Extension Cord with power strip and a surge protector?

Question

We had to move our TV/entertainment center away from the wall due to some plumbing issues on the other side of the wall. The new location (only spot for it), only has one plug (2 prongs, not grounded). We have four plugs in a power strip (TV, Satellite receiver, stereo and VCR) , so we might need to set up an extension cord back about 10 feet to the grounded plug.

I have a medium duty extension cord (12 Amps, 120 V, 1625 Watts). The tag advised me not to exceed the total watts, so I checked all of the various appliances and added them up (does not exceed the total watts). The power strip is also rated, and the total is ok on that one, as well. We have a 6 outlet surge protector on the actual outlet itself.

So, what I want to know is, is there a safer way to do this, in case it needs to be up for a while? Could I use the two prong plug set up with an adaptor (we have one with a screw that I think is supposed to be a grounder).

Answer 1

It is always safer to use a grounded receptacle. Your residence must be fairly old to still have un-grounded receptacles.

First, run down to your local building store and purchase a receptacle tester. It is a simple device that you plug into a receptacle. The tester will tell you if a circuit the receptacle is grounded and wired correctly.

It sounds like you have two choices. The easy one is to use a grounded extension cord to the grounded receptacle, after using the receptacle tester.

The harder one is to determine if the un-grounded receptacle can be grounded. Many old installations do not have a ground path for the receptacles. If you are not competent with electrical installations, let a pro do this work.

If there is a ground in the box for the 2-wire receptacle, the receptacle can be replaced with a three wire.

Please note that using the 3 wire to 2 wire adaptor will not provide a ground if the receptacle box does not have a ground.

Answer 2

I agree with Steve C, although I'd also suggest looking into adding a ground wire to your existing plug. While this can require a pro, it isn't as hard as one might think. Your ground wire simply needs to be connected with a metal cold water pipe (preferably copper). You say you already have plumbing nearby, so it could be as simple as connecting to one of those.

Adding a wire to a nearby pipe should be relatively inexpensive compared to wiring up a new 3 conductor cable.