Multiple power strips daisy-chained, code?

Exactly the case. Though anything can be (and likely is) counterfeited, even the Trademark. Why stop at 'UL'?

Duh! Ya think?

Could you just add another couple of duplex outlets on the same circuit as the existing outlets - then each power bar could be plugged in to a wall outlet independently. No need to run new circuits from the breaker panel (as long as you don't go over the breaker's rating.)

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Yes, we could but AFAIR code would require one more (and looong) home run to the panel. Plus a switch because about 10 or so devices must be turned off after worship and two plus the whole computer enchilada must be left on.

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Regards, Joerg

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Not just the hardware. If this is the case, then the manufacture of ALL power strips that have mounting ears or simple slots incorporated into their design, which covers nearly all devices currently being made.

Name even ONE consumer home that has had a local authority (having jurisdiction) inspection of the home entertainment system installation.

For that matter, name even one that has been professionally installed, that was subsequently inspected for conformance by the local jurisdiction based authority.

Not true at all. You statement should be "You can certainly start a fire in ANY circuit that has a faulty breaker protecting it.

That way, even a single device or single short event would be protected against.

Without a viable breaker in the panel, the circuit is not protected, and any faults cannot be deemed as having been the fault of ANY load presented to the circuit.

So NO, it does NOT have to do with how you attach a load, it has to do with how the circuit is protected from an overload condition. If that doesn't happen, THEN your remark becomes true.

When was the last time you saw that?

They too must comply, and that means the capacity to fold back upon a dead short scenario, so that means that ANY load presented to the output of ANY walwart should NEVER bring the walwart temp up to the melting point of the plastic it is housed in, AND it should return to normal operation after the short is removed.

A 15 Amp duplex outlet must handle the full 15 Amps on EITHER of its outlet positions.

Also, have you ever even seen the interconnection wires typically used in power strips? The current variety barely handles the amperage the strip is rated at.

The best little six outlet power strip I ever saw or used was/is the Radio Shack unit that was sold back in the 80s. It had hard, solid outlet interconnects, and used real, 'full bore' outlets, like those used in housing construction. The ten amp breaker opened up right at the ten amp limit, without fail.

The power supply co I worked for 'self certified' on their CE mark, but that was only because we had half our company at a UK facility, and they had been self certifying for years.

400kV supplies for a couple of decades pretty much had the boys at CE assured that we knew what we were doing.

ALL of our AC fed gear in the US arm of the company had to get UL certs, and we had to instruct THEM as to how to work with, and make for acceptability standards for HV supplies. Before us, they had never had such certs applied for. Our anode supply made for a hi res medical crt display for GE had to be certified. UL had to learn from us, what was involved with supplying HV, and protecting against fault and failure modes causing external mains side electrical issues.

Exactly. People should bear in mind it's his ass on the line when he signs off on an inspection. He'll be in very deep doo-doo if there's a fire caused by a dangerous electrical installation that he should have spotted. His authority derives from the government that pays him, not from the code. He is required to use his own experience to determine if something that he sees is dangerous, whether the code specifically prohibits it or not.

In the case of rejecting daisy chained strips, he'd win in court. He testifies "It's a situation that can easily become dangerous, where one receptacle is expanded to 5 plus another strip, so he has 11 receptacles where he started with one. It is begging for an overload." Or something similar to that. He need not cite the NEC (or whatever code).

Setting court aside, he looks at it and has those same thoughts. It screams to him as a potential for overload. He's not about to sign off on something he sees as dangerous.

Ed

need

The

Only

it's

exactly

But they are allowed on a 20A circuit, Dimbulb.

Your point? (No citation seen)

Your point? (Still no citation seen)

About three years ago.

But corners are often cut no matter what the rules are. Heck, even Dell had a major recall on the power supplies for one line of laptop I have here.

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So, then, what is the 15A breaker for?

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Could be, as Nobody said, the magic word is "permanently".

The NEC only requires them for residential - new wiring which could be in old buildings. And not all circuits. Areas that require GFCIs (like kitchens) generally don't require AFCIs (arc fault circuit interrupters).

--
bud--

Oh, forgot one: Christmas two years ago. The wall wart lighting the nativity scene decided to burn out. And yeah, it had a current limit, there was no short, etc. It just burned itself out.

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My wording was poor there -- what I meant was that it takes far less than 1875 watts to start a fire, so even without actually overloading a circuit one can conceive of various fault conditions that might start fires.

I agree that a faulty breaker markedly increases the chance of starting fires, though. I sure hope that at least the breakers in the main power distribution panels of homes aren't counterfeit and really do work! Hmm... it almost seems like part of the electrical inspection for new buildings would be to test and verify that each and every breaker trips within 60 seconds (or whatever the data sheet spec is) when asked to pass twice the rated current?

---Joel

It's not begging for an overload any more than having three 4-outlet electrical boxes side by side... and I've worked in shops where there were two

4-outlet boxes side by side for *each bench*, and I'm pretty sure every single bench didn't have its own branch circuit too... and I'm sure this facility had been inspected and certified to be up to code when it was built.

As to the work 'permanently,' that would mean removing the plug from the cord, and wiring it into a box for a permanent, static installation. Just because you have attached it to a surface, doesn't mean it is permanent. As long as it has a plug on the end, it ain't permanent.

To be honest, I would think that you could cut the drywall out, and put in a 4plex box to replace the 2plex box, or even put in an additional 4plex box on the same circuit if you needed it.

Charlie

Yep. Just use an "old work" box...

...Jim Thompson

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