From an electrical point of view, this is very likely safe. The code violations stem from electricians and insurance adjustors taking a very dim view of extension cords serving as permanent installations. By their very nature, such cords get moved, stomped on, chewed by cats, rolled over by chairs, and, over time, cause an increased opportunity for a short-related fire. Despite this, the use of power strips and cascaded power strips is nearly universal, due to the proliferation of wall warts and lots of low power desktop devices (although I’m not sure most people take it to the extreme that groman’s post represents).
To minimize the risk, assuming you don’t want to install many new wall outlets, I’d suggest choosing high quality power strips with beefy power cords and good stress relief on the cord ends. Put them out of the way of foot traffic, make sure you don’t roll your chair or furniture over the cords, and inspect them for wear regularly. At the first evidence of failure or irregular operation, chuck the power strip and buy a new one (cheap insurance). Don’t, under any circumstances, use one of those cheap extension cords that are essentially lamp wire with multiple power taps on the end – those are absolutely not intended for permanent installation and are far too prone to wear.
You might also consider plugging each of your current power strips directly to the wall, although unless you’re using high amperage appliances, the incremental risk of the second strip is pretty negligible.
And this is why I think the electrical code makers and the insurance companies are just looking for violations. All of these same accidents can happen to the power cords of the devices if they are separately plugged into a wall outlet.
One solution to avoid the plug-in strips on a cord is to use the 4-way outlet adapters on the wall outlets. This at least doubles the number of outlets available for connecting devices but it does nothing about the possibility of damage to the device cords. The only way to guard against that is to protect the cords in some manner while at the same time not restricting the flow of air around them. Cords must never be covered up such as by hiding them under a carpet, or closely confined such as being put into a conduit of some sort.
Just, as you are in Australia, a number of the comments about code don’t apply. Also, the UK regulations mandate 13 amp fuses (max) in the plug. Again, that doesn’t apply in Aus.
Australian and NZ standards allow for a max of 10 amps from a 3 pin socket. You’ll also probably find that the multi-outlet strips will have moulded in them somewhere, “Max load 2400w”. Many of the strips have circuit breakers in them which will trip if you exceed the load.
Stick to that and you are mostly safe. The comments about frayed cords, not running over them and so on are still good common sense, and wear on the cords is more likely to cause problems than overloading, given the appliances you want to plug in.
Plugging one strip into the other to give more outlets is not exactly pretty, but if the protection devices (circuit breakers) are correctly rated, it should be safe.
As an aside, I’ve seen multi-outlet strips with all outlets used, and tapon plugs on top as well. Perhaps they need something like this .
Well, until code recognizes that people want more than a reading lapm, alarm clock and radio in their bedroom, and provides code for the wired in version of this we are screwed. I absolutely adored a machine shop I once worked at … electrical conduit with an outlet every 6 inches along both walls of the bench area was heavenly.
Code currently allows for something like ONE outpet per 6 feet of wall or some such nonsense like that, and allows the asshats to make it so multiple rooms share a breaker. We cant run a computer, make coffee and turn on 2 lights in the l shaped area that is the kitchen/dining/living room area. The only 220 jack was in the utility room, and the hole in the wall for the more or less whole house air conditioner had provision for a 110 appliance - but was sharing the same breaker as the kitchen/living room / dining room.
Yup, this botched abortion of a house actually passed code
Those of us who understand how people use electricity want more circuits. I’d love to see each room on it’s own convenience outlet circuit, separate from the lighting circuit. It’s the builders who scream bloody hell every time they have to spend another $25 on a half million dollar home.
The NEC specifies a minimum-there’s no prohibition on going above and beyond, e.g. locating receptacles every four feet, or having more than one circuit feed a given room.
15 devices that require electricity, most of them low-voltage DC so outlets are blocked by the stupid brick PSUs. I’m using 4x 6-plug surge protectors plugged into 2 wall outlets. I mean, I guess I could buy another desk and move some stuff but still.
Thanks for that. I was actually wondering if the 13 amp maximum would apply here in Australia or not. (I suppose it makes sense for 110V countries to actually have a higher amp limit than 240V countires, so that they can get a similar amount of power out of one socket.)
At my old house, my roommates and I have had 3 PC and all of their accessories (monitors, etc.) plugged into 2 power strips (1 plugged into the other that was plugged into an outlet). Never blew a fuse there, but IIRC there was some rare combination of kitchen appliances running simultaneously that would occasionally blow a fuse.
When we bought our house, it had ungrounded knob and tube wiring from 1942.
It took a year, but we rewired the whole house ourselves.
First, we educated ourselves. I was previously married to an electrician and had an established respect and understanding of why state codes are important.
My husband is a fire fighter, so it would be an embarrassment for our house to burn down because it was poorly rewired.
We have two dedicated circuits for our computer stuff. We have duplex receptacles every 4 feet, with quads at the desks. We do use a power strip for one lamp, one printer and two sets of little speakers. That’s because the computers have grown all sorts of peripherals over the years.
It really wasn’t that hard, after the initial learning curve. (well, the fire stops every few feet, off-set, so you’d never know where they were. There are at least 4 long drill bits lost in these walls. Oh, and the spiders…)
Fishing wire can be labor intensive, but otherwise, its like cooking, follow the receipe and dinner will be good and on time.
If its your own house, why would you ever want to risk it? danceswithcats, thanks for your down to earth no-nonsense advice. I listen, even if others don’t.
