can you plug one power strip into another?

[dolph]

i have too many things and not enough nearby outlets, eventually i'll just get a 12 outlet power strip, but can i plug one into another right now? and if so, how many things can i plug in?

Very old thread.
admin allisolm

 

[diskop]

You can do it, but it'll drain a lot of power and be unstable for the system. Not advisable. Fire hazard too I think.

 

[Lorax]

yes, i think it says on the box or something not to plug into another strip.

in fact, louie the lightning bug of commonwealth edison fame recommends NO power strips at all.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

well are you plugging in computer equip and stero equip or just things like clocks, phone, phone chargers. With computer and stereo equip, I'd only put one 8 outlet power strip per outlet.

 

[Alphazero]

It can be done. The main obstacle is the possibility of overloading the outlet. It's only safe if the stuff you connect uses little power.

 

[43st]

And if you fail you will start a fire. You can test it by running all your items and then touching the power strip and wall outlet location. If any of them feel the least bit warm you're overloading the circuit. If the electrical system was designed properly you will throw the breaker before you cause a fire.

 

[Doggiedog]

Damn is just me? I must have power strip after power strip plugged into one another. Especially near my PC or stereo. Some of them I've got 4 plugged into each other.

 

[rudder]

just don't exceed the wattage reccomendation. The powerstrip I have is like 1500watts. Although probably not recommended as long as you don't have too much high powered crap plugged in, you can get away with it.

 

[XCLAN]

FIRE! run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Passions]

You can actually plug a powerstrip into itself and run it that way.

 

[Howard]

OH TATS SO WIKKED MAN!!!

 

[diskop]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Damn is just me? I must have power strip after power strip plugged into one another. Especially near my PC or stereo. Some of them I've got 4 plugged into each other.

Uh oh. Better watch out and get some more outlets. Fiyah!

 

[psteng19]

I have 1 plugged into another and it works fine.
I have 3 power strips going into 2 outlets (2 daisy chained) on the wall (1 for each comp [2 total], and 1 for TV/VCR/PS2).

In a school I went to, I think they must've had 4-5 plugged into each other, daisy chain style, and 6-7 comps between the 5 power strips :Q

 

[BenRosey]

Be safe.

I've always been amused because all of the outlets in one room are typically on the same circuit (along with other rooms...). So moving to another outlet won't be of much use either. So be safe.

 

[Adrian Tung]

My room has only 1 power outlet so my setup is a bit complicated. I have my AVR connected to the outlet, two powerstrips coming out of the AVR. On the first powerstrip, I have one UPS running off it, and another *modified* powerstrip running from the UPS.


atwl

 

[paulsroom]

A house does not come prepared for all the electrical equipment that people buy these days and that is available. Also wall sockets are not always in the desired place. So some means of powering everything and where they are positioned, is a real headache. I've tried all different power solutions - battery powered without mains connection, solar powered without mains connection, even mechanical power through human operation where this is possible. Some rooms have more equipment than others and in some rooms nothing is switched on until required. Standby creates further complications because when you switch off something totally, it then resets once it's switched back on - tv being an example.

I suppose the ideal solution is to have a self-power-generating humanoid robot, who follows you around the house and which you can plug several devices into it. There was an American tv show from the 1980s called "AutoMan" where a computer expert had created a hologram that somehow could be solid. It had a sidekick called 'cursor' who could create a DeLorean style car and even a helicopter which could both hold actual passengers. I'd say that was a dream, but only at present. These days it's no longer as case of 'if' but 'when'.

So I have a gang plugged into another gang, but I'm hoping that the fact that all equipment plugged into this second gang is not switched on while the first gang is powering equipment. This may well be a rather naive belief on my part on the safety aspect, but I check on the temperature of the plugs and if they get hot quickly then I switch the second the gang off. This first gang powers the computer, the printers, broadband and a lamp, but none of them are all switched on at the same time. I try to buy products that use the USB ports of the computer and am happy to view everything just from the light of the VDU.

 

[sdifox]

Holy necro

 

[SKORPI0]

Reported!!!

