USB Charging points along with sockets?

[unclebob1]

Just a general question to all really,

Given the ever increasing number of devices that run of 12v, has anyone considered/or have run a separate 12v circuit around their property?

I was thinking as a single transformer located near the CU with wires running to dedicated boxes with USB plates?

(Excluding the cost of running the extra wire to the boxes), any disadvantages that people can think of?

 

[securespark]

You can buy 230V 13A sockets with a USB point built in.

http://www.hamilton-litestat.com/news/usb_socket_at_decorex_launch.html

There's even a double socket:

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/130665961820?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla

Also extension leads:

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...artNumber=9363009&shortDescription=Masterplug

 

[HH1]

USB @ 5volts.

Didn't know they did sockets with usb built in.
nice link(s) securespark.

 

[ericmark]

Yes I wired a house with 24vdc and 12vdc in fact centre tapped. There were two huge banks of nickel iron batteries from old buses a Rutford wind charger and a few 230vac to 12vdc battery chargers connected to the main generators. There were two generators at 3kVA single cylinder and a 12kVA which was really only used during shearing.

However this was a lot of work and although on the Falklands it all made sense in the UK it would seem a bit of overkill.

All transformers use power and I would not want to have any items with transformers which are not switched or unplugable. Be it a central heating time clock, a bathroom fan or USB outlet they do fail and when that happens you need to be able to isolate it so you can use other items from the same supply.

 

[plugwash]

I've seen ELV distribution round the home suggested a few times but it's a really stupid idea in the vast majority of cases for several reasons. To see why it's stupid consider the following points

* wiring losses at ELV are horrible. If you reduce the voltage by a factor of 20 then to keep the losses the same you would have to increase the cable size by a factor of 400. Clearly this is impractical so an ELV system will inevitablly end up with higher wiring losses than a mains system.
* due to the aforementioned wiring losses it is very difficult to maintain good regulation in ELV distribution.
* consumer electronics use a wide variety of input voltages. Phones tables etc are usually 5V, laptops are usually arround 20V, network gear is usually somewhere between 5V and 12V.
* each additional conversion stage you introduce adds loss.

The result of these is that an ELV distribution system is likely to be both expensive to install and less efficient than mains distribution assuming your main source of power is the grid or a generator.

If you are living off-grid and don't want to run generators all the time the situation changes and it may be worth running battery voltage arround to avoid the need to use inverters. Still i'd try and use a battery voltage higher than 12V.

 

[mattylad]

Just install additional sockets and then plug USB chargers into them.