Show us your strip.... power strip perv!
- Thread starter emillika
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sberry
Banned
I use any I can find, do not usually plug hi power tools into them but for general minor stuff where its just so much easier and cheaper than hard wire as well as easy to modify. Most of these loads are low, drills have moved to a new home since and after I wire the welder booth I wanted a couple more switched outlets, just so easy and cheap to add a strip.
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I have recently picked up a bunch of Gladiator Garageworks cabinets and was curious about their power strip offering for the work bench. Seems a little steep for ~120.
I am also scouring craigslist for industrial power strips such as used in IT data centers.
Thanks for your input.
I am also scouring craigslist for industrial power strips such as used in IT data centers.
Thanks for your input.
sberry
Banned
While pricey is nice its over kill, would likely be plugging in hi power tools or sustained loads, for that I wire outlets.
Falcon67
Well-known member
I started doing this in the old shop. The one here is rigged with a temp plug (yellow cord) since it'll be moved and re-done when the new shop is in operation. In the old shop, I used a bottomless Handy box over an existing outlet as the tie-in for the assembly. This way, with some fittings and a bit of conduit, I can whip up something that fits and if I change things around, it's easy to take apart and rework to a new layout. The new shop will have several runs like this, starting with a backless 4" box over a flush mounted 4" box. the backless box will mount a GFCI and adjacent plug, then have conduit runs extending in both directions as needed with outlets fed off the load side of the GFCI.
>I am also scouring craigslist for industrial power strips such as used in IT data centers.
Our data center uses some power strips - most "industrial" looking ones just have a better color strip wrap than a Harbor Freight item. All Made In China, so don't spend too much. The 19" relay rack vertical specific power strips are nice and extremely pricey. the horizontal ones are nice, but no wider than something you could get at Office Depot - expcept they cost 4x as much. In a Data Center, you just need decent plugs - the money is in the power conditioning equipment that sits well before the system power connections. Very few plugs ever get removed after insertion unless the equipment is coming out of service, so there is little strain or abuse on the sockets. In fact - 90% of our data center plug runs look just like my picture - metal boxes and conduit screwed to a 3/4" plywood wall covering. They just terminate off a 20kVa UPS with three output legs.
>I am also scouring craigslist for industrial power strips such as used in IT data centers.
Our data center uses some power strips - most "industrial" looking ones just have a better color strip wrap than a Harbor Freight item. All Made In China, so don't spend too much. The 19" relay rack vertical specific power strips are nice and extremely pricey. the horizontal ones are nice, but no wider than something you could get at Office Depot - expcept they cost 4x as much. In a Data Center, you just need decent plugs - the money is in the power conditioning equipment that sits well before the system power connections. Very few plugs ever get removed after insertion unless the equipment is coming out of service, so there is little strain or abuse on the sockets. In fact - 90% of our data center plug runs look just like my picture - metal boxes and conduit screwed to a 3/4" plywood wall covering. They just terminate off a 20kVa UPS with three output legs.
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cderalow
Well-known member
I started doing this in the old shop. The one here is rigged with a temp plug (yellow cord) since it'll be moved and re-done when the new shop is in operation. In the old shop, I used a bottomless Handy box over an existing outlet as the tie-in for the assembly. This way, with some fittings and a bit of conduit, I can whip up something that fits and if I change things around, it's easy to take apart and rework to a new layout. The new shop will have several runs like this, starting with a backless 4" box over a flush mounted 4" box. the backless box will mount a GFCI and adjacent plug, then have conduit runs extending in both directions as needed with outlets fed off the load side of the GFCI.
>I am also scouring craigslist for industrial power strips such as used in IT data centers.
Our data center uses some power strips - most "industrial" looking ones just have a better color strip wrap than a Harbor Freight item. All Made In China, so don't spend too much. The 19" relay rack vertical specific power strips are nice and extremely pricey. the horizontal ones are nice, but no wider than something you could get at Office Depot - expcept they cost 4x as much. In a Data Center, you just need decent plugs - the money is in the power conditioning equipment that sits well before the system power connections. Very few plugs ever get removed after insertion unless the equipment is coming out of service, so there is little strain or abuse on the sockets. In fact - 90% of our data center plug runs look just like my picture - metal boxes and conduit screwed to a 3/4" plywood wall covering. They just terminate off a 20kVa UPS with three output legs.
Correct, most data centers run EMT with surface mount boxes on plywood containing the outlets.
Typically the connection from that point to the rack is handled by a rack mounted PDU, or equipment is plugged directly into the outlets and everything is served by some sort of UPS.
2manytoyz
Well-known member
At work, we use Waber Tripp-Lite power strips.
http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/product-series.cfm?txtSeriesID=967
Many configurations available (lengths & # of outlets). High quality product. We have a number of these, and most get a fair amount of use. Not worn out any contacts, or had any issues. Not cheap, but probably a good example of you get whatcha pay for.
At home, I just put in 3 quad boxes with outlets this week. The South garage wall had no outlets initially. Now I have plenty. All in the wall, wires hidden. I used 12ga wire for this 15A circuit. Most of what will be plugged in is all low current (battery chargers, radio, etc).
http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/product-series.cfm?txtSeriesID=967
Many configurations available (lengths & # of outlets). High quality product. We have a number of these, and most get a fair amount of use. Not worn out any contacts, or had any issues. Not cheap, but probably a good example of you get whatcha pay for.
