Electrical safety

[CaptnSpaulding]

Hi all! Hoping to have some advice on electrical safety and prevention of overloading a socket!

We're moving my eldest boy into his own bedroom in our 3 bedroom private rented house. The problem we face is that there is only 1 2-gang wall socket in the bedroom.
He has a TV, PS4 and a PC and one of those homeplugs for internet. The way the room is laid out, the PC (on it's desk) would be right next to the wall socket but the TV and PS4 are on the other side of the room, roughly 3m away (around the walls/corners). I understand for the homeplugs to work, they have to be directly connected to the mains so that leaves 1 socket. I have a surge protector for the PC but getting a 3m surge protector to reach the TV. Now the dilemma - how do I have both surge protectors connected at the same time?

One way I thought was to get one of those 'multiway' blocks and plug both surge protectors into this. I'm just worried that it'll overload the socket! The other way was to try the homeplug into the surge protector to free up a socket but not sure if it'll have effect. Last resort would be having to use one surge protector at a time so he'd either use the PC or PS4 - not able to use both (his brother might want to use one of them too)

Am I being overly fussy? I never used to be bothered and had extensions on extensions but there have been two fatal fires in the surrounding area in the last year, both caused by socket overloading so got a bit worried especially with kids involved!

Thanks for any help!

 

[MartinMiller]

I'd get a spark in to change the single to a double
Any normal extension cable can only take a maximum of 13 amps

 

[PSM1]

You can buy homeplugs that you can plug through so this would leave both sockets for use.

 

[phillyd1981]

I'd get a spark in to change the single to a double
Any normal extension cable can only take a maximum of 13 amps

It's a private rented house and the only socket in the room is allready a double!

 

[phillyd1981]

get a standard multiple extension lead and try the home plug in it with a few other items plunged in
My home plug use to work fine like this.

 

[CaptnSpaulding]

Thanks for the replies guys. Not sure why I didn't think of this earlier but it was suggested to me to get a pass through homeplug - this would solve all my problems (plus give me a spare homeplug for another room).

Thanks again!

 

[DIYlady]

You can buy three gang sockets that just use a double back box, so easy to swap the two gang for three gang.

Edit. Eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greenbrook-GB223W-C-Double-Triple-Converter/dp/B009E6O4BW

 

[John7]

If you do that you'll be limited to 13A max for all three sockets instead of the present 2 x 13Amps (the 2 to 3 way convertors have an inbuilt 13Amp fuse IIRC).

 

[John7]

13Amps is around 3kW, so some rough "guestimates" at what you will have connected......

TV 250 Watts
PS4 200 Watts
PC 300 Watts
Homeplug 30Watts

Total 780 Watts, so well under the rating of a single socket/extension lead

Check the Wattage ratings on all of your devices and add them all up (all will be marked on the data plates) to get a more accurate assessment of your totals

 

[nvingo]

Homeplugs likely won't work in the surge-protector multiway, might not even work in a standard multiway (though ours does) - I see the solution to that has been covered.
As already posted, the total load for the room is likely within the safe limit for a single 13A socket.
I had a 10-way extension with the lounge entertainment system all connected (including a 28" CRT) though to be fair few items were in concurrent use.

 

[DIYlady]

You are unlikely to have an issue with current draw (unless there is something like a heater/kettle that you haven't mentioned). Which is why I suggested the triple socket replacement. One for homeplug and one each for you two surge protectors

Make sure that you don't have trailing leads though. Perhaps clip them to underside of desk