# Wall Warts and Power Strips **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307 "2005-10-15T01:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/1 "2005-10-15T01:12:03Z")
Wall Warts - Too Wide! Power Strips - Too Skinny! Receptacles Too Close Together! AAAARRRRGH! Hulk Smash! Seriously, I have 10 of these fucking things by my feet, plus two power strips and an extension cord to keep em all plugged in. It looks like R2D2 threw up behind my computer desk! With all the technology we have today, why can’t we work out a small and efficient DC Power Octopus Jawn™ that can feed all our ancillary devices? ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/2 "2005-10-15T01:27:09Z")
Odd that you should mention octopus: [PowerSquid](http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/77e6/). I’ve seen 'em at Staples, too. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/3 "2005-10-15T01:29:42Z")
I use up 5 power strips to juice my studio, and I know exactly where you’re coming from. Wall warts are the devil!!!11!!eleven ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/4 "2005-10-15T01:32:48Z")
Amen (even though I have no clue wtf a “wall wart” is). I’m livng in a tiny dorm room with four sockets. Four. One, two, three, four electrical devices is supposed to get a college student through life? Frekkin’ idiotic builders… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/5 "2005-10-15T02:02:47Z")
As I sit in my home office, I have six surgeprotector. This is not becuase I have 6x6=36 plugs but because the Wall Warts (I like that term 🙂 ) overlap the surrounding outlets. In my bedroom I have a TV, VCR & DVD Player and 6 battery chargers. Every Battery charger has a Wall Wart so 3 more surges to provide outlets. Wall Warts needs to be stopped. Instead of: -----------[]= should just be -----[[]]-----{= Some appliances do come this way. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/6 "2005-10-15T02:35:40Z")
I’ve also seen newer cables where the transformer has the profile of a normal plug, although one place I worked at had a real problem with them constantly blowing out. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/7 "2005-10-15T02:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Odd that you should mention [octopus](http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/77e6/) : No, No, No. That thing is a mere AC power connection cephalopod. The True DC Power Octopus Jawn™ would only have tentacles of thin DC wire and all the electronics in one big pod. You’d set the output voltage for each of eight devices (or 10 in the SuperSquid Model) and use the appropriate size adapter, all thin DC wires run to your devices in one easy to secure bundle. All AC/DC transformation would occur within the pod, wart-free. Patent Pending. ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/8 "2005-10-15T03:08:04Z")
Until someone invents one of those jawn thingies, will [this](http://www.musicmall.com/cmp/wall_wart_removers.htm) help at all? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/9 "2005-10-15T05:04:41Z")
Adding to **lorinada** , there’s also [this](http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?itemid=22104). However, I personally consider $7-8/outlet for a plug and 5 inches of wire a bit outrageous. Instead, use a $3 [extension cord](http://doityourself.com/store/4832598.htm), wrap up the excess extension-cord wire with a [wiretie](http://birdsjustwannahavefun.com/images/nylon_wire_ties.jpg) and you can plug 3 wall-warts into that puppy for ~$3.05. Shop wisely. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/10 "2005-10-15T11:21:50Z")
I can buy power strips with 3 narrow and 3 wide sockets for the same price as the normal ones. Well worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/11 "2005-10-15T13:17:34Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Adding to **lorinada** , there’s also [this](http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?itemid=22104). > > However, I personally consider $7-8/outlet for a plug and 5 inches of wire a bit outrageous. Instead, use a $3 [extension cord](http://doityourself.com/store/4832598.htm), wrap up the excess extension-cord wire with a [wiretie](http://birdsjustwannahavefun.com/images/nylon_wire_ties.jpg) and you can plug 3 wall-warts into that puppy for ~$3.05. Shop wisely. Those power cords are not very safe and are not recommended for electronic equipment or appliances. They are for low ampere use or short attended use. Please be careful. It pays to by inexpensive surge protectors or at least circuit breakered power strips. If you plan to leave extension cords plugged in long term for electronics or appliances you should use and appliance cord instead. This is a random example found as the first hit in Froogle [http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/12-33-appliance-replacement-cords/major-appliance-extension-cord-297457.aspx](http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/12-33-appliance-replacement-cords/major-appliance-extension-cord-297457.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/12 "2005-10-15T16:54:14Z")
Oooohh, I like the squid thngie! Gonna have to pick a few of those up. I have 3 surge protectors a power strip and a UPS in the computer room and nary an open socket. I swear if I turned everything on at once I’d probably be using more power than a small village. Of course, that’s assuming the breaker doesn’t flop after 3 seconds. Side note: Everythime I see the thread title I keep reading it as having to do with Wal-marts and strip malls. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/13 "2005-10-15T17:08:59Z")
Oh, how I despise the wall warts and how they gobble up 3 outlets on a strip. I am so glad these simple fixes are finally starting to show up. WHY THE FUCK DID IT TAKE SO LONG!!! If I had any initiative I could have been selling these things in the early 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/14 "2005-10-15T19:40:25Z")
Moving thread from BBQ Pit to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/15 "2005-10-16T04:35:05Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Amen (even though I have no clue wtf a “wall wart” is). I’m livng in a tiny dorm room with four sockets. > > Four. One, two, three, four electrical devices is supposed to get a college student through life? Frekkin’ idiotic builders… Don’t know when your building was built, but consider that it may have been in a era when students didn’t need their very own breeder reactor to power half a megawatt of load. I’m waiting for the phone calls from a project completed today. I refitted the Edison base (screw-in) fuse panels in 8 student apartments with type-S fuses to prevent overfusing. Sorry, but I when I see three 20 amp and three 15 amp circuits in a panel and every damn one has a 30 amp fuse in it, I’ll call property management and recommend measures to keep people from setting the place on fire. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/16 "2005-10-16T09:31:42Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Those power cords are not very safe and are not recommended for electronic equipment or appliances. They are for low ampere use or short attended use. Um, we’re talking about wall warts here – probably \<1 amp for each – not power tools or toaster ovens. > [@](#): > > It pays to by inexpensive surge protectors or at least circuit breakered power strips. And who said you’re not plugging a wall-wart remover into a power strip? With a circuit breaker, of course. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/17 "2005-10-16T16:00:39Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Um, we’re talking about wall warts here – probably \<1 amp for each – not power tools or toaster ovens. > > And who said you’re not plugging a wall-wart remover into a power strip? With a circuit breaker, of course. Well your points are good. I have seen too many people plug stereos and TV and even Microwaves into those light weight cords and the cords directly into the wall. That was really the unsafe condition I was on about. Sorry for the over reaction. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/18 "2005-10-16T17:09:14Z")
Another problem with power strips and such is that to Pluggy McUser, they look OK but some have counterfeit UL labels or stickers and are unsafe pieces of crappola. ---
**Author:** ![Foaming\_Cleanser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Foaming\_Cleanser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foaming_Cleanser)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wall-warts-and-power-strips/326307/19 "2005-10-16T17:12:34Z")
I had never heard the term wall wart until I read this thread. Now I’ll hear it six times a day for months.