Do you know that it is said that 70% of fires in Saudi Arabia are caused by extension sockets? The use of extension cords with substandard quality hides many unknown hazards. Consumers may choose well-known brands to identify safety and quality when buying. However, if you are a seller or importer in the market, do you know how to conduct a standard test on an extension socket? Do you know how to choose a safer and higher-quality extension socket? Do you know how to identify the reliability of the extension socket of a new supplier?
Some brands on the market, such as Schneider, Legrand, Panasonic and other brands of supply factories, will also be their own strict control of product quality in the production process. Pre-production samples, production samples will be tested for safety, performance, service life and other aspects, in addition to obtaining the test reports from third-party labs before shipping.
Safety Test
The safety of extension leads is the primary issue. We use professional instruments to test the flame-retardant effect of its shell, the self-power-off effect of power overload, and its response to temperature rise in accordance with the standard requirements.
Fire-retardant Test
An important reason for paying attention to the safety of the extension socket is its shell. When the total power of the devices connected to the extension socket is greater than it can load or is used nonstandard, it is easy to cause the shell material to melt at high temperature and cause a fire. Therefore, the market standard clearly stipulates the flame retardant of the extension socket shell: the shell material will not continue to burn or the flame will be extinguished within 10 seconds after being exposed to an open flame at 750℃ for 30 seconds.
Overload Test
Power overload is a common factor of fire caused by the temperature rise of the extension socket. An overload protector is installed inside which can automatically cut off the power when the total load power exceeds the rated power and can be reused when the load power is normal after restart. Overload protection not only reduces the possibility of fire but also avoids the breakdown of the charged devices.
Temperature rise test
Any metal material will heat up after a long time of electrify. If the temperature rise of the electrified copper exceeds the limit, it will cause the entire extension socket to heat up, which may cause the nearby objects to catch fire. After setting the required test current and time, get the temperature rise value between the conductor riveting joint and the pin of the socket after a certain time and current load. The standard requires that the temperature rise value K<45 degrees when the extension socket is used for a long time (temperature rise value = test temperature value-indoor temperature value).
Performance test
Generally, the use performance of the extension socket contains a lot, but the main concern is its ability to resist falling, external impact, and whether it can operate normally.
Roller Drop Test
During the long-distance transportation, loading and unloading process, and long-term use, it may cause damage to the appearance, internal structure, and parts of the extension socket. The roller drop test simulates whether the impact of the extension socket is in compliance with the standard under this situation. The sample is placed in a machine with a drop height of 0.5m and the roller is set to fall repeatedly a specified number of times (product weight ≤100g, 1000 drops; 100< ≤ 200, 500 drops; >200, 100 drops) so that the sample is continuously dropped and impacted. The final check requires that the extension socket has no damage to its appearance, and that no parts fall off or bell sound inside the extension lead made by shaking it.
Comprehensive Test
The comprehensive test is an important test step for the finished product inspection of the extension socket. Professional equipment can detect whether the firewire, zero wire, ground wire of the extension socket are connected incorrectly, whether there is electricity and whether there is leakage, as well as internal continuity, withstand voltage, and polarity, and other performance. When checking whether it can withstand high voltage, the amount of voltage and high voltage time can be adjusted on the machine. If the above tests are passed, the machine will display a green light to remind you.
Service Life Test
The service life of the extension socket is also an important factor for consumers and sellers to choose from. We will test the switch, socket, and power cord of the test object.
Test of switch and socket service life
The service life of the extension socket is also a factor in measuring its quality. The standard requirement for the number of uses of the switch socket is 5000 times. The extension socket is placed on a test machine platform, set to automatically turn the on/off button and the uninterrupted inserting/unplugging action. And it is required to have no wear and tear affecting its use, no loosening of the electrical and mechanical connections and no damage to the safety door.
Cord pull test
Another important factor in measuring the service life of extension sockets is its power cord. Over a long period of time, low-quality power cords can easily fall off at the interface with the patch panel, or the insulation skin on the outside of the power cord can easily wear out or break. It is therefore necessary to carry out a tension test on the power cord of the extension leads. It is required that the power cable interface does not fall off or break under the repeated action of 45N pulling force and that the displacement is ≤ 2mm.
Big brand products certainly have quality and arrangement guarantee, but at the same time there is also a brand premium for some products on the market. Choosing a cost-effective extension socket is the demand of consumers, but also the demand of the importer as a seller to improve sales and get more profits. HOMEBEST SU282-6USB This socket has two 3 gangs, 5 USB charging ports and 1 type-C charging port. It is an extension socket with a stylish and functional appearance. In addition, we tested it in the same multiple aspects of safety, performance and service life according to all the above requirements. We found the following characteristics.
1. The shell of HOMEBEST extension sockets is made of a new flame-retardant PC material, which has been tested and certified by the BV lab to be flame-retardant, which gives a good basis for the safety of the extension socket.
2. In the overload test, the current and voltage was increased so that the total power connected to the HOMEBEST extension socket exceeded the rated power (13A, 250V ~, 3250W) and the extension socket’s overload protector functioned properly and automatically cut off the power. After several tests, the extension socket is still working.
3. In the rigorous temperature rise test, the temperature rise of the HOMEBEST outlet after a certain time and current load were also within the specified values.
4. In the roller drop test, the Homebest extension socket was hit several times, but in the end, there was no damage to the exterior and no bell sound from shaking the internal parts of the extension socket.
5. Under the test conditions, the Homebest extension socket was able to withstand 10,000-15,000 switching cycles and unplugging tests respectively, exceeding the standard requirements by a factor of 2-3.
6. The cord pressure also passed perfectly. Interestingly. Homebest also did an extreme test where the power cord plug end was tied to the trunk of the car and the extension socket from the other end was pulled hard, the car moved backwards, but the power cord and towing plate were unharmed, which shows its quality.
Based on the point that extension socket as an electrical accessory used daily in every home, many sales markets have strict requirements for the safety and quality based on this important feature. As a product seller, it is important to clearly understand the importance of the safety and quality of the extension socket, as well as the testing standards. Not only to prevent suppliers from using substandard products, but also to avoid non-standard products with safety hazards from entering the market and causing negative consequences. It is difficult to combine the three sides of quality assurance, safety and reliability and affordability, but a good product will definitely have a better market demand.