Comments on Homemade switched outlet strip

By: seansy59

2011-12-19T22:09:35Z

#1- You should have used 14ga or 12ga stranded copper cord. You can pick this up at any hardware store for about $0.50 a foot. Its used for power tools and extension cords. NM-B is not for any use except permenatly installed on walls.

By: Ivan

2011-12-11T19:47:03Z

Nice Job on the power strip build! However, it might be beneficial if you ground the metal boxes. To do so you can simply remove the plastic ring that holds the two attachment screws on the receptacle or you can tie the bare wire into the metal box using a grounding screw.

Also where did you acquire your supplies? All the supply houses in my area don’t carry Pass & Seymour devices.

By: Nick

2010-09-21T12:24:42Z

I was looking at building this for my line dancing group, but now that I see the comments, I don’t think I will. It doesn’t seem to make sense to me if it has to be plugged into a real surge suppressor.

If I used a panduit power box, and the kind of plug that has the reset button/breaker in it, would I have to wire it up any differently?

By: Chris

2010-09-20T16:06:57Z

You’re right about the clamps, of course – I picked up the wrong ones at the store and ended up re-doing the entire strip after taking all these pictures. (And it is plugged into a real surge suppressor). Finally, this is *never* moved, so I didn’t mind using romex which shouldn’t ever be moved unless it’s covered (I think).

By: Homemade power strip - machine quotidienne

2010-09-20T05:56:42Z

[…] Chris Kaufmann’s interesting take on the power strip involves outlet and switch boxes spaced along a cord. Great step-by-steps on the project site. […]

By: Henry

2010-09-19T19:31:11Z

Everything about this build is a bad idea

By: Marshall

2010-09-19T03:49:33Z

Great idea.
An observation for safety – you used clamps designed for conduit. The screw can penetrate the romex/insulation and cause a short. This will happen sooner if your setup is moved frequently. Please replace the clamps with those designed for romex.
Take care,
Marshall

By: Walt

2010-09-19T03:40:45Z

This is a fire hazard unless you include a circuit breaker in it, or plug in into a real outlet strip.

By: Jeff

2010-09-19T01:32:10Z

I’m an electrician, and the first thing that jumps out at me in the photos is that you’ve used the wrong “protective clamps” for securing/protecting the romex as it enters the device boxes. This creates an unsafe situation whereby the connector’s screw can wear on the cable’s insulation, eventually creating conditions for a fault.

The connectors you’ve used are designed to be used with 3/8″ metal-clad (MC) cable. There are several different types of box connectors for NM cable. You’ll want to edit your post with the correct parts, or with a disclaimer at the beginning, noting that you’ve used parts that could be dangerous.