DrewE wrote:
A power cord on a reel does not act like a transformer. It may heat up due to resistive heating, and being confined to a smaller area than if it were strung out, but there is no net inductive heating because the net current within the cable is zero. (The current that flows one direction through the hot conductor(s) flows back the other direction through the neutral, and they cancel each other out.)
If the cable is properly sized and rated for use on the reel, it shouldn't get too hot even at maximum rated current. That's basically what being properly sized and rated means, after all—it's suitable and safe for its application.
X2 Good accurate information.
