Plugging In An Oil Filled Radiator

[chanel5]

Does anyone know why the instructions for my oil filled radiator say it should only be plugged into ground-level sockets, and should not be plugged into a socket that is higher than the radiator. The sockets in the room that I want to heat are at waist level. Does this mean I cannot use my new radiator in there? Many thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some advice on this.

[Old_Geezer]

Can only think that it might be a need not to knock or walk into the cable. You get the same octane electricity out of them all.

Perhaps gravity pulls down too many electrons from a high socket ?

[Buenchico]

Electricity doesn't know what height it's moving at. The only possible reason for that instruction is that a cable running above the heater could, itself, be heated up, possibly causing damage to it.

If you can plug the heater into a waist-level socket, but still ensure that the cable can't be heated up, you'll have no problems.

[eanceoil]

Maybe it is so that the heat from the radiator doesn't overheat the plug

[sherrardk]

Get an extension lead?

[Old_Geezer]

:-)

Of course ! You could nail the socket end into the wall and plug it in, into the ground-level socket below ;-)

[chanel5]

I too thought it was probably because of the risk of heating up the socket if the radiator was below it. So I have plugged it in, and ensured that the radiator is well to the side of the socket. I dare not use an extension lead, because the instructions also say that an extension lead should not be used because of the risk that the extension might overheat. The whole thing has me nearly too scared to take my eyes off it. But I will take the advice of not letting the lead touch the heater. Thanks for the answers, folks.