How much draw is safe to run off of one circuit? Watt's too much? Do you have a bunch of power strips plugged in to your outlets so you can plug in more things in to one outlet? Living in a home with a limited number of outlets can be challenging and you might have resorted to using surge protectors to increase the number of outlets in your home. However, an overloaded outlet can put your home at a greater risk of an electrical fire.
How much can a single outlet handle?
How much you can plug in to a single outlet depends on what else is on that circuit and how many outlets are getting their power supply from that circuit. If you have 15-amp circuits then the safest is to stick to 1,500 watts per outlet or circuit. So the number of things that you can plug in to one outlet or circuit depends on the individually wattage of the item you are plugging in. You can check the manufacturer's instructions to determine the wattage of the item you are plugging in.
Larger appliances, such as a dishwasher or microwave will typically exceed 1,000 watts or more. Therefore, those larger appliances should be on it's own dedicated circuit, and you should not plug anything else in to the outlet for that appliances.
Is an Overloaded Outlet Dangerous?
According to the National Agricultural Safety Database, overloaded outlets are a leading cause of house fires. If you are overloading your circuit it will cause the circuit to overheat and damage the wiring, and potentially cause an electrical fire.
If you notice the circuit breaker keeps tripping, or your lights are flickering when you run an appliances, it is best to call SHEWORKS Electrical at 602-920-4257 to assess the situation and determine best next steps to keep you and your home safe.
How many things can I plug into a Power Strip?
If you use the power strip to plug in low voltage items such as a phone charger, apple watch charger, and other low voltage items then you can safely plug in multiple items in to a power strip without overloading the outlet. However, you do not want to plug in small appliances or any appliances in to a power strip, or a power strip in an outlet that is also powering a high powered appliance.
Can I plug in two surge protectors into one outlet?
You can plug in two surge protectors in to one outlet, but you will want to make sure that whatever you are plugging in to those two surge protectors isn't exceeding the maximum wattage for the outlet or the circuit. Still look at the wattage of each device that you plan to plug in to the surge protectors and make sure that the circuit isn't being overloaded.