Is plugging a heating device into a power strip (as opposed to directly plugging into an outlet) unsafe? If the device is Wattage rating is less than the power strip’s rating for max watts, is there a problem? And, what about the cord that comes with such a device? Wouldn’t the power strip’s cord be rated to handle the max wattage of the power strip?
A little more detail:
FYI: The heater uses 80% of the strip’s rated wattage. Presently, I have a LCD monitor and PC laptop plugged into this power strip. What margin of safety , if any, should one leave? Or, can I max-out the power strip to its rated value?
Those heaters come with fat little short cords for a reason. The longer the cord and more resistance, the greater the heat build-up. But that’s not the main concern. The more connections you have the more chance of arcing occurring. We have so many imported power strips of low quality that it is a concern. The arcing can occur at internal crimps in the wire at the plug end and inside the strip. The heat can be great enough to cause a fire without tripping any breaker. If you had arc fault interrupters, that would help of course.
Bottom line: I’d say you were safe as long as you check for heat all around from time to time and do not leave the device unattended.