"Leonard Caillouet" bravely wrote to "All" (23 Dec 04 08:05:13)
--- on the heady topic of " Thanks to ALL who responded to above
(live-neutral problem)"

LC Reply-To: "Leonard Caillouet"
LC From: "Leonard Caillouet"


LC "w_tom" wrote in message
LC ...
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.

LC Wrong! Unsafe advise! It is entirely possible to overload a circuit
LC with multiple appliances. According to what you are saying you could
LC connect an infinite number of correctly operating devices and not
LC overload the circuit! You have come up with some bull**** before but
LC this tops it all. Defining new laws of physics now? Just what typical
LC appliances have fuses greater than 15 amps?

LC Number of appliances is irrelevant? Give me a break! It is the total
LC draw of the connected appliances that is relevant, and the max possible
LC of each should be considered. Fuses are for protection in the event of
LC failure in each unit, not to assure that overloading a circuit under
LC normal or max operating conditions is prevented.

LC Leonard


Indeed, according to electrical code if the wall receptacle has 2
sockets and into each is plugged a 15 amp breaker extension then this
adds up to 30 amperes and this circuit will require #10 AWG wiring in
the walls.

More likely the circuit uses #14 AWG wiring but this is only rated for
15 Amperes, #12 AWG will handle 20 Amperes, etc. So clearly the
original writer's appartment situation may be quite unsafe even though
each extension has a 15A breaker.

Furthermore, the number of extensions that follow is a problem from
the point of view of contact reliability. Indeed, each point of
contact has more resistance than the wiring and is where most of the
heating will take place in an albeit cheap wire. Recall your series
resistance theory, that the power is divided proportionally to the
resistance. IOW the greatest resistance does the most heating.

A*s*i*m*o*v

.... Which sparks some mnemonic circuitry.