Running two appliances from one plug

[Mrboony]

Perfect thank you this is exactly what I was thinking of so the two lights filter down to one plug.

do I still amp the plug with a 5a fuse or will it need to be higher?

 

[plugwash]

A 3A fuse will be plenty.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Blimey, with what you’ve got going on out there, wouldn’t it be better to get a proper power supply to the workshop?

 

[Mrboony]

As I said above, I would love a proper supply however it’s a rented house and landlord said no.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

it is not difficult to get two cables into a plug if you are reasonably dextrous, but these make the job easier. ideal for behind tv etc. different styles but same idea

 

[plugwash]

I liked those "multiway plugs" that took four flexes too, unfortunately I don't know if anywhere currently selling them.

 

[JohnW2]

I liked those "multiway plugs" that took four flexes too, unfortunately I don't know if anywhere currently selling them.

Same here. A few months back, I searched very hard (including eBay!) but could not find any anywhere. I have at least a couple of Micromark-branded ones in service.

I suspect that one problem is that there is probably no need (other than,sometimes, an aesthetic one) for such things (hence minimal market) - since, functionally speaking, there is nothing they can do which a very short 4-way 'extension lead' cannot do (some p[people would say 'more conveniently').

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

Not to mention the inconvenience given how many items have a fixed mains lead rather than a plug in connection.

 

[JohnW2]

Not to mention the inconvenience given how many items have a fixed mains lead rather than a plug in connection.

I'm a bit confused by that statement. It is surely the items which do not have a 'plug in connection' (which usually means that they have a cable with a moulded plug) that would represent an 'inconvenience' in terms of fitting one of those 'multi-plugs' (if one could be found), isn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Sureitsoff?]

I think the multi plugs are an inconvienience if all you kit is hard wired and one goes wrong you have to unwire it and they are an inconvienience if all your kit came with moulded on plugs that you would have to cut off. BUT and from a personal point of view I think they are great and much neater than a great big 4 way extension tucked behind the telly gathering dust ( PS I have managed to get six cables in to one the smaller ones in the pic and it sits behind my telly with all the sat boxes, dvd, telly etc wired from it)(mind you my one also has mains xlr connectors fitted as well!!!)dont tell BAS

 

[JohnW2]

I think the multi plugs are an inconvienience if all you kit is hard wired and one goes wrong you have to unwire it and they are an inconvienience if all your kit came with moulded on plugs that you would have to cut off. ...

Yes, all agreed.

.... BUT and from a personal point of view I think they are great and much neater than a great big 4 way extension tucked behind the telly gathering dust ( PS I have managed to get six cables in to one the smaller ones in the pic and it sits behind my telly with all the sat boxes, dvd, telly etc wired from it)

Indeed - as I said, the one 'upside' is that of aesthetics (if one can't easily hide a 4-way extension) - and that's the reason I have some in service. Did you manage to find an ongoing source of them, or aree your (like mine) 'old stock'?

(mind you my one also has mains xlr connectors fitted as well!!!)dont tell BAS

I won't tell him if you don't

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

I'm a bit confused by that statement.

OK, perhaps I was a little unclear.
If all your gear has removable mains leads, then it's easy to wire in multiple leads to one of those plugs - and removing/changing a bit of kit is a matter of unplugging the mains lead from it.
I've noticed that while there seemed to be a move to plug in mains leads, for the last few years it seems there's been a moved to fixed mains leads (ie the mains lead is permanently attached to the device) - or perhaps that's just my perception. Mind you, it would help a lot if they could agree what connector to use - it does seem rather random as to whether they use a figure 8, cloverleaf, or IEC (C14 ?) connector.

There were also adapters with (IIRC) 4 small sockets (just a little larger than those multi-cable plugs above) - so you fitted the non-standard plugs on your leads, and you got plug in convenience without the bulk of 13A plugs.

 

[rsgaz]

currently selling them.

not find any anywhere

Found just one...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303127349835

It's not me selling BTW, in case 2+2=5!

 

[JohnW2]

Found just one... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303127349835

Well done! - that's one more than I found when I was looking - albeit that was a few months ago.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

OK, perhaps I was a little unclear. If all your gear has removable mains leads, then it's easy to wire in multiple leads to one of those plugs - and removing/changing a bit of kit is a matter of unplugging the mains lead from it. ... I've noticed that while there seemed to be a move to plug in mains leads, for the last few years it seems there's been a moved to fixed mains leads (ie the mains lead is permanently attached to the device) - or perhaps that's just my perception.

I'm still a bit confused. I presume that your reference to "removable" and "fixed" mains leads relates to what goes on at the equipment end of the lead, so I don't really understand how that, per se, affects how easy it is to connect the other end of the cable to a 'multi-plug'. What am I missing?

There were also adapters with (IIRC) 4 small sockets (just a little larger than those multi-cable plugs above) - so you fitted the non-standard plugs on your leads, and you got plug in convenience without the bulk of 13A plugs.

Yep, I also have at least a couple of (ancient) ones of those in service. I seem to recall that they were called 'hi-fi power adapters", or something like that, since their main use was in relation to multi-box 'hi-fi' setups!

Kind Regards, John