Is this as safe as turning a plug socket off?

Pulsedriver · 16 Mar 2007 at 13:57

Hi folks,

I am moving my room around a bit, and as such, have blocked off the plug socket with my desk...
However;

I have an idea...

I was going to purchase a Belkin GOLD series surgemaster 7 socket surge adaptor.

Basically, this has a switch on it to turn it on or off... So if you get me, I'd have it always on at the wall switch, but always turned off when not in use, at the actual adaptor switch itself...

(the switch on and off is at the top in this pic)

Will this be just the same and as safe as turning the wall switch on and off?

It is ideal, as my router is on ALL night, whereas all my other stuff is turned off at the mains but this adaptor has an unswitched socket too, which can basically be used for my router only

Any help appreciated...

Sean

SeriousPigeon · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:21

What do you mean by safe?
The off switch will cut off the electricity supply to all the sockets on the surge protector the same as the wall socket switch will.

SexyGreyFox · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:23

My 72 year old mother turns all her plugs off at night, modern equipment doesn't need to be switched off.

However, the answer is YES but to be extra careful turn off the switch in the main fusebox and take all the fuses out.

M0T · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:25

Unfortunatly due to an instability in the quantum flux matrix of that particular product there is a danger that if you do not turn it off at the wall then the universe will explode.

This function is mentioned on page 27 of the handbook.

Pulsedriver · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:27

Hey go easy

All I meant was, im just checking it is effectively the same as turning the wall socket off anyway, as its shutting power to the surge protecter, to which everything is plugged into?

When I say 'everything' it is ;

1 x 20" TFT Monitor
1 x PC
1 x Digital Piano
1 x Speakers
1 x Router (Which would be in the unswitched socket so not turned off)

platypus · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:28

Why do you leave your router on all the time, yet no other equipment?

SeriousPigeon · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:29

Obviously routers aren't affected by leaking electricity.

Kreeeee · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:33

platypus said:
Why do you leave your router on all the time, yet no other equipment?

Obviously other people rely on the router being on. Very, very simple logic.

Dave M · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:34

There is no sensible, logical reason for turning sockets off at the wall.

Thus it is safe to do as you suggest, it is safe to use any extension you like, it is safe to even plug something directly into the wall and go on holiday :eek:

SexyGreyFox · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:36

SeanyK said:
1 x 20" TFT Monitor
1 x PC
1 x Digital Piano
1 x Speakers
1 x Router (Which would be in the unswitched socket so not turned off)

If you actually switch the top four 'off' then they are 'off' and not using electricity.
I don't understand why you want to turn them off again unless you think an electricity ghost can slip through and switch your equipment back on.

platypus · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:38

Kreeeee said:
Obviously other people rely on the router being on. Very, very simple logic.

What I meant was if he's perfectly happy with leaving his router turned on all night, why is he not happy to do the same with the rest of his equipment, if its energy saving he's after he doesn't have to leave them on standby.

semi-pro waster · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:45

It has surge protection anyway so I'd have no worries about leaving it on, as already said modern equipment doesn't need to be switched off at the wall. If I was going away for months at a time I might but for shorter periods I don't generally bother.

Sleepy · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:51

The transformer in the phones charger will consume power even if the phone isn't being charged. So that out of all the appliances is the only one that should be switched off at the sockett to conserve power.

DarkShadow · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:54

SeanyK said:
Hey go easy

All I meant was, im just checking it is effectively the same as turning the wall socket off anyway, as its shutting power to the surge protecter, to which everything is plugged into?

When I say 'everything' it is ;

1 x 20" TFT Monitor
1 x PC
1 x Digital Piano
1 x Speakers
1 x Router (Which would be in the unswitched socket so not turned off)

I have two of them exactly same surge protectors and I have many more electricals than you and all is fine. 14 sockets in use that is, yet to have a problem

Pulsedriver · 16 Mar 2007 at 14:57

Hey everyone, thanks for all the helpful replies.

The reason my router has to be on all the time is exactly as Kreeeee said, other people in the house use it as well (wireless router).

Thanks again folks, im off to tidy my room and buy the surge adaptor

Sean

M0t0r0la · 16 Mar 2007 at 15:06

Telescopi said:
There is no sensible, logical reason for turning sockets off at the wall.

Other than significantly reducing the chance of a fire occurring and your entire family being burnt alive!!

Not to mention all the electricity saved as believe it or not standby currents are much more than you think and soon add up!
If everyone in the U.K was not lazy and isolated their equipment at night the amount of energy saved would be fairly significant!

Personally all my electrical equipment is wired up via an RCD for extra safety and every night I isolate my gear by simply pressing the BLUE test button on my RCD.

bam0 · 16 Mar 2007 at 15:07

dmpoole said:
If you actually switch the top four 'off' then they are 'off' and not using electricity.
I don't understand why you want to turn them off again unless you think an electricity ghost can slip through and switch your equipment back on.

My PC draws power even when switched off, you can tell as there is still noise from a very slow fan spinning somewhere, equally the powerblocks for the monitors and speakers are still warm even when switched off implying that something is still flowing. The reason I turn the above off at the wall (well turn off the multiway they're attached to), is that even if the powerdraw is low, it's still wasteful and costs something.

ANDARIAL · 16 Mar 2007 at 15:26

Don`t forget that if you turn your pc off at mains eventually, the cmos battery will die and you loose all your bios settings
mine used to go flat within a year on one pc(i mean that it was used nearly every week though

)

matthew_o50 · 16 Mar 2007 at 16:27

I have a surge protector with a power button which I have to use because the main plug is very difficult to reach.

My father is obsessed with turning as many plugs off as possible when not in use and it has rubbed of on me over the years. I know a few people who had house fires because of electrical faults or over heated equipment. I also see no point in wasting electricity on items that are not in use and simply on stand by. The only appliences left on at night in our house are the fridge, freezer, cable modem and router. I even find it difficult to sleep if I know my laptop or phone are on charge over night!

MadMacs · 16 Mar 2007 at 16:36

dmpoole said:
However, the answer is YES but to be extra careful turn off the switch in the main fusebox and take all the fuses out.

Lol, recommend

All jokes aside it is possible that in a lightning storm extra current can travel down the cable a blow your appliances. But surge protection protects you from that.