Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
| reply to Rob
Re: Daisy chaining power strips
said by Rob  :The maximum safe number of power strips that can be daisy chained is zero. Get a larger power strip, but do not daisy chain them. In fact, I believe it's a violation of the National Electrical Code. Well of course all depends what you plug into the.... a dosen 20 watt wall warts or 20 1500 watt toasters.
Again it gets down to 2 things really what is the house circuit rated for, and the strips remembering load on 2nd adds to first.
But again you can plug 100 15watt things into 15amp circuit.... but not even 2 1500 watt toasters or hair dryers.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs: | reply to TimOnTheRoad
Just go to your local big home supply store and get a power strip with more outlets. I have one I bought for $30 that has 18 outlets.
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The only thing we have to fear is Fear itself...... and spiders. |
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Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
| Either way you need to keep a tally on the current draw.... you still couldn't plug 18 toasters into that thing without blowing or starting a fire.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| said by Hayward :Either way you need to keep a tally on the current draw.... you still couldn't plug 18 toasters into that thing without blowing or starting a fire. Thank you, I should have mentioned that 
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The only thing we have to fear is Fear itself...... and spiders. |
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Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
4 edits | said by Locutus65 :said by Hayward :Either way you need to keep a tally on the current draw.... you still couldn't plug 18 toasters into that thing without blowing or starting a fire. Thank you, I should have mentioned that And by the way the 18 toasters would blow for sure.... but the MOST dangerous thing you can do is push a circuit right to its limit.
Creates a lot of heat and breaker or fuse a little off spec can lead to fire.(But major overload/short would have blown) In my case only burnt the cartridge fuse block.... could have been much,much worse.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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yjfgdfgdfsgs
@comcast.net
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
"Just go to your local big home supply store and get a power strip with more outlets. I have one I bought for $30 that has 18 outlets."
Ummm... That would solve half the problem (not enough outlets) but the load must still be under what the wiring in the building / wiring of the strip can safely carry....
On a side note, if my house burns down, the firefighters will probably freak out.....
I have a UPS at the end of an extension cord, and six outlet strips plug into that! 36 outlets total!!!!
Actually, theres only one item plugged into each outlet strip.... I use them for the switches, so I can shut off each item independently..... (for example my router is on its own strip, so If I am not using it, I turn it off.... instant effective firewall!)
I think I have measured my consumption at around 100W or so.....
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dfasdfghdf
@comcast.net
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
Well say the fuses have a rating, eg. 20A......
If the fuse gets a short, then it should blow immediately.....
However, it could get 20A - 22A of current and take forever to finally blow.... but in the mean time heat is generated in the wires..... and if any of those wires are not rated at 20+A (in this example) then it could have plenty of time to melt / catch on fire....
So you have to be careful and measure your loads and put some on different circuits if you are getting too close to the rating of the "weakest link" in your setup. |
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cowboyro
join:2000-10-11
Shelton, CT
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·Comcast
 ·Optimum Voice
1 edit | reply to TimOnTheRoad
[echo]
Ideally you don't daisy-chain power strips
[/echo]
[devil's advocate]
If the load is certain not to exceed the rating of the power strips then it's fairly safe to daisy chain them. Ex: you are plugging a bunch of wallwarts, maybe a computer and a monitor...
Highest load in the first power strip, use the rest for the small loads that take a lot of space. Even the cheap power strips have overcurrent protection.
However plugging a heater, toaster, vacuum cleaner etc is not a good idea.
[/devil's advocate] |
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Subaru
1-3-2-4
Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT
clubs: | reply to TimOnTheRoad
I know a friend who did this.. He would daisy chain up to like 5 of them at once and run at least 2 small 13" Tv's a video mixer and a DVD and CD recorder and a sound mixer. |
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d25m03p
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Langley, BC
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
Two answers;
1. You can daisy chain infinitely.... Just make sure that the first strip in the chain is not plugged in!
2. Probably (as others have said), zero, none, nada. One strip per power outlet.
Realistic answer; Probably one or two maximum. Watch your total current load load though. Put the heavy current appliances on the first strip, and the low power appliances (e.g. cell phone charger) on the subsequent strip. |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX
| reply to SirMeowmix_I
said by SirMeowmix_I :
Be careful. I did this once and the other one went critical and melted. Seriously. Someone was building another computer at a LAN party install Linux and the power strip melted and smelled horrible. I think it was because they were running a dual monitor setup and there was too much current over the 14/2.
