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Answers : Technology

heat isolation, how to keep heat away from electrical cords?

hi, we're building our own heating system. we're using ventilation tubes(often used on dryers) to distribute hot air through the shed, but it needs to get pretty close to an electrical cord(+/-1 inch) and the tube gets pretty hot(at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit). which is a bit of a problem, the electrical cor is the type you'd burry in the ground, and it looks like it shouldn't melt too fast, but we still ant to isolate it, any hints/tips on what kind of material to use would be appreciated...

5 answers	Answer it!

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Apr 23, 2010. 8:51 PM

framistan says:

Keep in mind that the cord must withstand high temperatures over MONTHS and MONTHS and YEARS of heat. No matter what cords you use, you should inspect them occasionally to be sure the insulation has not hardened... cracked... charcoaled... and become a FIRE HAZARD over the years. If the cord is not too long, you might use the cord off of a clothes iron, because they are built with special plastics that resist heat. You should seriously consider re-routing the cord so it is not near the heat source, if at all possible. Also, keep in mind that the ELECTRICITY flowing through a cable can cause the cable to heat up just by itself. Add this to the EXTERNAL heat... and it could overheat the cable. Best solution is move cable to a non-hot area.

Apr 24, 2010. 11:04 AMlieuwe (author) says:

the heater isn't going to be on 24/7 anyhow, and we couldn't re-route the cable as it needs to cross the heater tube anyhow, we just padded it with a lot of insulation(not sure what it's called in English(rock wool?)). and the heater is only going to be on when there are people in the shed so if it does catch fire someone's going to notice...

Apr 24, 2010. 3:07 AMmathews says:

Could you re-route the cable?

Apr 23, 2010. 1:52 PM

lemonie says:

Glass-fiber insulation would probably do you at one inch.

L

Apr 23, 2010. 12:22 PMKoosie says:

Well, have a look here. This might be want you want.

But, if you're looking for a DIY solution, wrapping the cables in tin-foil should work. Maybe just a strip of glass fibre between them could work.

Anyway, hope this helps.....