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gregmcc
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  #1385112 10-Sep-2015 17:26
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bijgd: If overloaded, will any of my appliances or sockets be burned or damaged?


Without good knowledge of what appliances you have and how you are using them, there is no way to be 100% sure.

With a bit of common sense and following manufactures instructions there should not be any problems



mdooher
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  #1385120 10-Sep-2015 17:49
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gregmcc:
bijgd: If overloaded, will any of my appliances or sockets be burned or damaged?


Without good knowledge of what appliances you have and how you are using them, there is no way to be 100% sure.

With a bit of common sense and following manufactures instructions there should not be any problems


I believe the sockets are tested by the manufacturer to 45 Amps, so don't stress




Matthew


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  #1385125 10-Sep-2015 18:17
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mdooher:
gregmcc:
bijgd: If overloaded, will any of my appliances or sockets be burned or damaged?


Without good knowledge of what appliances you have and how you are using them, there is no way to be 100% sure.

With a bit of common sense and following manufactures instructions there should not be any problems


I believe the sockets are tested by the manufacturer to 45 Amps, so don't stress


Old ones with damaged/weak contacts have been known to spit sparks and smoke - especially when connected to high load appliances.
If the plugs aren't fitting snug and/or there's any sight/sound/smell of something not right, get the socket replaced.

Some appliances might not like it if the breaker trips. I guess my printer wouldn't be too happy if power was cut when the heads were exposed - they'd dry out quite quickly.  It wouldn't be too good to go away for a week and find that the circuit your fridge/freezer was on had had tripped. Some electronic gizmos might not like intermittent supply from dodgy switches/plugs.

If a breaker keeps tripping, then check total loads on that circuit.  If there's not enough total to trip the breaker, then one of the appliances may be faulty - and potentially dangerous.



gzt

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  #1385284 10-Sep-2015 22:22
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mdooher:
gregmcc:
bijgd: If overloaded, will any of my appliances or sockets be burned or damaged?


Without good knowledge of what appliances you have and how you are using them, there is no way to be 100% sure.

With a bit of common sense and following manufactures instructions there should not be any problems


I believe the sockets are tested by the manufacturer to 45 Amps, so don't stress

I am unsure if you have knowledge of a particular manufacturer or if you are referring to the test standard and test specification. I looked at as/nz 3122 2000 and the minimum test specification to meet the standard appeared to be far lower than what you suggest there.

mdooher
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  #1385382 11-Sep-2015 08:50
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gzt:
mdooher:
gregmcc:
bijgd: If overloaded, will any of my appliances or sockets be burned or damaged?


Without good knowledge of what appliances you have and how you are using them, there is no way to be 100% sure.

With a bit of common sense and following manufactures instructions there should not be any problems


I believe the sockets are tested by the manufacturer to 45 Amps, so don't stress

I am unsure if you have knowledge of a particular manufacturer or if you are referring to the test standard and test specification. I looked at as/nz 3122 2000 and the minimum test specification to meet the standard appeared to be far lower than what you suggest there.

Clipsal do, So I assume Schneider do as well...as for HPM, who cares it's junk surprised




Matthew


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  #1385394 11-Sep-2015 09:09
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Surprised nobody has asked, How old is the house? Whilst there's alot of talk about the socket and it's rating it doesn't matter for jack if someone's just replaced old sockets with new ones ontop of old wiring or stupid wiring, If some idiots run 1.5mm TPS then thats only rated for 16a IIRC, You need 2.5mm for 20a.

The best bet is to get a Sparky out to pop the socket off and check the wire if there is any doubt. Clearly if the house if 2 years old with a COF for the electrical then dont worry - you should be ok but if in doubt have someone inspect




Most problems are the result of previous solutions...

All comment's I make are my own personal opinion and do not in any way, shape or form reflect the views of current or former employers unless specifically stated 

mclean
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  #1385692 11-Sep-2015 14:08
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Just catching up on this discussion:

10A socket outlets in NZ are designed to NZS 3112.  The thermal test (overload) requires them to be tested at 11A.  For twin or multi-outlets the test is through ONE socket only, with the others under no load.  So a 4-way 10A socket outlet is tested at 11A, not 44A. However the heating in a socket outlet usually occurs at the contact points on the pins where the maximum current is 10A.

The switches on socket outlets come under NZS 3113.  A switch controlling one socket has to be thermally tested at 10A.  It also has to be tested for motor starting duty at 40A, but that test is for a brief turn-on of 2 seconds every minute, which is not an overload test.  If the switch serves more than one socket (which I have never seen) it has to be rated and tested at the combined rated load of the sockets (or of the protective device if there is one, as in a power strip).

Manufacturers may test at higher currents than these, but who knows.

Of course there's always an upstream breaker or fuse protecting the circuit wiring.  My guess is that the common conductors and wiring terminations within most multiple socket outlets would be capable of handling the full rated current of the circuit protection without too much problem, but they don't have to do that.


 
 
 
 

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1eStar
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  #1385903 11-Sep-2015 20:03
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In the real world you can run a lot more than 10A through a socket. Currently in the tropics in the Pacific, 230v supply, NZ/aus socket with 4.4kw rated instant shower heater plugged in. The landlord supplied 1.5mm extension cord used to get soft insulation by the end of the shower, so I judiciously upgraded to a 2.5mm flex I made up. Ideally would be 4mm cable but you gotta roll with the punches when you are in the wild sometimes. The house wiring will be 2.5mm anyway. It is just noticeably warm to touch at the end of a 10/15 min shower now.

I am not an electrician

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