Max wattage of a electric socket

If you are controlling a 3 kW appliance from a remote location from where you cannot see the appliance how can you be sure it is safe to turn on the appliance ?
Look out for "the Internet of Things". It's coming...
Indeed - but, as I wrote, high-powered appliances coming on when no-one can see the appliance has been with us for some time. For example, many/most tumble dryers (probably one of the most fire-prone of domestic appliances, as well as the most energy-hungry) come with a built-in facility specifically there to enable the machine to switch itself on when no-one (or no-one awake) is available to 'supervise' the appliance!

Kind Regards, John
 
It does seem special sockets, be it with RCD built in, filters built in or any other electronic addition then the maximum total output is 3000W, I have many times thought how would the user know that the total is 3000W, but it does seem that is normal.

Also sockets which have some automatic or remote switching normally fail safe, in the event of a power cut they will be off when power returns. You can get passive RCD protected sockets, but most are active.

537.5.4.1 Motor control circuits shall be designed so as to prevent any motor from restarting automatically after a stoppage due to a fall in or loss of voltage, if such starting is liable to cause danger.

This is often ignored with domestic appliances, I know I have fitted active RCD's to items like bench grinders so loss of power will auto switch off motor, often the supply was already RCD protected, but was the active function which was required, a RCD plug was cheaper than a contactor.

The problem was remotely switching a socket is you don't know what might be plugged into it, using plug in RF switches you can select where they are used, I have a set of 4 from Lidi, two simple switches, and two dimmer switches, these were handy, but since not part of the socket they could be easy removed. As part of the socket you need to do a risk assessment, could some thing be plugged in and left switched on while the user tries to find out why it does not work? And could the socket be activated and the item plugged in cause damage or danger?

Having a set of sockets behind the TV one would not normally expect any items which could cause damage of danger to be plugged in, but in a garage or kitchen the chance of a drill, grinder, mixer, chip pan or other item which could cause danger to be plugged in is much higher. Even with the Lidi plug in units I have seen where the on all button has been pressed and it put on a standard lamp in another room. OK standard lamp no danger, but it could have been the vacuum cleaner which could cause damage left on unattended. Unlikely with plug in units, but more likely with a socket.
 
I know I have fitted active RCD's to items like bench grinders so loss of power will auto switch off motor,

I have fitted contactors with "Run" button to achieve the same safety feature. ( I like the RCD method as it provides extra protection and comes as a ready made item )

The risk of a device being operated by a malicious hacker is ( in my opinion ) at present low but will increase as more and more remote controlled devices are installed. Sales and marketting people are not going to point out this risk and they will not mention the potential for damage that hacking will create. The public will be ignorant of the risks.
 
I'm sure a hacker has better things to hack than activating someone's kettle or lamp. If he's already able to hack it then your primary network has been compromised and I would worry more about your computer files etc first.
 
If he's already able to hack [your remove-controlled socket] then your primary network has been compromised

Not necessarily; the security on some of these products is so poor that they are easily hackable when your router is operating securely.
See for example Matthew Garrett's review of a remote-controlled socket here: http://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/43486.html :

" Today we're going to be talking about the KanKun SP3, a plug that's been around for a while. The idea here is pretty simple - there's lots of devices that you'd like to be able to turn on and off in a programmatic way, and rather than rewiring them the simplest thing to do is just to insert a control device in between the wall and the device and now you can turn your foot bath on and off from your phone. "
 
What's the point on your second para? That you can run scripts via a controller? Yes that is true.
 
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Yes, 13A - for resistive loads. Presumably less for other types of load.
 
I think I get an idea of what resistive load means by having googled it, but could someone please explain it in layman terms. Please see the one star review on the following Amazon link - should this concern me? We are unlikely to have a hoover running in the house as we are to install a central vaccum as part of our rebuild, and together with a heat recovery system to go along side it in the garage. If I put those two items on a ordinary non-Lightwave socket, I should be fine right? What about a Mulinex blender etc for the kitchen?

And again, is that confirming 13A across each gang or for each gang?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LightwaveR...F8&qid=1471679295&sr=1-3&keywords=lightwaverf
 
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