Overloaded PowerPoint

[cylmax]

An electrician has recently pointed out that a particular power socket, in my home, is running too many appliances and could be a fire hazard.

What options are available, which won't cost the earth, so that I can make this area safe?

The room in question is my study, and has a large amount of computer equipment and peripherals running off a single 240v outlet. There are probably, in the region of, 12 appliances running at any one time, using 2 x 4 gang extension cables, plus double sockets etc.

Any help for this newbie would be very welcome.

M.


[Edited by cylmax on 15-11-2002 at 17:10 PM GMT]

 

[AnonymousImport]

If the primary connection to the mains is via a 13 amp plug, which is correctly fused at 13 amps, then there is really no danger of the wall socket being overloaded, as the fuse will protect against overload. To further enhance this protection, reduce the fuse ratings in the plugs of any extension leads. Computer equipment generally only requires a fuse rating of 3 amps per item, eg printer/ scanner/ monitor/ computer base unit. If you really think that you need to add sockets, consider the following. If your electrical installation is of the ring main type, then you can fit extra sockets by interrupting the ring and inserting more sockets. As long as you restore the ring, this will mean that the load is shared across the two halves of the cabling to and from the consumer unit. If your wiring is of an older type, then you should think about consulting a reliable electrician for advice.