ff1324
Everybody Goes Home
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join:2002-08-24
On Four Day | reply to TimOnTheRoad
Re: Daisy chaining power strips
Zero. In our area it's a fire code violation. |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| reply to cowboyro
said by cowboyro  : Even the cheap power strips have overcurrent protection. No.
I just took a UL power strip. Plugged 2 space heaters into it, its on 20 amp circuit, amp meter says 24 amps are going through, 30 seconds go by (it could have gone longer, I'm not running this experiment any longer), no power strip trip. Then I turn on a hair dryer (hair dryer, 2 space heaters total), amp meter jumps to 38 amps, 6 seconds later the power switch of the power strip snaps off. Hair dryer and space heater, 28 amps, 16 seconds to trip.
The fact it didn't trip at 24 amps is very scary. The trip curve of the power strip "15 amp" breaker seems more liberal than the 20 amp circuit breaker's trip curve. This is totally unsafe  Only thing that power strip breaker might do is stop a short or 3 space heaters, it won't stop a small overload from melting the power strip or its 14 gauge cord over many minutes/hours.
Test was done with a clamp amp meter and special extension cord to break out the conductor. Power strip tested was E89769 model BB-06, "relocatable power tap", hologram UL sticker says "transient voltage surge suppressor 99K8". |
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Randells
@jillyred.net
| reply to Gbcue
Zero? If I have two power strips, I say, "I daisy chained two power strips together." You don't say, "I daisy chained one power strip together" unless you plugged it into itself (and even then it might not be considered a "daisy chain"). So my point is, what I think you guys are trying to say is that the maximum number of safely daisy chained power strips is 1. |
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Gbcue
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| said by Randells :
Zero? If I have two power strips, I say, "I daisy chained two power strips together." You don't say, "I daisy chained one power strip together" unless you plugged it into itself (and even then it might not be considered a "daisy chain"). So my point is, what I think you guys are trying to say is that the maximum number of safely daisy chained power strips is 1.
You can't daisy chain one thing together.
The definition needs two.
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
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| reply to patcat88
said by patcat88 :Always make sure they come with 14 gauge, read the cord. 14 gauge runs cooler than 16. The 16 cord will have a higher temp rating (60C/70C/80C/90C/105C) that can make it run 15 amps, but thats a shortcut and unwise in my opinion. Make sure the power strip has 14 gauge. Also check for the holographic UL sticker. Look up the number » database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/temp···dex.html Oops, yeah sorry I meant 14 AWG. I was tired when I wrote up my post.
And yes I do also check for the UL/CSA rating.
As for the breaker I should also mention I look for ones that have a standalone breaker not one of those cheap switch-breaker combo deals. Not that the breaker on the power strip really matter in my case anyways since I have no 20A circuits in the house, it's all 15A. |
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nunya
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1 edit | reply to TimOnTheRoad
OP, it sounds like your situation may be better served by some hardwired "plugmold" strip.
»www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto···etID=109
As I'm sure you've gathered by this point in the thread, daisy-chaining power strips is not an acceptable or safe practice.
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pnjunction
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2 edits | reply to TimOnTheRoad
I just checked and my fairly cheap Belkin SurgeStrip's have 14AWG wire and are rated for 15A/1875W. Although their basic SurgeStrip now looks cheaper-made and only comes with a 3ft cord which is lame.
Anyways I wouldn't hesitate to plug one into the other if I just wanted to plug in a couple more small things ie. mouse charger, phone charger, 40w desk lamp, even another LCD at 50-75 watts (although I'd probably put the LCD on the first strip). As it is I have an old-school (two-prong) 3-way splitter plugged into it to get a couple more outlets for small things out of it.
I'd draw the line at plugging another desktop or a couple more powerful (60-100W) lamps. I don't see what the big deal is unless you're pushing close to the 15A rating or are anal retentive. |
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51200853
join:2005-09-08 | reply to TimOnTheRoad
It's code violation but will anything happen as result of you doing it, unlikely. This is done often, hell i done it myself a lot of times and nothing ever happen. If you want to do by the book, then get a longer power strip. |
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51200853
join:2005-09-08
| reply to TearAbite
said by TearAbite :Where i work, if the safety officer catches you daisy chaining power strips you will get a little checkmark next to your name on the safety-list.. I am going to take a big guess that he is not doing it at work. |
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SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
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join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL
| reply to patcat88
said by patcat88 :I just took a UL power strip. Plugged 2 space heaters into it, its on 20 amp circuit, amp meter says 24 amps are going through, 30 seconds go by (it could have gone longer, I'm not running this experiment any longer), no power strip trip. Just about any breaker will be slow to trip at 160% of it's rating. A typical 15 amp breaker will let you get away with 16 amps for over an hour. |
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cowboyro
join:2000-10-11
Shelton, CT
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| reply to patcat88
said by patcat88 :The fact it didn't trip at 24 amps is very scary. No, circuits can easily take way more than their rating without any damage. The primary reason for setting the limits as they are is the voltage drop to the consumer, not the heat associated with this voltage drop (which indeed increases with the square of the current - before someone argues).
