Why is my electrical cable getting hot inside the wall when the tumble dryer runs – Advice from Electriman, North London Electricians

If you have noticed that the wall feels warm near your tumble dryer socket, or that the cable itself feels hot to the touch where it enters the wall, this is a serious warning sign that something is wrong with the electrical circuit. Here is what is happening and what you should do.

Tumble dryers are high-demand appliances. A typical electric dryer draws between 10 and 13 amps continuously, and heat pump models can still pull 6 to 10 amps. If the cable supplying the dryer is not rated to handle that current safely, it will overheat. Think of it like water through a hosepipe that is too narrow. The restriction creates pressure, and in electrical terms that pressure becomes heat.

The most common reasons a cable gets hot are these.

1. The cable is the wrong size for the circuit. A 2.5mm squared cable protected by a 32A breaker, for example, simply cannot carry that load safely in all installation conditions.

2. A loose or corroded connection at the socket, at the consumer unit, or at a junction somewhere in the wall is creating resistance. Resistance creates heat at that point and along the cable.

3. The cable is buried under loft insulation or clipped close to thermal insulation in a wall, which stops heat escaping. Even a correctly rated cable will overheat if it cannot dissipate heat.

4. The circuit is shared with other loads and the total current demand is too high.

What you can safely check yourself.

Check the socket fa

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Electriman covers Mill Hill, Barnet, Finchley, Edgware, Enfield, Watford and surrounding areas. All work is Part P certified and fully insured.