Home Electrics

[greenrook]

My son has just moved house, and there is a switched double socket in the utility room. Each of those sockets has a double socket thingy plugged into it, so there are 4 plugs serving the gas boiler, the freezer, the tumble drier and a small overhead striplight. Is that overloading the original socket?

[bhg481]

No, they're all low power devices plugged into it, so there should be no problems.

[bhg481]

To put your mind further at rest, suppose you had a double socket and plugged a 3Kw kettle into one socket and a toaster into the other. Much higher loading than your son's situation.

[Buenchico]

>>>they're all low power devices plugged into it

I've yet to come across a low-power tumble dryer!

However I agree that there doesn't seem to be any cause for concern. I've probably got more than a dozen low-power devices (such as radios and phone chargers) connected into some of my 13A sockets but the total load still doesn't come anywhere near to the maximum. It's usually only devices that convert electricity into a substantial amount of heat (such as kettles, fan heaters, etc) that you need to be careful about.

[greenrook]

Thanks for all your answers, that's put my mind at rest, if I'd told my son about my concern, he'd have given me the 'Dad, stop being an old woman' routine!

[Old_Geezer]

You will most probably overload a circuit breaker before overloading the socket. If so it should blow.

I believe a wall socket (single or double since it uses the same single connection at the back) is expected to pass about 15A but I am prepared for the electrical experts to correct me on that.

At 230v this would be about 3.45 kW. You may add up the wattages given on each of your son's appliances to see if they add up to more than that.

That said it isn't good practice to put break-out boxes in series, but four loads from a double socket shouldn't be a problem.

Recall that the gas boiler will take very little as it is just using electricity for running its electronic control circuitry, not heating the house. The freezer may spike due to induction, but is not permanently taking power: it goes on for a short while then off again. The tumble drier also is only taking power when on. Lighting is minimal.

[greenrook]

Thanks OG, you have inspired me to learn a bit about domestic wiring etc., there must be an Idiots Guide in our library

[bhg481]

Quite right Buenchico, I'd overlooked the tumble dryer but, as we agree, there's no danger of overloading the socket.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

More of an aesthetic issue I would say........however its not a good idea to have the gas boiler plugged into a socket as it may be unplugged accidentally.Get it wired into a fused spur.

[ivor4781]

Old_Geezer
dont forget the pump in the boiler, that takes power not a lot, just saying though