4343 sounds better) can take a lot of abuse and rarely ever burn out like a 1363 does even within its capacity