Cable Forum - View Single Post - Working out the safe load for an extension strip

Tezcatlipoca · 12-01-2014, 16:40

If you have multiple devices that you want to plug into a 4 or 6 socket extension strip, how do you calculate if the load is safe or not?

Do you add up the wattage of each device, and see if it is less than the maximum load (13A x 240V [or is it 230V?] = 3120W [or 2990W])?

Or do you add up the amps used by each device and ensure it's less than 13?

Or... either?

What if...

You have three devices, one that uses 100W and the other two use 200W each. Totalled that comes to 500W, so is fine if doing it that way.

But... say the power supply for the 100W device says "input 2.5A" and the power supplies for the other two devices each say "input 5A"... Totalled that comes to 12.5A, which I would assume is too close to the max.

Or am I looking at this wrong?

12-01-2014, 16:40	#1
Tezcatlipoca Inactive Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Cambridge Posts: 16,760	Working out the safe load for an extension strip If you have multiple devices that you want to plug into a 4 or 6 socket extension strip, how do you calculate if the load is safe or not? Do you add up the wattage of each device, and see if it is less than the maximum load (13A x 240V [or is it 230V?] = 3120W [or 2990W])? Or do you add up the amps used by each device and ensure it's less than 13? Or... either? What if... You have three devices, one that uses 100W and the other two use 200W each. Totalled that comes to 500W, so is fine if doing it that way. But... say the power supply for the 100W device says "input 2.5A" and the power supplies for the other two devices each say "input 5A"... Totalled that comes to 12.5A, which I would assume is too close to the max. Or am I looking at this wrong?