Is my electrical setup for my media center safe - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 02:58:10 am
content: So I just got a bigger tv in my room and I redid my entertainment setup to have my game system collection on it and I was wondering if the setup is safe with the way I wired things upMy room has 2 2socket 2prong outlets and 2 2socket 3prong outlets and one of the 2prong outlets are behind my entertainment setup with the TV and VCR plugged into there and everything else plugged into the extension coard and surge protector and the power cord leads to the closest 3 prong outlet that's under my bed I wanted to ask if it's a safe setup because I'm not a electrician and I want to make sure it's safe to keep my game consoles plugged in so I can play on them when I want without having to reach under the thing searching for the correct plug to plug inHere's a link to a few pics of it I'm Linking to the pics I uploaded on a thread I made on the Linus Tech Tips forum:The extension cable says 16-3 AWG on the wire and the here's a pic of the back of the surfe protectorhttps://linustechtips.com/main/uploads/monthly_2016_09/image.jpeg.95235436a2f11dfb362171ed0421606d.jpegAnd here are the pics of the setup and the cables undernieth the whole setup:https://linustechtips.com/main/uploads/monthly_2016_09/image.jpeg.e0171bfb98e4f47185c067299cb44bfe.jpeghttps://linustechtips.com/main/uploads/monthly_2016_09/image.jpeg.9673af6afecf1227ca2a0ffedc07ae4f.jpeghttps://linustechtips.com/main/uploads/monthly_2016_09/image.jpeg.879840e40f53672e5953df7e4ecaab90.jpegPS: the thing in the bottom right corner of the picture of the entire media setup is my HTPC that uses a AMD Athlon 5350 APU with a ITX motherboard with 1 4gb stick of ram a 7200rpm HDD, a DVD drive, and a 250watt Solid Gear SFX PSU, and a 802.11n Wifi Card, I don't have a dedicated GPU in the machine (also I want to upgrade the machine later on to a 95 watt AMD A8 7650k which I have the chip all I need is the motherboard)I just want to make sure this is not going to be a fire hazzard and be safe

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 03:07:51 am
content: You will get people talking up the dangers of power strips, or any daisy chaining stuff, saying having two power strips plugged into each other is a fire hazard. While I am not by any means an expert in mains wiring, I can tell you from years of personal experience, you have 0 to worry about as long as your cables are not cheap shit, and you have a properly wired house (A whole different topic)If your worried about power draw, a 15 A Circuit will power that just fine, and if it doesn't you just trip an MCB or a fuse. Honestly if you can run it for a couple hours and it's fine, and the cables aren't hot to the touch, you are probably going to be fine.

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 03:18:17 am
content: Thanks I really should have posted to this forum first knowing this forum is full of people who actually know a ton more then me about electrical stuff. I'm still a beginner when it comes to knowing electrical stuff and know a little bit but when it comes to the bigger stuff especially with AC currents I tend to have trouble figuring things out.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 04:26:29 am
content: Local fire departments frown on daisy chaining power strips. just because they heard it from their ma's, or insurance.Check with your home insurance.BTW, many power strips are hazards in themselves, as the MOV's degrade, they inflame.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 04:29:06 am
content: Xboxes and Nintendos.. it deserves to burn, at any rate..

author: SuperShermanTanker
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 04:33:40 am
content: You know all that really doesn't help I really had no choice but to use that setup to get the tv and my game systems hooked up and I'm not dasychaining surge protectors I only have one surge protector hooked to a extension cable

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 04:54:49 am
content: Quote from: SuperShermanTanker on September 13, 2016, 04:33:40 amDon't worry about it. I doubt anything will happen.

author: rs20
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 05:02:01 am
content: Quote from: jh15 on September 13, 2016, 04:26:29 amSurely this is not because there's anything intrinsically wrong with daisy-chaining power strips, but rather because the average person on the street can't be expected to understand + add up current draws of each appliance. So the fire departments just say "don't daisy-chain power strips" and "don't plug 2400W* things (e.g. heaters) into power strips", thus stating rules that are individually non-sensical but do mostly succeed at getting the average person on the street to keep each powerpoint below 10A*. Since asking randoms on the street to keep each powerpoint below 10A* would just be a disaster.For those of us that can actually add numbers, it's just about keeping the current in every wire below 10A*, as long as every element of the network is rated for 10A*, right?* Arbitrary figures based on typical AU/NZ setup.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 05:10:46 pm
content: In the US, our sockets run at a standard of 15 A circuits, with some being 20 A in places like businesses. This is because we use 120V so the current needs to be higher to give a similar power output.I am not sure, but I think in most of the non 100-125V world, 230V @13A is standard unless you go higher. Even so you need to put a lot of computers on a circuit to even come close to the US Ceiling, and even more for the EU/UK Ceiling.The OP uses the NEMA standard for mains wiring, which dictates a nominal current of anywhere from 110 - 125 V (Varies where you are) at 60 cycles per second at a max current of 15 A for a 15 A circuit (Duh) 20A for 20A and there are things even higher than that.But for the OP here, your surge protectors won't hurt anything and my setup has a UPS in one 15A socket, feeding to one double surge protected (UPS and the strip) strip, and one double surge and battery backed strip, with both having fluctuation protection, and power refinement. This is how most offices run this sorta stuff (I would think, as I do) and this normally doesn't hurt. And there are safeguards in place to prevent going over on your current like MCBs and Fuses, which will stop most issues.

