Best 4 gang or 6 gang electrical plug extensions please?

Hardware & Tech Questions
#1

Had a wee pop tonight with some very late night enjoying flying on my new rig, tripped a breaker at main supply box, main concern was my new built power PC had taken a surge, because that shut down too.

All OK, it seems I had over loaded a socket and should have distributed all my PC’s associated parts more evenly, distributed them more evenly now between 4 main sockets and it will be good, we all have different power and safety regulations in different parts of the world and common sense should be one, but we are not all Electricians and even my basic understanding of electrical loads let me down a little this time … I’ll freely admit that.

I’ve never done multi extension lead to extension lead kinda thing, even got my sparkie friends in to wire up good regulated proper wall plugs before, this was a rogue cheap multi 6 gang extension from one plug socket that let me down and I do think I had carelessly overloaded it a bit with its power distribution needs.

It was a warning though, so with that in mind … and we all do need multi gang electric extension of some sort for today’s power PC needs and periphs, am going to buy a couple of good 6 gang extensions for this FS/Gaming PC corner of room here, they will be used on two separate sockets far apart and switched off totally when not in use for peace of mind.

One I have just now that’s not let me down is a Belkin one, good name brand I think, it has a little remote too to switch off 4 sockets but leave 2 open for stuff like my main telephone and Printer that need to be on at all times. This is not available to buy any more though?

I hear stuff like voice activated sockets now, no thanks, have enough trouble with a recent Ring+ video doorbell and chime that is forever losing sync with very good WI FI here, LOL … want it to be simple and reliable switch on when needed, switch off for safety and away from home when not in use :slight_smile:

Any recommendations please?

Looked at these so far, a couple of them on desktop each on separate power points, not too worried about USB ports on them, that’s all very well sorted here, but as I’m very disabled now, easy to reach and switch on and off as needed?

#2

Meant to link to a 6 gang version x 2, that would be more than enough, would not like a single 12 gang hub plugged into one socket.

You get the idea of what I’m looking for though, please.

#3

Usually all the sockets in single room or even small flat are connected in series to single circuit breaker so it should not matter if you connect 4 loads to 4 sockets or 4 loads into 1 socket. As long as the load does not exceeds the limit (i.e. in Europe for usual purpose line 230VAC/10A that would yield 2,3KW power) you should be fine - every socket should be at least rated for that max load.

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#4

We all have belkin extension boards for the pcs 3 for 3 set ups. As damson says each can be put in one socket each and should be fine.

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#5

Yup, agreed so far, any pointers to actual good quality 6 socket extensions, preferably good rated ones with on off switches. not interested in voice controlled stuff, just good reliable quality please.

Damson, not having a bash at you my friend, but the extension I bought that went POP Was bought from ASDA supermarket … am sure they adhere to our standards and it still went POP on me … low quality sneaks in sometimes I suppose?

But I really have spent a lot of money on this recent PC upgrade … a lot of money, its my three yearly upgrade that I wont be doing again for at least that amount of time again, all I need is good recommendations for electricity distribution products you all use in a similar situation like mine, talk of 230VAC/10A that would yield 2,3KW is over my head and probably most folks here, please point me to the products and links too if possible :slight_smile:

Thanks.

#6

Oh by the way, there are voice activated electric sockets these days, that was not one of my usual bizzare jokes … that stuff exists … but its not for me :slight_smile:

Thats a bridge too far :slight_smile:

1 Like
#7

I think what he means by 2.3 kW is that that is A LOT of power.
Not something that could be consumed by a pc (maximum about 1000 W) with peripherals and some lights and phone chargers (shouldn’t be more than 100 W).

So it is most likely that you had some other high-power apparatus on the same group. Tea kettle, oven, microwave, washer, dryer, something like that. Things that move a lot of stuff or generate a lot of heat. Those are the ones that draw a lot of power.

As for the sockets, I use a socket extension with a switch plugged into a socket extension and everything on the desk runs from there. No high quality ones either, just bog standard extensions, probably cheap ones, that I happened to have. I just checked the label on the bottom for the maximum power in Watts: it said 3600 W or 3.6 kW which is plenty.

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#8

Thanks Freak, but its not that either, this is just my hobby room and I do think I messed up the power distribution towards some sockets somehow, every things working OK again, nothing is blown that matters … especially my new expensive PC build, but one sockets multi plug console went pop, it tripped the breaker at my main main box, have removed it and tested it in another room, its dead … its dusted, even has black scorched bit on it !!!

When it happened I not only heard it pop, but saw the sparks shoot too from corner of my eye … it was a reality check, it could quite easily have led to a fire and been a disaster … this was an approved BS standard unit too sold by ASDA UK … or Tesco? but thats not the point, no point chasing that up and suing folk or demanding compensation, the thing was defective and it was my fault for buying cheap :slight_smile: I’ve never kept receipts for something like that.

I dont want that to happen again though.

Thinking on 2 x of these, plugged each in 2 separate wall power sockets, this gives me max capacity of 12 electrical units, but will never get near that, 3 on each most of the time I think.

These ones, not bothered about the USB stuff, but otherwise looks OK for my needs.

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