Is daisy chaining power strips bad reddit. flames outside the strip), but only a couple burnt outlets.

Is daisy chaining power strips bad reddit You're also adding some resistance, but that is usually trivial. This heat buildup becomes particularly dangerous when the strips are hidden under furniture or carpets. A couple of those are Furman PL-Plus units. trueHello guys, I have some questions about daisy chaining power strips I have chained 3 power strips, 1st one is a small one connected to the wall with only the 2nd power strip connected to it (did this because the wall uses European plugs and the 2nd and one uses British and adapters don't fit well), the 2nd one is a 5 sockets one, with an iPhone wireless charger, 2 modern LCD monitors, PC Oct 1, 2019 · @filmguy123 No daisy chaining power strips, fire hazard. However, this does not remove the chance of starting a fire (since where most strips live, dust is around and that WILL catch fire). e. This is a really good way to overload the circuit and cause a fire. A daisy chain delivers the exact same voltage using the exact same polarity to all pedals, but an isolated power supply allows for variations in your pedals’ needs. Even if you’re using high-quality power strips, daisy chaining negates their built-in safety features. If you stick to cords and power bars rated at 15 amps and don't start daisy chaining multiple 20ft cords you should be fine. Jun 9, 2025 · If you’re dealing with limited outlet space in your home, office, or workshop, you may have considered the convenience of using a Daisy Chain Power Strip. Need a few extra outlets to charge phones? Sure, chain the power strips together, it’s only a few watts per charger. I have 6 of the fans and they are all connected together without any splitters. The lowest rating is your limit in the connection. Sep 15, 2020 · Daisy chaining is plugging one device into another, instead of going back to the source. Would it be safe to use another power strip and plug this one into it? I know its generally not recommended to daisy chain multiple power strips to not overload the circuit but in this case it is only used as an extender for my other power strip. We use this for a sound machine and an extra light in the room. I have a few higher power devices such as an Xbox and a TV, and several lower such as lamps. I have several rack power strips daisy chained myself and haven't had any problems. Most people have so many electronic devices that the wall outlets in the average home or office cannot cater to all of them. edit: just saw that the plugs in your picture appear to be british style. Would there be a significant difference with the daisy chained scenario as opposed to just the single power strip with up to six devices plugged in to it? Honestly, you really shouldn't "daisy chain" power strips at all. Feb 2, 2021 · It is definitely safe to daisy chain surge protectors and extension cords if you know what you’re doing. Power strips are not designed to be used this way, and it’s not worth the risk. The key is to understand how much current you are going to draw through each of your power strips. Plugging a power strip into another power strip is not, by itself, dangerous. Outlets are rated for a only so much power. They are tested and rated to provide power to a limited number of items in a safe manner. I have always heard it is bad to daisy chain these power strips/surge protectors together. the above metaphors may or may not apply in britain. What is the concern? Human or appliance protection? Two completely different discussions involving different numbers and different threats. Daisy-Chaining Power Strips? I am by no means an electrician, but I feel like I at least have some common sense and knowledge. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Jul 12, 2018 · I am adding an ATO, which fills up the power strip. It’s a bad idea in general but depending on the power requirements of the devices plugged in it could be totally fine. At first glance, daisy chaining connecting multiple power strips together seems like a clever solution to plug more devices in. Jul 22, 2025 · Find out why daisy-chaining power strips could pose serious dangers to your safety and devices—what you discover might shock you. It is NEVER acceptable to daisy chain. This creates a fire hazard since power strips are not meant for big loads but rather multiple small loads. Oct 30, 2025 · In thunderstorms where power surges and spikes are frequent, it is definitely a bad idea to daisy chain your power strips. you will never overheat things catastrophically with that kind of load when the strips are rated for 1875 watts but if you suddenly add a space heater into the mix its a totally different Daisy chaining power strips allows you to connect more devices than the one device the port was created for. This is mainly a