Daisy-chaining power strips

Syph

Syph

Syph

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I had to move my Virgin Superhub into my bedroom so it wasn't in my baby's room.

As a result, I seem to have collected a crap-ton of devices in one bedroom, all running off only a double wall socket.

On my side of the bed, I currently have 1 'spare' socket that I plug in rechargeable stuff, currently:

Phone
Shaver
Toothbrush

The other socket is:

4-way, running - Photo frame, light, 2nd 4-way.

The 4-way then runs to:

Light
Clock radio
1-way extension

The 1-way leads to:

6-way, running - DVD, Virgin TV, Virgin BB, TV, Homeplug (!!)

When I decorate, I'll add 2 more double sockets. The extensions/power strips are all fused ones but I don't feel comfortable. I want to change it to 2 six ways running from the double socket, but again, not sure on the safety of this. The 6 ways would be decent energy saving ones with switches for individual devices.

TL;DR - Is daisy chaining power strips unsafe? Is it equally unsafe to run 12 devices from 2 sockets?

Cheers.
 
Add up the Amps on the circuit, only way you'll know.

Adding another socket in the wall only helps if it's coming from a separate feed too. Otherwise it in itself is just another daisy chain.

None of them are massively high powered devices though. Should easily be ok as long as the cords them selves are decent.
 
You do get people banging on about how bad it is, but I've always done it for as long as I can remember and not once faced hazardous circumstances due to it.

Just depends whether you want to deal with loads of multi-adapters wired all over the place or just stump up for a sparky to do you a few more real sockets.
 
Safety-wise, if you're not overloading the socket the only safety issue is the trip hazard :D

Basically, if you're not exceeding 13A at the socket and you're not overloading any of the individual extensions there's no problem. It's not good practice, but it's not a problem.

I doubt you're getting close. It's only items like heaters, hair driers and kettles that draw big amps.
 
12 Devices from 2 sockets should be ok, as said they are not high powered devices so it shouldn't be a problem.

I would just run two seperate power sticks, probably a 10 way tower with surge protector and a 4 way one for everything else. Obviously there are a million combinations bu that's what I would do.
 
Where to start,

The entire circuit is protected from the plug top against overload (which is governed by the cartridge fuse within the plug top) so as said before it is just not good practice as adding any form of joint/connection to an electrical circuit can create problems and the potential of fire etc

The best option is to add another wall mounted socket(s) next to your original by splitting the final ringmain, this then removes the amount of electrical connections you have (Rough guide in a domestic enviroment is that a ring main can serve 100m²). Under BS7671 though you may have to replace the MCB/Fuse with a RCD or RCBO.

Saying all that, you should have a qualified electrician who is accredited to Part P carry out the work ;)
 
I have some 10 way towers up stairs and they are OK. Don't exceed the ampage and make sure cables are OK. Put your most expensive gear on surge protected sockets.
 
Thanks for all the responses chaps.


Excuse my ignorance, but when you say 'not exceeding 13amps at the socket', I assume you mean that the plug that goes into the socket is fused at 13amps, ie: not an unfused 3-way block with 3 13amps running off it!

/EDIT: I think after a very quick Google that's not really it, is it? Amps = Wattage / Voltage and all that jazz?

I think for now, before I get 2 more proper sockets in, I'll have a 6 way switched strip next to me for all my bits, then a long extension around the skirting to an 8 way surge protector.

Stanners said:
Saying all that, you should have a qualified electrician who is accredited to Part P carry out the work ;)
Click to expand...

There's no way I'd be doing it! :D
 
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Hi mate, just add up the wattage of your appliances and divide it by the voltage(i.e. 1085watts / 230volts = 4.7 amps)

The extension lead/splitter is protected by a 13 amp fuse or maybe lower so in theory it would be hard to overload the socket as the fuse should go before this happens. It is only when you start switching these loads you would get problems.

If you are worried, work out the ampage for the load you will have on each splitter and put in the nearest corresponding sized fuse in i.e. 6amp to the plug top.
 
Stanners said:
Hi mate, just add up the wattage of your appliances and divide it by the voltage(i.e. 1085watts / 230volts = 4.7 amps)

The extension lead/splitter is protected by a 13 amp fuse or maybe lower so in theory it would be hard to overload the socket as the fuse should go before this happens. It is only when you start switching these loads you would get problems.

If you are worried, work out the ampage for the load you will have on each splitter and put in the nearest corresponding sized fuse in i.e. 6amp to the plug top.
Click to expand...

Thanks Stanners, much appreciated.
 
Ive got one daisy chained but it's all low amp devices. My prefered option (Victorian house = not many power sockets) is a 10 way tower with a long lead. Got one in the study, the games room and my son uses one for his computer gear etc. Again all within the amp rating.
 
At college they seem to run about 60 PC's of 1 double socket.

You look under the desk and they have 1 five socket adapter for 2 PC's with the spare socket being used to plug in another adapter for another 2 PC's along and along and along and along and along and so on and so forth.

I think you're safe.
 
A quick test is to check the plug isnt getting warm - thats a sign of drawing too much power through the extension. (not including any small transformers - as these are warm anyway)
 
Of course it's not dangerous! Before it becomes anywhere near getting dangerous the <13A fuse will blow, simples!
The only way it can become dangerous/fire hzard is if you foolishly replace the fuse with something other than 13A or smaller fuse.
It's good practice however to balance the load on the circuit where possible.
 
Stick a one socket surge protector at the start of each socket. Then you are covered if you have a power outage.

ags
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Your homeplug will be crying at this.
Click to expand...

It is. Used to get the full 20mb before I upgraded and moved the router. Now I only get about 7mb down on the PC that's wired. :p

The homeplugs are temporary until I get the hub moved to my office once I've decorated.
 
I was told the issue lies in the internals of the extension.
Cable to extension may well be capable of 13amps but that some of the internals of some extensions are not all capable of handling 13 amps as they assume the load will be split.
No idea if its true its just what I was told by a sparkie at work
 
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