Serious gamers are driving computers that can pull over 1000 watts nowdays. Monitors (LCD)'s generally use less than a standard lightbulb. |
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Selenia
join:2006-09-22
Pittsfield, MA
·Verizon Online DSL
·RoadRunner Cable
| said by NOCMan :said by SirMeowmix_I :
Be careful. I did this once and the other one went critical and melted. Seriously. Someone was building another computer at a LAN party install Linux and the power strip melted and smelled horrible. I think it was because they were running a dual monitor setup and there was too much current over the 14/2.
Serious gamers are driving computers that can pull over 1000 watts nowdays. Monitors (LCD)'s generally use less than a standard lightbulb. My most power-hungry box draws about 450 watts peak(even though its PSU is 750), total with OpenGL 3D graphics running. My point here is that modern CPUs draw less juice versus the work they do than older high-end machines. Most also scale thei9r clock speed these days with the work being done. Of course a CRT would probably push any of my machines over 500 or 600. Some gamers prefer a CRT. I'm not one of them. |
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ws27
join:2005-08-30
Hemet, CA
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
Speaking of people changing out breakers, I once saw someone piggy back there spa wiring into the air conditioner wiring. They then placed a much larger breaker into the main electrical panel and wondered why the spa didn't work right. The wiring leaving the panel was noticeably burnt. |
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dipweed23
join:2009-07-21
Ypsilanti, MI
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
I have two chained together, but it's mostly because wall warts take up 2 spaces or more. I don't have a lot plugged in, and the ones with wall wart spaced plugs only have 3 or 4 and cost 3 or 4 times as much.
Plug in the computer and monitor in the first one and use the second one for wall warts. Just don't push the first one to near its max capacity, and you should be safe, even if not in compliance with labeling.
YMMV and if you over load it and burn the place down, you can't say you haven't been warned of possibilities. |
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SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17 | reply to Selenia
Re: Daisy chaining power strips
AHHHRG! |
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Hydraglass
Premium
join:2002-05-08
Kingston, ON
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
The simple solution to this is to buy a "pretty good" or better rated UPS that is rated for your expected load. You can then safely plug outlet strips into each of the outlets on the UPS to run your loads. This is far safer than daisy chaining. Why? Each and every outlet on the UPS is "rated to carry" up to the rated level of the UPS, but the sum of all the outlets on the UPS shall never exceed the total rated capacity of the UPS, and if it does, the UPS will shut off or pop its integrated breaker.
So - if you figure your total load will be 1500W (12.5A) - purchase a 1500 or 1750 VA rated UPS. Plug your 4 or 5 power strips into 4 or 5 of the outlets on the UPS. Maybe you need 6 devices with battery back-up protection? Put that strip or maybe 2 strips if you have a bunch of wall-warts that take up a load of strip space into the battery backup protected outlets. Then maybe you have 9 other devices - put them on 2 or 3 other strips plugged into the "surge/breaker protected only" outlets.
Now if you push your load on any one strip to 1500 watts, but nothing on the other strips it'll keep running, and that strip will not be overloaded, nor will the UPS. If you put 500 on each of three strips, you won't be constantly pushing 1500 watts through the cord on the first strip - you will be pushing 1500 watts through the UPS, but if it's rated at 1500VA, it'll be designed to easily handle that through its primary circuitry, breaker, and wiring.
And yes, I am an electrician (journeyman). |
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mayhew2345
join:2006-09-04
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
Re: Daisy chaining power strips
said by TimOnTheRoad :
Hey guys, what is the maximum safe number of power strips that can be daisy chained. I've got two and want to add a third but don't want to cause a fire hazard. Thanks.
3 times the protection lol |
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Brat75
Cats rule
join:2003-02-05
Auburn, WA
| reply to TimOnTheRoad
If I ever catch a tech daisy chaining they will NOT hear the end of it.
never ever ever ever ever am I clear ever daisy chain the powerstrips. I don't care if you don't have enough outlets, find an electrician and make a few new circuits!
Brat75
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2008 sucked, let's make 2009 better. |
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