At home, I just put in 3 quad boxes with outlets this week. The South garage wall had no outlets initially. Now I have plenty. All in the wall, wires hidden. I used 12ga wire for this 15A circuit. Most of what will be plugged in is all low current (battery chargers, radio, etc).
Stuey
Well-known member
I've got a Belkin workshop light, 4' with 10 outlets, bit can't seem to find them for sale anymore these days.
Been wondering how good the Tripp Lites are.
Been wondering how good the Tripp Lites are.
cajunfirehawk
Well-known member
Always been a fan of Tripp Lite ever since it save my plasma a few years back, they even replaced my power strip too.
Teken
Well-known member
Always been a fan of Tripp Lite ever since it save my plasma a few years back, they even replaced my power strip too.
Tripp Lite Isotol units besides the massive APC UPS we use are the only surge protection we count on.
Solid devices with fantastic customer support when you need it!
Home Despot has (or had) some nice power strips, 4 and 6' long with an outlet per foot. Cute thing was they were made of diamond plate. Made 'em look real garage-ish, and certainly sturdier than plastic. I've mounted mine under my workbench that I use mostly for woodworking, about 4" back from the edge. Keeps the cords out of the way compared to outlets on the wall. Just my preference.
2manytoyz
Well-known member
Gotta nook area in my garage too. Work on electronics there. Smaller power strip across the top.
O_M_Jeep
Banned
I use two of the HF power strips, one on each bench, for years they have worked very well, drill press, compressor, bench grinders, any power tool I use (they are the only outlets in the garage) all get plugged in to them including my little welders. Only once in several years has one tripped the built in breaker, and it was only on one of them, 3 of us were working in there all using a lot of power. For the pittance I paid for them and the fact they fit perfectly on a peg-board, they are quite perfect for my little garage.
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-outlet-super-power-strip-96737.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-outlet-super-power-strip-96737.html
I would get that one mounted up horizontally myself, but I have lots of dust/liquids in my shop area.
There were tons of those in my datacenter when I took over. I tore them all out as soon as I could. They all had 15-20 5-15R's on them, but were only rated for 15A max. This was just asking for trouble as one could only handle ~5 small servers, so the extra receptacles made it look like the strip wasn't already loaded up.
nehog
Well-known member
http://www.esssurplus.com/ I was there on Monday and they had a bunch of 20 amp 5 ft (IIRC) ones at $30 each. Very heavy duty, the same ones I use in my shop. Ask like this: "In that big box of strips in the back of the store I want some of the 20 amp ones..." If they have questions or don't understand, PM me and when I go there next week on Wed I can point them out. They do 'deal' so offer $100 for four, see if they'll throw in shipping too...
One thing to watch out for with the tripp lites is the orientation of the sockets. They are placed in such a way that a brick would obstruct the adjacent socket, where many others like the HF unit above will orient the socket 90 degrees so the brick is perpendicular to the strip.
+1 on the HFT ... i got it for a little less with coupon and it works great. there's no rocket science that goes into these things. it doesn't make sense to me to spend a lot on a power strip. even if you got a broken one at a garage sale, they are easy to fix; it's just wiring and soldering.
Tjc
Well-known member
BELKIN! USE BELKIN! Thats the only power strip I use and they look very nice.
are you kidding me? sarcastic remark?
Belkin are known to catch fire:
http://www.saferproducts.gov/ViewIncident/1173263
http://www.epinions.com/review/belk...10-surge-suppressor/content_603151699588?sb=1
PCO6
Well-known member
Tjc
Well-known member
I wasn't kidding at all, my whole school has them and they seem fine.
i got a raincheck for two of these this week:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...27269P/NOMA+12-Outlet+Power+Bar.jsp?locale=en
with my employee discount on top...they are dirt cheap!
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...27269P/NOMA+12-Outlet+Power+Bar.jsp?locale=en
with my employee discount on top...they are dirt cheap!
x1up.com
Is that an Insteon switch I spot there?
The biggest problem with these huge power bars is it is still just one circuit.
Yep. A very large portion of my house is insteon run through my computer. I probably have about thirty or more switches, and fifteen or more keypads with custom buttons. It's all set up through my computer. All my outside lights and some indoor lights turn on before dusk and turn off at dawn. I can control them anywhere. Also I have global control buttons, which is the best part. I walk in the door after work and press one button and it turns on all the lights I want on throughout the house (to their preset dim levels). At night, when I go upstairs, I press a single button to turn off everything in the house. Really convient and reliable for dyi. If I go out of town, there is a randomizer that turns on and off certain lights throughout the night. At this time of year, it's really great because all my
lights and tree are tied in to the system so I never have to turn them off or on. In this case, the insteon switch controls the lighting above the workbench, that way I can tie it into the main garage overhead lighting and have the one switch on my wall control all the lighting in my garage.
This house had a ton of switches everywhere. Lots of four bank switches. And sometimes there was no ryhme or reason to the placement of switches. Why do I have to walk around to three parts of the house to turn on different outside lights in my backyard. With the insteon keypads, I can replace a switch with an insteon switch and run it remotely from a keypad in one place. In the attached picture, I consolidated all my outdoor lights in one keypad and all my kitchen lights in another. Really helped me from going crazy.
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