Mains sockets with USB ports

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thinking on, the TLC one I have has a 10 year warranty. As well it might at near 30 quid (polished chrome)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You surely don't have so few sockets in your kitchen you have to unplug things? On a DIY group?

[T i m]

In our Victorian house, 'galley kitchen' ... on the main (full length) work top, we have three doubles. The one on the left has the microwave and toaster, the one in the middle has the kettle and can opener, the one on the right the hands free phone and TV. Underneath the worktop is another double for the fridge and freezer.

So, (typically) daughter unplugs one of the middle two to plug in her phone charger etc. ;-(

On the other side (the sink side) there is another double under the worktop for the dishwasher and cooker igniter.

Just outside the kitchen, in the utility area are another two doubles, one has the Dyson charging base and tumble-dryer and the other the washing machine and a spare, for de-humidifier or whatever.

So, there is no issue other than having a charging point in addition to the mains sockets that would be resolved, when I get round to swapping out the main or side sockets for one with a charger built in (the MK socket that has been sitting there for a couple of years now). ;-(

I have no issues changing it, given I wired the house in the first place (it only had gas lights). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Cursitor Doom]

[Johnny B Good]

Even better, assuming they're still available, would be a pair of Signalex 1.2A USB wallwarts at £1 each. A whole 12VA's worth instead of a poxy 10.5 VA's worth for your 2 quid spend. :-)

Incidentally, the white Chinese made 1A USB wallwart I mentioned in my other follow up to this thread are, contrary to my original supposition that I'd purchased it from Pound World, was also another Poundland purchase as I discovered once I'd finally tracked down Big Clive's "2017 Poundland USB charger analysis" youtube video.

[Rob Morley]

The Chinese one I bought just to see what you get for £1 started to melt. I hadn't expected any better.

[GB]

Just read some of the non-stellar reviews for those!

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

Thanks, apologies for the recommendation, but as I said I have found everything I fitted that MK produced of top quality.

Mind you like the USB sockets if it's megabucks more to go MK, then the MK gets left on the shelf.

The Wickes one's do the job for me, but I would guess that they are the same basic model as most other retailers bargain basement device.

AB

[Harry Bloomfield]

Rob Morley formulated the question :

I bought a couple of 4 outlet wall wart types, a couple of years ago for charging various things. They have two high current, two standard current outlets. Build quality seemed reasonable, but I could see no sign of a fuse - I assumed they had some hidden protection, but took the precaution of adding a BS 1amp fuse to the live just in case.

So far, both work fine, though probably not at their full rated output on all sockets at the same time.

[dennis]

Bigclive has certainly shown some SMPS to be referenced to ground and others with poor separation of mains and USB.

They should have isolated feedback and transformers in then but they aren't all as good as they should be.

[dennis]

Bigclive has been taking those things apart.. he reckons that poundland ones are usually good but poundworld ones are shitty. YMMV.

[Brian Gaff]

As a matter of interest, can you operate any analogue mains gear successfully after fitting such abominations? Switch mode and of course not much room for psu equals radiation of crap. Brian

[GB]

Same here. Only after that did I read the reviews. It sounds like they are buying them in.

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

Yes! I do recollect now that you mention it, some SMPS had a high value resistor between the 0V and ground.

At a guess I would assume that it was to stop a flashover from items powered from the supply that might produce a charge. A CRT could produce a few sparks from all manner of places if the aquadag wasnt making contact with the return.

I would be very surprised if they were not fully isolated, they may not be of course, but a fully wound transformer running at kHZ has so little copper, it would hardly be worth using an autotransformer.

Mind you, I cannot find a diagram for any of the sockets, but switch mode is the only practical solution. A 50Hz tranny would be ginagerous and no other supply would provide isolation.

AB

>

[Bob Eager]

Despite my best efforts at the time (and some last minute changes) we ended up with not quite enough.

At one end, one double socket for microwave oven, slow cooker and chip pan. That works OK.

Other end, two doubles. Toaster, coffee machine, food mixer, radio/CD player, IP phone. Generally OK, but can be a problem at times.

[Bob Eager]

Although it is rumoured that 'MK from B&Q' is not quite the same.

[Roger Hayter]

It's remarkable how small a current people (and cows) can feel. And there is no way to make it zero. Otherwise we wouldn't have wireless.

[Tim Watts]

?

Wireless is the transmission of photons, not charged particles.

[T i m]

I remember being a guide to how many sockets and where they should be in each room at the time I wired this place but I'm guessing those numbers have all gone up nowdays?

I'm guessing the microwave stays in all the time and the other two share on demand?

;-)

The biggest inconvenience to us can be flicking the kettle on and not noticing it's been unplugged by daughter for her phone, JBL speakers or portable battery.

But I guess that's fair, I don't put the loo seat down after I've used it, even though it's MFF here. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp]

Many moons ago, when I was in the TV trade, customers used to get around the problem using a localised networking system.

The source node was the family 13A plug, then from this they would have the TV, Video, Table lamp and dates permitting, Xmas tree lights.

Sensitive souls they were, they would be on the phone within seconds of pulling away from their door, moaning about the admonishment theyd been given and the fact that only the TV was re connected to the family plug.

AB