POWER PLAY

Smarten Up Your Electricity Use For Safety And Savings With These Ingenious Solutions

Words GUN ARVIDSSEN

Power accessories can make life safer and easier in and around the home. Try these tips, then plug and play to your heart’s content.

Mains event

Multi-outlet power boards answer the question of where you can possibly plug everything in. But Daniel Kitchen of Arlec warns you should never plug one power board into another. “If you make a ‘daisy chain’ of power boards, you increase the resistance of the connection which creates more heat and increases the risk of fire and appliance failure,” he says.

For a safer alternative, use a single power board with multiple power points and built-in surge protection. And outdoors, use a heavy-duty power cube designed for exterior use.

Lead the charge

A multi-port USB adaptor can charge several items simultaneously. But while you need enough current to charge those gadgets, a higher amp output is not automatically better. “Each tablet or mobile device has self-regulated power and current protection, so it only charges at the correct and safe amp level,” Daniel explains.

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At the work site, a USB power adaptor skin allows you to use the battery from a cordless tool as a power bank. And if you want a combo solution to supply both 5V USB and 240V mains electricity, many power boards come with built-in USB ports.

Amp it up

If you have a recreational vehicle running a 15A circuit, or use highcurrent tools, you’ll know these are incompatible with a standard domestic 10A circuit. But Oliver Kratzer of Ampfibian warns not to take dangerous short cuts. “A ‘death lead’ is an illegal short power lead that lets more current be drawn [via the socket] through a circuit than can be safely supplied by the plug,” he says. “This can overload the power point and may cause a fire.” However, there is a safer alternative. “Ampfibian adaptors are permitted to have a higher 15A outlet for the 10A inlet, because a [resettable] overload breaker limits the current that can be drawn through the socket to 10A,” he explains. “So it will never allow your home’s power point or circuit to become overloaded.”

Go the distance

When there’s no power point where you need one, you’re spoilt for ways to stretch your resources. From a simple 2m piggyback extension cord to a 10m lead that comes with its own spool and four power points, and even an extra-heavy-duty 50m long cable, there’s an option for every situation.

Take-away safety

The safety switches in your home switchboard should protect you from electrocution, but outdoor or shedbased power points are often prone to outdated or illegally modified wiring. Use a portable safety switch to protect yourself if you’re connecting power tools, lighting or anything else into a potentially risky power point.

Cord marshall

Keeping your cables neatly rounded up is another important way to stay safe. Options include fabric wraps, cable zippers, reusable hook-andloop cable ties and organiser brackets. For an all-in-one solution, choose a cable management kit that includes handy holders and clips.

Perfect timing

Need a simple solution to switch night lights on and off in the kids’ room?

A basic 24-hour analogue timer is an inexpensive and easy-to-use option that you can set and forget. For more ambitious seven-day on-and-off action, a digital timer gives you greater scope for controlling devices such as your home-office set-up.

Cloud control

Take your electricity management to the next level by connecting smart plugs to your home’s wi-fi. Even simple units normally feature app-controlled timer options. And weatherproof smart plugs allow you to extend your home automation beyond indoor areas – perfect for mood lighting, Christmas lights and outdoor entertaining.

Using apps such as Grid Connect, you can control individual plugs from your mobile device, and metering plugs also monitor how much power is running through them. They’re compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, so can be switched on and off using voice control.

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15m

0388963. 8 with

6A

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I/N: 0115410. 12