 

[Exterous]

Holy necro

Definitely goes farther back than most

 

[Stopsignhank]

OK, Industrial safety guy here to rain on the parade. According to OSHA Power strips can also be called relocatable power taps. While they do not have any direct regulations for them they do say that you have to follow the manufacturers instructions or listing (you know that piece of paper that you throw away when you get a new power strip). If you have a UL listed power strip you have to follow the UL listing. UL does not let you plug one power strip into another. It has to be plugged into a wall. They are also to be used for low amperage things. I only allow computer equipment and lights to be plugged into a power strip.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24631

Reply: "Power strips" (as they are most commonly referred to) "Surge/Spike Protectors" or "Portable Outlets," typically consist of several components, such as multiple electrical receptacles, on/off power switch, circuit breaker, and a grounded flexible power cord. One nationally recognized testing laboratory, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), refers to power strips as Relocatable Power Taps (RPTs) and, in its "General Information for Electrical Equipment Directory" (sometimes called the UL white book or UL Directory), describes RPTs as "relocatable multiple outlet extensions of a branch circuit to supply laboratory equipment, home workshops, home movie lighting controls, musical instrumentation, and to provide outlet receptacles for computers, audio and video equipment and other equipment." Power strips may contain other electronic components intended to provide electrical noise filtering or surge protection. UL defines and lists such devices in UL 1283, Standard for Electromagnetic Interference Filters and UL 1449, Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS); TVSSs are dual-listed by UL and meet the requirements of UL 1363, Relocatable Power Taps.

OSHA's standard at 29 CFR §1910.303(b)(2), Installation and use, requires that "Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling." Manufacturers and nationally recognized testing laboratories determine the proper uses for power strips. For example, the UL Directory contains instructions that require UL-listed RPTs to be directly connected to a permanently installed branch circuit receptacle; they are not to be series-connected to other RPTs or connected to extension cords. UL also specifies that RPTs are not intended for use at construction sites and similar locations.

Power strips are designed for use with a number of low-powered loads, such as computers, peripherals, or audio/video components. Power loads are addressed by 29 CFR §1910.304(b)(2), Outlet devices: "Outlet devices shall have an ampere rating not less than the load to be served." Power strips are not designed for high power loads such as space heaters, refrigerators and microwave ovens, which can easily exceed the recommended ampere ratings on many power strips. They must also meet the requirements of §1910.305(g)(1), Use of flexible cords and cables. For example, the flexible power cord is not to be routed through walls, windows, ceilings, floors, or similar openings.

 

[paulsroom]

I would agree that any equipment such as an electric fire, etc. should have its own dedicated wall plug. I would never use a power strip as an intermediate connection for equipment using full power. If there were no wall plugs available due to power strips being plugged into them all, then I would disconnect the power strip and only use the mains plug for one item. Even if all other items on the power strip are not switched on, I would not use a spare socket on it for anything like an electric heater. So when I use a power strip only half of the equipment plugged into it are actually on at any one time and the total power usage is low.

Having used UL rating for features of engineering design in the past, it sometimes seemed that their requirement was far greater than an average safety setting. This is not to say that the safety rating for anything can be dismissed if it is just okay. I think that it's always best to go for a higher rating than is required for the equipment. But there is still a conflict with how people live today and what architects and builders feel they don't need to provide in a normal home. Not everyone lives in a modern home and many houses are over a hundred years old (certainly in the UK). This means that when you buy a house you have to refurbish it before anything else. Ideally there should be a series of mains sockets at skirting level around each room, a telephone output also in every room and a USB port adjacent to every mains plug. In an efficiently laid out office, this is often the case but the extent of technology development now means that the home is as capable of holding the same amount of equipment as the office.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Technically, as many as you want, as long as you don't exceed the maximum amperage of the strip itself. They're not all rated for 15 amps. The more strips and other splitting devices you have plugged in the more connection points and potential failure points you're creating though, which is why there are regulations.

For my computer room at home I just made my own power strip, it has 16 outlets and the entire thing is rated for 15 amps. Well technically 2x 15 amps as it has two power cords. One side goes in the UPS and the other side goes into a surge protector. It plugs into the same breaker though, but in theory I could have it on two separate circuits.

For servers I put in 2 PDUs. Mostly for redundancy as I don't actually need all that power. Currently one goes to the inverter and the other goes to a surge protector. Eventually I'll have 2 inverters, one for each.