Smart extension sockets.... That have decent cord length?

B0bbyEwing

We have numerous Tapo devices in the house including the singular smart plugs & also the 4-gang socket extension which has a cord length of about 1.5mtr.

I just need something a bit longer really. 2mtr minimum, maybe 4mtr as a play safe in future. 

Doesn't have to be Tapo but then there lays the problem.... So far Tapo has done what I need it to do. I can set timers from my phone & I can see how much juice a device is working. 

Thought I'd get the same thing from those BG Smart Mains faceplates.

Nope.

Bought them, installed them & found they only did the timer, not the telling you how much juice left plug / right plug was using.

But that's maybe drifting a bit off topic. 

Point being though, I'm weary about these no-name brands I've never heard of. 

So have any of you reading this bought a (at minimum) 2mtr smart extension that has (at minimum) 4 sockets

And can recommend it? 

vacheron

Can't you just get something like this and use it to extend the Tapo Lead?

I'd probably just replace the tapo lead with a longer one, but not everyone may be confident in doing that. 

B0bbyEwing

vacheron said:

Can't you just get something like this and use it to extend the Tapo Lead?

I'd probably just replace the tapo lead with a longer one, but not everyone may be confident in doing that. 

I thought you're not supposed to plug an extension in to an extension? 

You'll have to forgive me - I'm a DIY Dummy & even worse than that at electronics. Just everything I've ever been told & have Googled has always said to not plug an extension in to an extension. 

And how do you mean replace with a longer one? 
And by that I don't mean an echo (and I'm not talking about Amazon), I mean just how do you do that? 

vacheron

Hi. Speaking here as a professional Electronic Engineer with 30 years of experience designing high power systems, plugging an extension into an extension is perfectly fine for the purposes you are using it. The reason people are told not to is to prevent people (deliberately or accidentally) connecting many high power devices (think anything that produces lots of heat) into one 13A socket outlet which could cause overheating / fuse blowing if the load exceeded the 13A of current that a household socket (and extension cables) are designed to deliver.

For example, if you connected a 4 gang extension and then plugged 4 additional 4 gang extensions into each of these sockets, you could connect up to 16 devices to a single socket outlet making it more likely to exceed the 3000W delivery capacity of the plug socket (and extension lead).

However with todays devices, the majority of those connected to extension leads use barely any power. If you are using this extension to run, say, a couple of LED lights and a phone charger and a modern TV like most people would, you would be lucky to exceed 200W in total, which is a 15th of the sockets power delivery capacity. Also the single gang to single gang adapter I suggested means that you won't be able to conect any more than the original 4 devices to the wall outlet, so your situation is no different to your original socket (which you could still overload if you plugged, say a heater, a microwave, an iron and a kettle into it and ran them all simultaneously!)

So plugging extensions into extensions is fine, providing you exercise common sense, which is what most guides assume people don't have by default... but this is not a bad assumption for them to make!

vacheron

B0bbyEwing said:

vacheron said:

Can't you just get something like this and use it to extend the Tapo Lead?

I'd probably just replace the tapo lead with a longer one, but not everyone may be confident in doing that. 

And how do you mean replace with a longer one? 
And by that I don't mean an echo (and I'm not talking about Amazon), I mean just how do you do that? 

I meant I would see if I could disassemble the Tapo plug and replace the 2 meter cable with a longer one, but this is not something I would recommend to anyone unless they were very confident with electrical work /  regulations, also from looking at photos online (I have lots of Tapo plugs, but not the extension lead), it looks like it may be riveted together, so not possible anyway.

B0bbyEwing

Ah right I get you. Thanks for the explanation.

So basically it's all a backside covering to save anyone getting sued for some idiot putting power hungry devices in & then turning round & saying "but you said" when the person never said at all, the idiot just heard what they wanted to.

I know for the one where I'd like to have a smart extension it would literally be

* LED lights
* toothbrush charger
* one of those smelly diffuser things
* an Anker USB mains adapter which doubles up USB-C & A

For the reason being the OH is constantly ballsing up the timer on the LED lights (decoration thing ... don't ask me why we seemingly need it, I've no idea) whereby I'll go to bed & they'll still be on so I'll just pull the plug which apparently knackers the timer which wasn't timed properly anyway, obviously, if I'm having to turn them off.

I could use the 1-plug Tapo but I was thinking the 4-gang extension to keep options open.

Actually I should maybe get another 1-plug for the bedside lamp which she leaves on from time to time too.

vacheron

Correct. and in your case your total power with everything on will be about 50-100W, so not even remotely close to capacity. 👍

We use the Tapo single plugs, but always end up running short at christmas, we use the app to turn all the christmas lights on at dusk and off at 11.30, but we also have one of the Tapo wireless buttons on the wall which you can just tap to toggle them all on and off too. It does make things a lot easier. The cristmas tree needs about 4 plugs, but they all need to go on and off together, so one Tapo drives a single "dumb" 4 way extension which these all plug in to.

We also have some lights that go into power saving and turn off after 4 hours, so I just set its Tapo plug to turn them off for a few seconds, and then back on again, every 3 and a half hours.   

Heedtheadvice

vacheron said:

Hi. Speaking here as a professional Electronic Engineer with 30 years of experience designing high power systems, .........capacity of the plug socket (and extension lead).

Crikey calling it a "plug socket" by a pro!   😀 

But yes extension into extension is not good practice as it can become unclear and confusing when higher power equipment is connected in multiple locations and then there can be a trip hazard using trailing leads which is why even one extension is not recommended over a fixed installation.....but they are very handy!

Good advice from Vacheron.

Merry Christsmas and keep safe to all. ( just read an NHS notice about the increase in accidents over the season!! )

vacheron

Heedtheadvice said:

vacheron said:

Hi. Speaking here as a professional Electronic Engineer with 30 years of experience designing high power systems, .........capacity of the plug socket (and extension lead).

Crikey calling it a "plug socket" by a pro!   😀 

Guilty as charged, intended to say wall socket. (it "was" 7am if that counts)   

B0bbyEwing

Heedtheadvice said:

vacheron said:

Hi. Speaking here as a professional Electronic Engineer with 30 years of experience designing high power systems, .........capacity of the plug socket (and extension lead).

Crikey calling it a "plug socket" by a pro!   😀 

But yes extension into extension is not good practice as it can become unclear and confusing when higher power equipment is connected in multiple locations and then there can be a trip hazard using trailing leads which is why even one extension is not recommended over a fixed installation.....but they are very handy!

Good advice from Vacheron.

Merry Christsmas and keep safe to all. ( just read an NHS notice about the increase in accidents over the season!! )

I got what he was meaning which is the main thing 🙂

Be like older folk who called DVDs tapes. Put that tape on. I don't pull them up on it. 

Also no risk of trips here thankfully. The extensions will run between cabinets & a wall.