Overloading Sockets ???

iMax

I hope one of you sparks guys can help me out there. I'm pretty sure I'm overloading my sockets and not too sure of the consequences - blown fuse or fire...

In my attic there is a single socket put in by the previous owner of the house (I don't think it's a professional install).

I have a triple adapter in it & off that are running three x 4 socket plug boards.

On plug board number one are three security lights on sensors - 2 x 300w, 1 x 250w

On plug board number two, a NAS box/media server, two external hard drives

On plug board number three, a homeplug (for network), a mini-switch and a device that makes USB devices into network devices (for the two external hard drives).

Everything seems to be running grand (we'll see on the next leccy bill anyway). But it's pretty much a given that the socket is overloaded, right ?

What's my options here, can I convert the single into a double socket & take a spur off that for another double socket ? I'll still have to run some plug boards off them to have everything plugged in. The same amount of devices will be there just laid out differently.

That's just my attic.... same problem elsewhere -

Living room - Plasma TV, DVD Recorder, Media Streamer, CD player, Amp, VCR, Media Drive, Subwoofer, homeplug (network) all through a noise suppressor/surge protector.

PC room, same problem - Six devices through a surge protector on a double socket, it doesn't help that I stream most of my stuff, so the PC is always on.

What am I looking at here realisticly ? (life was so much simpler before I discovered home networking)

McFearless

the socket in ur attic could do with being bein changed.Id take off the single socket,next buy a fused spur,replace that with the single socket and then you can wire extra double sockets off that,maybe buy three double surface boxes and three double sockets.To wire the sockets use 2.5 nymj.To be honest,i dont recommend you do this yourself,if you dont know anything about electricity stay away from it,serioulsy,wont cost much to have someone come in and do it!Your lights btw should be on a lighting circuit or at least on their own spur...

How old is your fuse board btw??does it have all screw in fuses?or mcb's?
when you start tripping mcb's you should cut down on appliance's,only keep things on that ur using,like dont leave them on standby......

iMax

Hi McFearless,

We did get the fuseboard changed to tripswitches (so far nothing tripped bar the occasional one when a bulb blows).

The security lights are just the standard flood light type. Do they really have to be on their own circuit ?

I've been thinking I need to get someone to look at it, but it's only since I put the PC stuff up there that this has become an issue for me (previously it was just the lights & they're off most of the time. I even installed a smoke detector up there *just in case*.

DublinDilbert

iMax wrote: »

Hi McFearless,

We did get the fuseboard changed to tripswitches (so far nothing tripped bar the occasional one when a bulb blows).

The security lights are just the standard flood light type. Do they really have to be on their own circuit ?

I've been thinking I need to get someone to look at it, but it's only since I put the PC stuff up there that this has become an issue for me (previously it was just the lights & they're off most of the time. I even installed a smoke detector up there *just in case*.

I presume the security lights are outside the house and wired into the attic. They should be on a lighting circuit, not plugged into a socket.

You may not be over-loading the socket as your loads sound quite small... It would probably be best to make sure that socket it correctly wired with 2.5 T&E, and correctly tapped off a socket circuit. If its correctly wired it might be an idea to swap the single for a double, just to give you more options.

I'd get the security lights wired permanently in and get the single socket checked to make sure its' ok..

iMax

cheers guys

Bruthal

There is no reason the security lights cant be wired off sockets, but would be better wired into spurs connected to socket circuits so you have the cable to the lights fused at lower than the 20amp mcb for the socket circuit and this would be better than just plugged in.

outside lights connected to fused spurs or switched spurs connected to socket circuit is not a bad way to go, and you then have the RCD protecting the circuits if water gets into the lights,

You could add a couple of spurs onto that attic circuit and have light permanently wired in as said already, rather than plugged in