problem for businesses as a fire caused by a failure in a daisy-chained setup may result in both an OSHA fine and a denial of insurance coverage for damages from the fire. High-quality power supplies have isolated outputs, sometimes even hermetically separated from the other terminals to reduce noise and potential pedal damage from poor . Many of the outlets in my home have power strips plugged into them though and I was wondering what guidance is with products like these (knowing that daisy-chaining power strips is a bad idea). I just want to connect two power strips to get more sockets, how would I do it in the safest way? Should the higher powered items be together in the first strip, or the second? I have two surge protectors rated for 3500 watt, and several cheap power strips. Most people, however, will NOT know how to calculate ampacity, voltage usage, etc. Aug 21, 2005 · The short answer is that daisy chaining those PL-8's should be fine. In general it just means to link devices to one another and have power or data flow through them. Best way is 15a to ups to non-surge protected strip to devices Yea most of them on amazon have 3-4 outlets and are light duty. <P>As for the surge protectors fighting each other if you daisy chain? I doubt that would present a serious issue. For example, if you plug a power strip into the wall and then a power strip into that, the first needs to be able to handle the amperage needs of everything plugged into both. Dedicated outlets: Install additional outlets in your home to eliminate the need for extension cords altogether. Hello, I currently have no outlets near that I can use so I was wondering can I safely daisy chain two power strips if there… I mainly want to make sure it doesn't melt and cause a fine. The problem with daisy chaining power strips is that the internal wiring for each individual outlet is rated far lower than the power strip overall. However, interconnecting these devices is a violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and the National Electrical Code because doing so can cause them to become overloaded, leading to their failure and a possible fire. The main power strip will have a bunch of stuff plugged in tho (pc, standing desk, and a few Daisy Chaining Hey guys, I'm trying to cable manage my standing desk workspace setup, and I need help calculating the power going in and out of each my power distributors (one surge protected power strip, one surge protected desk clamp, and a powered grommet). The latest edition of InfoPower from Interpower we discuss the unsafe daisy chaining of power strips. I continued an additional 30 rows the same way. I also read about how resistance increases with every link in the daisy chain. Self included. Daisy chaining usually occurs when there are not enough established outlets to meet electrical needs. Conclusion That being said the only actual daisy chained strip is the one the side of the couch as the unit under the couch doesn’t have a breaker. The surge suppressor should be the one plugged into the wall. The receptacles in cheap power strips are not nearly as robust as the ones in the wall, essentially being a thin piece of folded metal, and will lose tension over time. While a single strip is unlikely to become a fire hazard it is still possible e. I guess this is daisy-chaining (bad) but its just a phone charger and mug warmer Daisy-chaining power strips means plugging one strip into another to increase the number of available outlets. Recently, as it is my high school's homecoming week, I was talking to one of my friends who controlled the sound system at the bonfire, in the parking lot hundreds of feet from the school. The problem is people We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. It’s easier to say never daisy chain power strips than it is to trust that people get the details right in strips with integrated breakers. Now most power strips and multi outlet assemblies have built in reset fuses to keep this from happening. The phone has a ethernet connection going to it, and then the phone has an ethernet connection going to your computer. The ups will send out a sine wave which could trip/fry the surge protected power strip. Another common solution that is often used is to create a “mixed daisy chain,” by interconnecting several extension cords and surge protectors or power strips in series. Daisy chaining power strips isn’t inherently dangerous. They aren't always bad, but daisy chaining power strips is bad. Daisy-chaining is a hazard, one that electrical professionals and the authorities frown upon. Vizio PX75 Quantum 2700 nits brightness You overshot this measurement by quite a bit but yes, this reinforces your idea of daisy chaining power strips is an even worse idea. No overloading wiring is dangerous. I have moved and have a power strip I want under my desk