If breakers tripped instantly at their rating you would need a 30A circuit in order to turn on two 100W bulbs at the same time.
If you want to do a real test leave the heaters on for a long time and see if the cord gets *hot* before the breaker trips - it won't  |
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lordpuffer
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| reply to TimOnTheRoad
Belkin has some Surge Protectors with very long cords and lot's of outlets. I have 3 of them (however, I would NEVER daisy chain them). They are not too expensive:
»www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi···rotector
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N teh Know
@redbandsbolaget.se | reply to TimOnTheRoad
If you don't exceed the wattage for the original plug, you are OK. Once I accidentally ended up with a power strip chain plugged in to itself and it was a nightmare ... tons of heat and smoke. Terrible. |
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BBabuser
@rr.com
| reply to lordpuffer
said by lordpuffer :Belkin has some Surge Protectors with very long cords and lot's of outlets. I have 3 of them (however, I would NEVER daisy chain them). They are not too expensive: » www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi···rotector Get these:
»www.rackmountsolutions.net/Power···ical.asp |
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JoeG4
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| reply to TimOnTheRoad
When I was in elementary school we had to set up a bunch of donated computers, and I did a lot of that. It went down in an empty classroom, and when I ran out of power outlets (we only had 2 available), the teacher I was working with improvised.. she hooked several power strips together.. and the lead one was plugged into one of those 2 prong to 3 prong adaptors.
Apparently this practice was common (I saw it later done in a computer lab), and ... yeeeea. Didn't surprise me when a school had a nasty fire.
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
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| Haha yeah I remember the elementary school I went too had about 12 computers in the library on one long countertop. There was something like 5 power strips one into another!
I'm surprised no breakers were tripped and no power strips overheated. Though the computers themselves weren't much of a load (all Pentium 166 iirc) all those CRT monitors must have consumed quite a number of watts!
At work one of the computer labs does have a bit of daisy chaining going on, though not as bad. The most is 3 daisy chained strips powering 5 computers (low end C2D and LCD monitors, so fairly low power usage). They would rather have us daisy chain power strips than to get an electrician to install more outlets, for obvious reasons (strictly economical). |
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rawwhide
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| reply to timcuth
said by timcuth :said by rawwhide :said by mbaha :meh just make sure the first one doesn't get tooo hot and your golden Make sure you don't draw more wattage than is rated for the first one. I would say zero as well. If anything you should use extension cords. Or for the outlet the first one is plugged in to.  Tim If he is going to overload the outlet then the question about chaining shouldn't have been asked. If he is going to fry the wall socket and burn the house down he is going to do it without any daisy chaining.
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Anonymous_
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| said by rawwhide :If he is going to overload the outlet then the question about chaining shouldn't have been asked. If he is going to fry the wall socket and burn the house down he is going to do it without any daisy chaining. meh.....
i have a
Large 30"CRT Trinitron
5.1 system
Playstation 3
playstation 2 USA
playstation 2 Japan
External HDD
Cable Box
Computer
Fridge (full size)
another 5.1 system for my computer
and one LCD Monitor
all pulged into 1 20 amp circuit |
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timcuth
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| said by Anonymous_ :meh..... i have a Large 30"CRT Trinitron 5.1 system Playstation 3 playstation 2 USA playstation 2 Japan External HDD Cable Box Computer Fridge (full size) another 5.1 system for my computer and one LCD Monitor all pulged into 1 20 amp circuit I wish you luck. You need it.
Tim
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Gbcue
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| reply to Anonymous_
said by Anonymous_ :said by rawwhide :If he is going to overload the outlet then the question about chaining shouldn't have been asked. If he is going to fry the wall socket and burn the house down he is going to do it without any daisy chaining. meh..... i have a Large 30"CRT Trinitron 5.1 system Playstation 3 playstation 2 USA playstation 2 Japan External HDD Cable Box Computer Fridge (full size) another 5.1 system for my computer and one LCD Monitor all pulged into 1 20 amp circuit When you make it in the paper, send us the link!
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