Triple Taps

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sii

sii

Senior Member
Location
Nebraska
Can anyone tell me whether triple taps are OSHA compliant. I have heard (and am hopipng) they are not but I don't trust the source. I am talking about the little device you can plug into the end of an extension cord that gives you three receptacles.
 
infinity

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
You mean one of these:

601181_front500.jpg
 
W

wireguru

Senior Member
theyre listed. I know most convention centers have banned them (most likely due to some guy plugging 3kw worth of lights into one supplied by a 30amp circuit and melting it 20 years ago). I dont know if osha has anything to say about a current tap without OCP....
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
wireguru said:
theyre listed. I know most convention centers have banned them (most likely due to some guy plugging 3kw worth of lights into one supplied by a 30amp circuit and melting it 20 years ago). I dont know if osha has anything to say about a current tap without OCP....
Click to expand...

Most likely, part of the listing is the instructions stating something like "Max. wattage 1200 watts" or "Maximum 12 amps". Of course, such information is never on the tap itself, just on the packaging that gets pitched.
 
W

wireguru

Senior Member
480sparky said:
Most likely, part of the listing is the instructions stating something like "Max. wattage 1200 watts" or "Maximum 12 amps". Of course, such information is never on the tap itself, just on the packaging that gets pitched.
Click to expand...

I have a stack of UL Listed triple taps on my desk right now. The 15A 125V rating is molded into the PVC.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
wireguru said:
Some are stacked, some are loose, but I can proudly say they are not in use.

Edit: wow that sounded like Dr Seuss...

Edit2: AGGGGHHHH MAKE IT STOP
Click to expand...


I do not like them on the job,
They make me look like I'm a slob.
I do not like them here or there,
I do not like them any where!
 
Pierre C Belarge

Pierre C Belarge

Senior Member
Location
Westchester County, New York
infinity said:
You mean one of these:

601181_front500.jpg
Click to expand...


These may be listed, but I would bet they listed and are required to be plugged into a receptacle, not a cord cap.

I am pretty sure that extension cords in general are listed to be plugged into a receptacle, and not another extension cord. I am sure if I am incorrect, someone will come up with some kind of documentation to prove this so.
 
sii

sii

Senior Member
Location
Nebraska
jrannis said:
Where are you considering using such a device?
Will it be a permanent installation?
What kind of load?
Click to expand...

At our plant, temporary often becomes permanant. I am not considering using such a device. The production employees like to use them. We have cord reels all over our plant that hang from the ceiling. They will plug a 6.75 hp shop vac and two industrial floor fans into one circuit. The circuit breaker will handle the load but the slip-ring in the cord reel, even though it's rated at 20 amps, will not. The cord reels are $400 each.

I just went out and looked at a couple of tri-taps on our shop floor, they are all rated 15a, 125 volt and UL listed. The load on one of them with the vaccum running is around 17-18 amps. I tried at one of our other locations putting 15a breakers on the existing 20a circuits so the breaker would trip instead of overloading the cord reel. After a few 20 minute drives just to reset a breaker, I decided that wasn't the best idea I ever had.

Maybe I just need to find tri taps that will burn up before the cord reel.:grin:
 
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