for my computer, but the house is old and there isn't an outlet nearby. " Plugging a powerstrip into a powerstrip or current tap is a breach of the UL guidelines and makes the installation non-compliant. Think of a power strip as a water pipe line which can supply 100 liter's of water maximum continuously. Fe. Then take another power strip and plug it in to the first power strip and add up to four more devices to it. Don't daisy chain power strips. How bad of an idea is it to string a bunch of stuff on a power strip and plug the strip into a single outlet on the UPS? Any recommendations such as spreading out redundant PSU's across multiple strips? First build so any advice is helpful! P. flames outside the strip), but only a couple burnt outlets. So, you could very well be pulling 20A on a 20A circuit, so it won't trip, but the power strip/extensions are only 14 or 16AWG and rated for much less, and the user is unknowingly creating a fire hazard. Power Strip and Daisey Chaining I could use some advice! I have a standing desk with a surge protector mounted underneath. So connecting multiple small loads into a port is like connecting a big load (like toaster, fridge, etc) into the port which creates a lot of heat, and depending on the quality of 15 votes, 18 comments. Sep 24, 2025 · By using a single, well-designed power strip like this, you avoid the dangers of daisy chaining while still meeting all your charging and power needs. I'd frequently disconnect and reconnect the surge protector and would use them until their diodes indicated failure of the MOV. However, it is also quite common. Extension cords can be bad because of undersized wiring, twisted and frayed wiring, voltage drops, and regular QC checks failed since people buy the cheapest and not quality. Then several power strips were daisy chained together for the benches. You would expect an ordinary power strip to solve this problem. With 6ft 14 AWG/3C extension cord. With this, the US has a sizeable "daisy chaining bad" mindset Not quite. Hear me out, plug each end of the power strip into the other one, then a suicide cord form the wall to a power strip. How hard am I going to die? Hi there, Homelab placement stupidity means that, to be able to put things where I want to, I need to use two power strips. I'm wondering how big a sin it would be to daisy-chain another power strip off this one, as long as I don't exceed 15 amps in total (my power strips, extension cord and GFCI outlet are all rated at 15 amps). It's specs: 4,320 Joule, 15 amps, 120 volts, 1800 watts, 15 amp overload resettable circuit breaker I have also a pop-out wireless charger grommet with 4 grounded 3 prong AC outlet,15 Amps. You should also avoid plugging high-powered appliances like refrigerators or air conditioners into power strips. Any recommendations for rack-mount power strips? a “mixed daisy chain,” interconnecting extension cords and power strips. it I have a power strip that I need to extend the cable of. Power strips are widely used in households and offices. I was speaking from a North American perspective. Working in high tech engineering for decades, I've seen maybe 100 burned out power strips with char marks (i. They're not bad if used within their specs but 99% won't. To start, as long as your circuit breakers aren't malfunctioning, daisy-chaining power strips won't magically allow you to run several hair dryers or microwaves. The units later in the chain are simply getting the benefits of the RFI filtering and surge suppression that is occuring in the preceding units. Oct 9, 2017 · This is a term that refers to power strips and/or extension cords being plugged into other power strips and/or extension cords. My only options appear to be to following - what would you choose? Unplug 1 office equipment (I'm thinking the "snap-scan") from the power strip; plug in outlet extender or secondary power strip to bring total number of spaces to twelve. TL;DR: is the danger in daisy chaining power strips due to having too many things plugged in? Or is it inherently in having a power strip into a power strip? For my sons room we use the remote control powered outlets (the ones that have a receptor that turns whatever is plugged in off and on with a remote). A completely different topic called "protection". Jul 21, 2019 · So, is it safe to plug a power bar in to another power bar that is connected to a power source? I don't really want to try it, as if it is unsafe, then I don't want to burn my house down or something. OSHA's take on it They are intended to be directly connected to a permanently installed branch-circuit receptacle outlet only, and not intended to be series connected (daisy chained) to other relocatable power taps or to extension cords. When you connect power strips in a daisy-chain series, the effectiveness of this critical surge protection is