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 05:19:33 pm
content: Quote from: TwoOfFive on September 13, 2016, 05:10:46 pmYeah, I have two servers and an ibm thinkcenter at full cpu load 24/7, along with a fan for the rack and two battery backups and it draws 7 amps, not even close to 15 amps.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 12:20:06 am
content: Quote from: XOIIO on September 13, 2016, 05:19:33 pmI've had an LCD, 6 computers (2 servers, 1 AIO with CRT, 3 towers) a C64, Floppy drive, and 1084 CRT monitor using a step up 120-230v converter, and only came close to the max.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 05:05:04 am
content: As I said:Local fire departments frown on daisy chaining power strips. just because they heard it from their ma's, or insurance.Check with your home insurance.BTW, many power strips are hazards in themselves, as the MOV's degrade, they inflame.Even well named MOV protected strips can inflame, can't think of the major name brand one I took out of service recently, but it was dangerous and being replaced. This was a reputable brand, inductors and the like.Please call the Portland Maine fire department and let me daisy chain again.OMG, the loads in the studio! 2 Tecnics turntables, 2 preamps, Minidisk recorders, and a half dozen cd players, modulation monitors, the main board.Proc amps, Effects, oh! Tascam cassette recorders and EAS units oh my! All on the same breaker, (I think even the overhead lights). But no, don't daisy chain power strips.Also have to keep all our doors closed.Maybe they are like cops and live off dines.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 08:10:47 am
content: One thing to bear in mind is that the cable will be rated when fully uncoiled and with plenty of ventilation. Once the cable is all coiled up and hidden behind the sofa, the current rating needs to be halved, as the heat can't escape.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 05:31:12 pm
content: Quote from: jh15 on September 14, 2016, 05:05:04 amMake your own! Just get as many outlets as you need, build a box, and wire everything up as if you were installing it into a wall. Wire it right, and you can have as many outlets as you like.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2016, 02:22:57 am
content: You can use a device such as a Kill-A-Watt to measure how much current you're drawing on each power strip and make sure you don't exceed the rating of the strip.Also measure how much current is being drawn at the wall outlet (i.e., how much everything is in total). In the US, a typical outlet will be on a 15-amp circuit, but that may be less in older construction and there may be wiring that's not capable of handling a full load. It's important to note that there are usually multiple outlets on the same circuit and all of them, in total, should be under the rating for the circuit. The easy way to tell which ones share a common circuit is to find which circuit breaker, when turned off, disables the outlet you're intending to use, then see which other outlets are also disabled.If in doubt, have an electrician check out the final setup, the wiring (e.g., in the outlet box), and your fuse/breaker box. A forum post is by no means a substitute for an in-person inspection.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2016, 02:43:16 am
content: Honestly I think most people here (Maybe even myself) are digging too deep into this. You have no electrical risk and paying someone to look at a couple power bars will be a waste of their time and your time.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2016, 05:04:54 am
content: I don't think you have any problem either. I don't like daisy chaining though and avoid it myself. Most companies that make power strips and surge protectors sell them with a variety of cord lengths, usually up to 15 ft. If that's long enough for you maybe look at this:https://www.walmart.com/ip/Belkin-F9D1000-15-SurgeMaster-10-Outlets-Surge-Suppressor/13073534I have one of those in my lab area that I've been using for over 10 years.I also have a couple of 6 outlet APC P610 that have 10 ft cords:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812106493

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 15, 2016, 05:32:27 am
content: The basic rule is - make sure that every part of your electrical setup does not have more load on it than it is rated to withstand.This not only includes the power boards and extension leads, but also the total load on the household circuit ... otherwise someone might plug in a vacuum while the microwave and kettle are going - and your game ends suddenly.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2016, 01:13:25 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on September 15, 2016, 05:32:27 amDon't know how Australian houses are wired, but I am fairly sure that you should be able to run most of the circuits at or around their 15 A limit in the US. We do have central breakers, but I am sure they are pretty well over the limit of a few circuits.American houses are wired with each circuit wired separately (No ring mains) and I am sure we can pull at least 50A with a lot of things in the house running.Americans don't have electric kettles (I've never seen one here), but we have coffee pots, 1100W Microwaves, large TVs and in our case a customary ton of computers.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 15, 2016, 02:10:38 pm
content: The specific household circuit arrangements aren't of particular importance - just the loading. That's all I was referring to.