Confused by rating plate on condenser tumble dryer

[bathsh3ba]

I am renting a very old cottage with only two double and one single sockets in the kitchen. Gas oven plugged into one double, washing machine into the other. The single socket is behind the space for the fridge freezer. For the most part I get round the sockets by just plugging what I need to use in when I need it and turning off sockets at other times. But I have just bought a much needed tumble drier and the only space for it is by the fridge.

The tumble drier manual says don't plug into an extension but the socket overload calculator on the Electrical Safety First website says it's just about okay to use fridge freezer and dryer at the same time based on the watts used (2300-2700 for dryer and 140 for fridge freezer. But the rating plate on the tumble dryer says it uses 2300-2700w then says 13A, which would max the extension on its own. My Physics is rusty but that Maths doesn't add up. I'm now wary about using it. Should I unplug the fridge freezer when using the dryer? We had a very scary house fire 2 years ago caused by faulty wiring and I am therefore very cautious but I need a dryer to keep on top of school uniform!

For some reason which I don't understand, extension leads with driers overheat more often than if the drier is just plugged straight into a socket. Apart from heat pump models, tumble driers have the heaviest load, for the longest continuous period, of any portable appliance.

This happens even when the extension lead is rated to 3kW

There were tests run by one a the major Electric Engineering organisations, because so many people couldn't believe this would happen. I doubt I can find it now.

The 13A on the rating plate corresponds to the highest nominal load on a UK plug fitted with a brown 13A fuse. I don't know how they've worked out the Wattage. Probably on the nominal voltage which is 230v, but in the UK it is actually 240v (give or take a bit). but I agree that a fridge freezer is such a light load that it will not be a problem if it is plugged into the same double socket as the drier.

p.s.

if your problem is that you only have a single socket close to the FF where you want to put the drier, I'd suggest that you put the FF on an extension, and plug the drier straight into the socket. No extension, no adaptor for the drier.

The load from the fridge is trivial. You can put it through a multisocket if you want.

The washer is the only other high load appliance that needs to go straight into a socket.

Kettles and toasters are high load, but only run intermittently, for short periods, so unless you are running a café, are not much of an overheat risk.

OOI

look out for any sign of discolouration on plug or socket, or if either feel hot to the touch. The plastic used for plugs and sockets in UK does nor readily melt or burn, but it goes brown and chars.

Avoid unbranded foreign plugs and sockets from ebay or market traders (respectable businesses are unlikely to sell such things)

This is quite an extreme example (overheated deliberately for educational purposes)

p.s.

It's not me in the vid. I have a much nicer voice.

Thank you. I have just been reading the instruction manual for the dryer (yes I am that boring) and it seems to be the wattage I need to be sure the extension lead can take. I don't think the cable from the dryer would quite stretch to the socket for the fridge freezer (and the fridge freezer would then need to be plugged into socket with the lead either trailing the oven or by the sink, which doesn't sound ideal) but I will monitor it very closely for overheating. I never go out and leave it on or have it on at night anyway …. too scared of another fire! One day I will own my own place and be able to sort out the electrics just how I want them....