severely degraded or completely nullified. Zero. Extension cords or surge protected power strips are often interconnected, or “daisy chained,” to readily provide more outlets and/or to reach greater distances. running multiple fridges and large appliances. The extension cord has a 1500W max limit. The problem is that Daisy-chaining is the act of connecting multiple power strips, surge protectors, or extension cords together in a series. When you daisy chain power strips, you eliminate this safeguard. What came with my PSU was 3 VGA power cords, but one has one of those cords that split of into a 6 pin segment and 2 pin segment, but that 6 pin part is tied off to the side not connecting to anything. Only about $15 Because I don’t trust power strips, I daisy chain the Outlet > Uninterruptible battery backup Power Supply ($50 & up) > a single surge protector / power-strip into a non battery outlet. The likelihood of overloading your circuit skyrockets when you have so many available receptacles. Load too much on a power strip, and you can cause the plug to overheat and cause fires, you can flip breakers, etc. Lots of things can happen that might cause the breakers on your power strips closer to the receptacle to trip. Most people simply think “oh look, an open outlet”. ) The person who built my PC said they are not daisy chaining my GPU power, but I'd like to at least educate myself in regards to what it is. Jan 31, 2025 · 'Daisy-Chaining' Power Strips or Extension Cords It might be tempting to plug a power strip into another power strip (or an extension cord) to create a longer reach or power more devices. the “don’t daisy chain power strips” thing was mostly an american problem, because over here basic safety features like fuses are generally considered to be a socialist plot to make our kids gay or something. Sure the strips, if something happens, will short itself and melt. As long as the combined load is less than 100 liter's it's fine, but if it's more, the pipe is going to burst (that's the difference in electricity vs water references btw, in You shouldn't daisy-chain surge suppressors, but you can plug a power strip that's unprotected (except for a circuit breaker) into a surge suppressor. In general, it's very bad to daisy chain multi-socket extensions mainly because people would plug high wattage devices to farthest socket of the extension, risking blowing everything up and catching fire. Daisy chaining power strips isn’t inherently unsafe; that advice is just given as the simplest thing you can do that is always safe. The above are four conditions that need to be met when daisy-chaining power strips, extension cords, and surge protectors at home. If you strung 5 together and only plugged in one small string of LED lights, it’d be fine. Explore the safety of daisy-chaining power strips, discussing extension cords, surge protectors, and electrical safety. Head to the hardware store and buy an appropriately sized extension cable. Many homes have gone up in flames because people were overloading the feeder device. Here’s my question if I have a six outlet power strip and plug in 2 devices. (See the Office of Compliance “Extension Cords” Fast Facts Daisy Chaining power strips is bad for two reasons, First, it is really easy to overload the strip plugged into the wall when you start adding multiple devices on all those outlets. In short, never ever daisy chain. There are engineers and electrical experts online that will tell you that you can safely plug power strips together (“daisy chain”) or use power strips with extension cords. Now, you said built-ins Does that mean that you would have a hole in each shelf for the power strip cords to get aggregated to run to the main strip, and all of the power strips apparatus remains accessible in the back of the built-in (if you reach around behind the equipment on the shelves)? Is plugging a surge protector to an extension cord safe? I’ll be plugging a cpu, monitor, and dyson fan on to the surge protector which would be connected to an extension cord. Sounds kinda bad. Feb 3, 2025 · What is a daisy chain? Learn daisy chaining meaning, how to safely use power strips, surge protectors, and monitors without causing overloads. Since you are using chargers, you can go nuts, you can charge a couple of laptops, mobiles, tablets and use the blanket at the same time . You can daisy chain as long as you are within the power limit. While convenient, it can lead to overloads, heat buildup, or even electrical fires if you exceed the rated capacity. Daisy chaining power strips (with or without protector parts) creates a human safety issue. What I sort of dislike is the idea of discussing this in a technical context and say "Daisy chaining power strips is dangerous". Plugging one power strip into another—called " daisy-chaining 1 "—is a major fire hazard 2 and