Outlet Installations

This is a common source of overloading outlets. To begin with, many of these outlet extenders are of questionable design and safety - many are not in fact certified to be installed in the US (especially if bought on Amazon/etc), and the connections are not always as secure as they should be.

I came across one home where the resident was plugging in a 1500W space heater into a surge protector that was then plugged into an outlet extender alongside a half dozen other items! What a fire hazard.

While a typical 15A outlet is indeed rated for 15A, over time contacts can weaken and improper seating can damage the hardware.

SOLUTION

If you have a lot of devices you need plugged into one location, never use more than 1 surge protector, and preferably upgrade the outlet to a QUAD OUTLET assembly, which I can install for you, double the number of plugs in each location. Or add an additional outlet! It's easy, and greatly reduces your risks of a house fire.

This is one of the more common confusions about power in the US. Let me clear it up for you real quick: they're the same!

This goes for 120V vs 110V as well. They are different nomenclatures used at different times. They are interchangeable, though 120V/240V is now more standard.

Locally, your home will almost always have around 120V at the typical outlet, measured by a standard meter, or 240V.

To keep it not too-technical, two phase doesn't exist, most homes are in fact a split-phase system (just 1 phase, split in half), though calling it "two phase" is common, even among professionals.

Three phase power is ubiquitous in commercial and industrial power, but almost unheard of in typical homes, while some buildings may have a mix of split-phase and three-phase.

Three phase usually is written out as 208/120V or 480/277V, with the first number indicated voltage between different phases (doesn't matter which one) and the second number indicating voltage from any phase to ground.

120V is how much potential is between any of your two "hot" wires and the neutral or ground (0V). But if you take two hot wires from different sides of your panel, their energy is doubled to 240V and the neutral is not needed, as each line is of opposite polarity of the other, so they add together

I see many minor mistakes with these, so for the sake of DIYers who insist on installing their own receptacles, here are some guidelines to stay safe:

1. Never use back-stab ports on devices - these are holes on the backside that you can just push wires into. They fail in time, and can even burn up other devices when they do!
2. Never use a device as a splice between wires - only ever 1 wire per terminal! You don't want all the added current from devices downstream flowing through each receptacle, it's just asking for trouble. This is a very common source of burned out receptacles and "crazy" electrical problems in houses. If you're not sure how, just splice a "pigtail" onto the other wires and use that 1 wire for your termination, don't try and put 2 or more wires into each port.
3. Hook clockwise! If you strip off a hook on your wire for your terminal screw, remember it should wrap around clockwise, from where it originates to where it ends.
4. Make your splices tight with a pair of electrician's pliers prior to capping it with a wirenut. BEFORE you put the nut on, the splice should hold together firmly on its own.
5. Tighten your wire nuts down very firmly. Test whether any wires pull out. Firm means very firm. Some brand will "click" when they've reached appropriate torque.
6. Consider Wagos instead of nuts. These are fool-proof termination devices that clamp down and don't require special tools other than a stripper.
7. Use a stripper - nicking the wire can lead to problems down the road. Even a minor gouge creates a point of weakness and reduces the entire wire's current-carrying ability. Many a small fire (usually contained by the box thankfully) has been started with such a weak point.