Should you fully unwind an extension cord?

Hello,

For every electrical cable, the maximum admissible powers are given for the coiled cable and for the uncoiled cable.

An uncoiled cable can accept a greater power because it can dissipate the heat produced through the air. On the other hand, the heat produced when the cable is coiled cannot dissipate and can risk melting the insulation if the power exceeds the maximum power for the coiled cable.

Hello,
As a precaution, you should always uncoil your extension cord.
Indeed, the manufacturer has calculated the cross-section of the conductors when the extension is uncoiled in order to reduce the cross-section and offer a competitive price.
Because when you use a device, the current flowing through the conductor causes heating. If the reel is uncoiled, the heat can dissipate easily. Otherwise, the conductors heat up and do not dissipate the heat. The phenomenon becomes empirical, and the insulation melts until it shorts out the electrical conductors.
Of course, if you are using only a handheld light, the current being low, you will not encounter any problems.
An extension cord is sized for a certain power to be used.
This is indicated on it. For example: 1500 W uncoiled extension.

Hi
it depends on what electrical use you have
for example for grinding it’s not necessary because it has low electrical consumption
on the other hand for arc welding you need to unroll it all because the electrical consumption is high
and it will heat up the wires and if it's coiled it will melt
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