often violates electrical safety codes 3. The initial device plugs directly into a wall receptacle, and a second strip is plugged into one of the outlets on the first strip. It overloads circuits, increases heat, and puts your home or office at risk. Jan 21, 2001 · I can not say the same if you daisy chain power strips or use an extension cord. I plan to daisy chain 2 long power strips to opposite sides of my computer desk = in this case total of 3 power strips and one cordless surge protector, total cable length from the single mains receptacle 4-6m. Those observations support conclusion by engineers - that daisy chained power strips (with or without protector parts) are a threat to human life. Daisy chaining was a huge problem with Christmas lights and did start fires back in the day. Feb 10, 2017 · If the light is out it’s no longer a Surge Protector, it’s a power strip. Powering the fans is a bit harder because your motherboard can only provide so much power at one time, so you can't just run 6 fans off a single header alone. Daisy chaining power strips makes it easy to have too many devices drawing power through too small of a cord, causing overheating and fire hazards. May 22, 2025 · Power strips: Power strips offer multiple outlets in one unit, allowing you to connect multiple devices without daisy chaining. Jun 25, 2023 · To avoid the dangers of daisy chaining, it’s important to use power strips properly. That’s why it’s considered un-safe. Avoid daisy-chaining whenever Jun 2, 2024 · Avoid Daisy Chaining: As mentioned, connecting multiple power strips together, known as daisy chaining, is a dangerous practice and should be avoided. The reason it's a bad idea is because the average person doesn't think much about how much current their devices are drawing. Same can be said for those cheap power strips with so many outlets that it's easy to overload as well. About 20 dogs were killed in a nearby kennel some years ago because power strips were daisy chained. The problem is that people can use the outlets as a free pass to plug in more things than are reasonable for the circuit. Aug 7, 2024 · Never “daisy chain” power strips by plugging one strip or surge protector into another one. That said, millions of people safely daisy chain power strips and surge protectors all the time. It significantly increases the risk of overloading the circuit and causing a fire. Cheap power strips can be a larger hazard as always. 4 days ago · Potential Daisy-Chain Risk #4: Compromised Surge Protection Many modern power strips include surge protection to shield valuable electronics from voltage spikes. Relocatable power taps are not intended to be series connected (daisy chained) to other relocatable power taps or to extension cords. I know daisy chaining is not recommended and can be a fire hazard. S. The fans on the P500A can be daisy chained for controlling the RGB. According to Luby, though, this practice is a bad idea. A daisy chain does increase the total amount of connections, each of which can introduce more resistance and as a result, heat. A power surge would travel down the line and potentially pop em all. But before you start linking power strips, it's important Power strips are designed to have a limited number of outlets. So when does a daisy chain make sense? Tbh, your average fuzz pedal or analog distortion pedal can be daisy chained with no problems, as long as their power needs are identical. Can power strips be safely plugged into an outlet with an in-wall relay? “Don’t daisy chain power strips” is a common safety rule of thumb because most normal people don’t think about overloading things. Given internet and Reddit posts advising against daisy chaining power strips, how do you manage your battlestation's power requirements? (I'm assuming home studios, most likely without dedicated circuits. g. Apr 29, 2025 · However, daisy-chaining a surge protector can make it less effective or even useless during a power surge because the extra load can prevent it from working properly, leaving your devices unprotected. Where running daisy chaining power strips is concerned, each link need to be able to handle the full load of everything down stream from it. The first step is to make sure that each power strip you use has a high enough amperage rating to handle the devices you want to plug in. I just wanted to check if this is true. Mar 26, 2025 · DON’T “daisy chain” power strips and extension cords—just don’t. Each power strip has a 15 amp breaker in it and maybe a maximum load of 1 or 2 amps or a 600 watt solder iron and a small Extension cords or surge protected power strips are often interconnected, or “daisy chained,” to readily provide more outlets and/or to reach greater distances. The proper use of a power strip usually does not cause a hazard. Once you feel the need to start daisy chaining