Overloading is ENTIRELY possible. The TOTAL of the individual fuses should
not be over 15 amps in this example. Also many smaller, thinner extension
cords are rated for less. Additionally, some crappy extension cords have
been recalled lately for safety issues. The original poster is correct to
worry. Lots of people get away with plugging in all kinds of stuff, but we
hear about tragedies all too often.

Mark Z.


Repeated again because it is the first thing a landlord must
inspect - all plug expanders (ie power strips) must have the
15 amp (or less) circuit breaker. Then overloading is not
possible.

"w_tom" wrote in message
...
Overloading would not cause internal computer damage. But
overloading is a serious human safety problem. In a previous
post is repeated references to a 15 amp circuit breaker on
every power strip. Your discovery is EXACTLY why that is
breaker (or fuse) is necessary for every receptacle expander
(ie power strip).

Most appliances draw hardly any power. One could easily put
four electronic appliances onto the same wall receptacle and
still not even consume 1/4 of what that wall receptacle must
supply. Number of appliances connected to a wall receptacle
is irrelevant as is the fuse in each cord. If all fuses are 15
amps or less, then no overloading is possible.

Was the wall receptacle overloaded? What was amperage or
wattage rating on each appliance - labeled where power cord
connects to appliance. Those are the only numbers that
matter. Size of fuses must be less than 15 amps. Fuses tell
us nothing more.

Repeated again because it is the first thing a landlord must
inspect - all plug expanders (ie power strips) must have the
15 amp (or less) circuit breaker. Then overloading is not
possible.

Did all three prong computer appliances to share a common
safety ground? Did three prong computer plugs share a common
receptacle and were they safety grounded to a three prong wall
receptacle? If not, then there is but one possible reason for
electronics damage.

Currently, your post does not define a safety problem - does
not indicate any overloading. If every power extension cord
includes a 13 amp fuse, then he has not created an overload or
safety problem. Those 13 amp fused would make overloading not
possible. They do not say or even suggest how much current
the appliance consumes.

So what caused electronics failure? For example, did
printer and computer share a common wall receptacle? Were
they both safety grounded (third prong on plug)? These facts
report far more useful information. Your worry of how many
extension cords were chained is irrelevant if every power cord
is fused or has a circuit breaker (and has a UL label). I see
nothing that says overloading. But then important numbers
were not provided - including those from the 3.5 digit
multimeter.

Nell wrote:
Thanks to all of you who so generously and kindly responded to my
request for help, concerning whether my tenant is right to blame a
socket in my apartment for three of his computers "dying".

I went in to the apartment this morning and found:
he had extension leads plugged into both left and right sockets in the
the one double-socket that he said was to blame, that one of these
extension leads had a quadruple-socket at the end of it, AND into one of
those four he had ANOTHER extension lead plugged in, and THAT had a
further two sockets at its end. Furthermore, he had double-adaptors
plugged in at various points. So, all in all, he really had the two
sockets at the wall really overloaded. I flicked out the fuses in the
plugs of the two extension cords and found that they were 13amp fuses,
just LIKE the fuses he had, for example, in the plug of his printer and
his computer! He plainly has no idea of overloading, amperage, and
making sure you have the right fuses fitted. Whether this actually
caused his problem I don't know, but it sure as eggs wasn't safe. I
told him I was very concerned.

Secondly, I learnt that he had bought his computers from shops on a
particular street which is notorious for operating like a vicious bazaar
in, dare I say it, downtown Calcutta! I wouldn't buy from any of these
people: they don't know what they are talking about. They just hawk the
latest electronics. I wouldn't be surprised if they had wold him duds.

Anyway, I insisted that all the extension leads were immediately removed
and that he plugged some of his many bits of equipment into other
sockets round the apartment. And I gave him the idea that I will be
keeping an eye on what he has plugged in and where in months to come.
From a safety point of view though, I agree that it might be wise to
give him notice fairly soon. He's got no idea. And the last I want to
hear is that it's not his printer that's "smoking" but the whole
apartment!

Nell.