Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Gadgets & Tech how many plugs are safe?

I might have posted in the wrong section however i was unsure where to post.

Bit of a random question but I just wondered in a room say 3m x 3m , is the use of around 30 items plugged in at any one time and turned on a fire hazard?

They are the safety type ones but I am sat here looking at all the cables and it got me thinking...

I have 26 plugs coming from 2 wall sockets so 13 things on each socket and 4 on another

its like that here Lau but providing your using extension blocks ( 4 or 6 ) that have their own fuse in the block as well as the plug you should be ok I do and up to now have had no problems

Its not the amount of plugs that is the problem, its the over all load you are putting on each outlet. You can't draw more than 13 amps from each outlet. Every appliance has its wattage marked on it somewhere. 3000w is just under 13A. Theoretically the fuse will blow in the plug on your 4 way if you over load it but I have seen plugs melt before the fuse has gone. If you are just using lots of small appliances then I very much doubt you will have any problem.

If you draw more than 32 amps on the whole power circuit then the fuse/breaker for the circuit will trip but I don't think you will get that far either.

Can you recommend any good extension blocks at all? as i dont think the ones i have, have fuses in them.



Its mainly tvs/monitors/pcs/speakers stuff like that really

You will be fine as long as you don't start plugging heaters in to it.

If your extension blocks don't have fuses in them then bin them as they are not safe and don't comply to British standards. I would be surprised if they don't have fuses though.

Lau Kevin's right in what he is saying I should know lol but just to clarify they will have a fuse in them as he is talking about the one in the plug of the lead unless you have replaced it with another object

Sorry. By extension block I presume he meant those square blocks that plug in. You don't have to have one actually on a 4 way as long as it has one in its plug.

ahh right I am with you, its like from one socket i have a 5 socket extension then a 4 socket coming of that then another 5 socket coming of that.

Should and would you guys spend some money on a few decent ones or just roll with the way it is now...?

If you overload it it will blow, if it doesn't blow, you're fine.

just wondered how you managed to plug so many things in? is it a compact internet cafe with personal toasters and hair-dryers? not forgetting every type of phone charger per person and the widescreens lol

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sounds like a meltdown waiting to happen to me lol .........

bit excessive methinks having 13 things plugged in at once lmao !!

be careful as the wires behind the socket itself are easily meltable if not careful ,and also depends on which type of consumer unit (fuse box) you have also ????

A very bad idea. You should never daisy-chain extension strips. You say you've get 5 + 4 + 5, take 2 away for the daisychain and that's a total of 12. Get two eight-way strips and plug each into a wall socket. Do NOT plug one into another.

Buy good quality ones, not poundland crap.

If you need more wall sockets, get a sparky to fit some.

As others have said, never plug heaters into those, only ever into the wall socket. If you have that many appliances I'm guessing they are all low-current ones (TV, console, phone charger, lamp, etc.) and that's ok.

Doesn't seem like a good idea to have all that running off just 2 wall sockets. If you own the property, i would look into adding more wall sockets to your ring main for a permanent fix.It's not a massively big job to add to an existing ring main. If your worried about a fire hazard then it's worth spending afew quid more to get it done right instead of hoping for the best...or get home insurance. I'm sure you could get free qoutes off an electrician to give you a more informed decision.

LOL

Ah, I see you have been in her living room

As everybody says, the amperage is far more important than anything else, so nothing with a heavy drain (irons, kettles, curling tongs, heaters are a big no no) but small devices you should be fine.

Daisy chaining is never a good idea, there are some decent "tower" type multi plugs out there, but even then you have reached a lever that could be considered excessive.

Can you not have some new sockets fitted running off the double you have or any in your back room ?

You could always run a "power rail" around your room.

You have made me look at my "TV corner" now, yeah, might have to do some re-wiring there, do as I say, not as I do