you are almost certainly starting to pull too much power from one outlet. If the outlet is on a 15 amp circuit, the breaker will trip when it gets there, regardless of the number of power strips. If possible, unplug all your electrical appliances from all power strips and surge protectors or get a whole house surge protector. This is simple electrical and fire safety children. Oct 29, 2024 · The interconnected setup increases electrical resistance, generating excess heat. Daisy-chaining power strips is just janky. Jul 31, 2025 · Just when you think your workspace is efficient, daisy-chaining power strips could turn it into a fire hazard—discover the hidden dangers now. Another common solution that is ofter used is to create a “mixed daisy chain,” by interconnecting several extension cords and surge protectors or power strips in series. If you’re trying to safely power multiple devices, here’s what you really need to know before connecting strip to Daisychaining OK so I know daisychaining is bad, power strip onto another power strip to increase the number of sockets, but is daisy chaining extension leads ok to just increase the length. Woodworking is your worldwide home for discussion of all things woodworking, carpentry, fine furniture, power tools, hand tools, and just about anything else about making - anything - from trees! Should be fine at face value. I think 3 fans is usually doable and the 3 fans that come with the P500A are 3-pin so if Sep 28, 2025 · Power strips are a common and convenient way to provide additional sockets, but experts warn that there are certain household items you should never plug into one. And when something goes wrong the upstream power strip will pull enough power to catch on fire before the breaker trips. Chaining power strips gives some people the false idea that they can plug lots of devices into the same circuit, possibly overloading that Power strips really haven’t changed much in decades. “It increases the risk of overload and fire,” he says. Power filtration tends to be bottom-quality, so a bit of noise is expected. Jan 4, 2023 · The original electrician installed a 120 volt / 20 power drop to each row of work benches, about 15 rows. So in an attempt to keep people from overloading those types of cords they say don't daisy chain cords because it allow you to plug in more devices. So if instead of daisy chaining, I connect 1 outlet to the wall, and connect a bunch of power strips off that one power strips in parallel instead of series, then is that safer? If what you're actually talking about is Daisy chaining power boards you are correct that it's bad as you can then have any number of appliances drawing current down the line. Do that long enough and it’ll heat up and could start a fire. Hi there, I know in general the rule of thumb is daisy chaining multiple extension cords is bad, but after reading a few posts it appears that as long as you're limiting what appliances are connected, you should actually be okay. Feb 28, 2021 · NEVER, EVER, daisy chain power strips or use extension cords with power strips. r/armored-dorito spells it out pretty good because it’s all about capacity and it seems like you’re overloading it. This is why most power boards have inbuilt fuses to deal with this danger. Probably looks worse. Daisy-chaining two 3680w power strips to power 600w of equipment. Worst case scenario would involve the breaker on a power strip failing to trip and letting it overheat and melt, possibly resulting in a fire. It depends on what you are daisy chaining, if you have 50 cellphone chargers where they are only using 5 watts each then that's 250 watts which is no big deal daisy chaining dozens of power strips together. But in most cases, it’s overly conservative and things can be daisy chained just fine. Daisy-chains can fail at any point on the line, leaving your pedals un-powered. That is human protection; not appliance protection. Edited to add: In some countries like the UK that build fuses into every plug, daisy chaining power strips might not be a fire hazard. Electrician here, and I'm seeing a lot of bad answers. I am wondering how I can find out what is being powered by the cable plugged into the new daisy-chained power strip? The problem isn’t the daisy chain. In addition, never plug high current draw devices, such as laser printers into a power strip. In the USA daisy chaining power strips and surge protectors violates OSHA regulations and invalidates the UL listing of the devices. So for example at my work we have desk phones with daisy chain ethernet connections. Much of the time they are used because there are not enough outlets to meet the electrical demand. Daisy chaining power strips is why the tenant was killed in Trump Tower last April. ofqtdu gflxc ujews tgwyu erevagr xplyrjh tbpgl oxnld bamggwk iihwe uptl lcsiuh nnhef lza fvwkflnj