Are power strips allowed to be installed on a portable unit

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Sarray

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Hi i am currently designing a cart which has 3 AC powered appliances and a DC powered LED Panel
Cart can only have 2 plugs exiting the unit
I have made one circuit for the LED panel and the 2nd circuit for the AC powered appliances. If i was to plug all 3 appliances into a surge protected power strip and ensure that i am not going over the drawn current limit, am i allowed to include the UL-Listed Power strip in the design?
UL code-states that the power extensions are not intended to be a part of permanent fixture but since it will be a movable cart, it doesn't actually fall under the category of a permanent fixture...

I have to ensure that i am following the UL code, can any one please confirm if using a power strip will be an issue?

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Are you designing something that's going to be listed? If so, the NRTL engineers doing the analysis can guide you on that.

From looking at your profile, I'd guess this is a kiosk cart for use in a mall?

Is it for use in the US or Canada?
 
I've seen tool chests/roller carts for sale with built in stereo and a power strip. I'd assume they are listed as a unit, since sticking a power strip on a big metal, isolated-from ground tool chest in an ad hoc manner seems potentially dangerous.

The power strip is a permanent fixture of the cart. I dont know how the UL sees it, but if I were designing such a thing I would know exactly how they see it.
 
petersonra said:
what "UL code" are you trying to follow? That will usually tell you what components are allowed.
Click to expand...

Typically I follow UL 962 and UL 65 as they both apply directly to the type of work we do here, which is designing store fixtures. The units will be built in Canada but will be used in Canada and the US. Code does state that the strips can not be a permanent part of the fixture. But my question is that if they can't be then how can a portable unit for example a cart or a kiosk possibly receive power for all their appliances? They are not permanently fixed and have no access to the direct AC line to be hardwired...so if not using power strip what other option is there?
 
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mgookin said:
Welcome to the forum.

Are you designing something that's going to be listed? If so, the NRTL engineers doing the analysis can guide you on that.

From looking at your profile, I'd guess this is a kiosk cart for use in a mall?

Is it for use in the US or Canada?
Click to expand...



Thank you!

Yes i am designing a cart that must be UL-Listed. All the components that i am going to be using, including the wires, panels, the cart itself, bolts, connectors and the power strip will be UL-Listed. The problem i am running into is weather or not UL-inspector allow the power strip to be on the unit. In the worst case scenario, i am guessing i'll have to get rid of the power strip and install a quad-box on the cart itself and have a long cord for powering the quad-box but in my opinion a surge protected power strip which comes with a switch protection for each receptacle is much more safer.

It is a CART, typically i design store fixtures but in this specific case it will be a cart something along the lines of a Kiosk, yes.

The unit will be build in Canada but shipped to Canada and the US.
 
JFletcher said:
I've seen tool chests/roller carts for sale with built in stereo and a power strip. I'd assume they are listed as a unit, since sticking a power strip on a big metal, isolated-from ground tool chest in an ad hoc manner seems potentially dangerous.

The power strip is a permanent fixture of the cart. I dont know how the UL sees it, but if I were designing such a thing I would know exactly how they see it.
Click to expand...



It is a bit of a cloudy situation. In some cases UL has approved it as i have seen some UL-Listed carts that have several receptacles installed in them such as portable laptop chargers. They have a series of receptacle with a single outlet which technically is a power strip but installed within the unit itself...
 
Sarray said:
Thank you!

Yes i am designing a cart that must be UL-Listed. All the components that i am going to be using, including the wires, panels, the cart itself, bolts, connectors and the power strip will be UL-Listed. The problem i am running into is weather or not UL-inspector allow the power strip to be on the unit. In the worst case scenario, i am guessing i'll have to get rid of the power strip and install a quad-box on the cart itself and have a long cord for powering the quad-box but in my opinion a surge protected power strip which comes with a switch protection for each receptacle is much more safer.

It is a CART, typically i design store fixtures but in this specific case it will be a cart something along the lines of a Kiosk, yes.

The unit will be build in Canada but shipped to Canada and the US.
Click to expand...

Just for clarification, are you sending the cart to UL for evaluation and listing?
Or is it only required that you build it out of 100% listed components?
 
Sarray said:
Typically I follow UL 962 and UL 65 as they both apply directly to the type of work we do here, which is designing store fixtures. The units will be built in Canada but will be used in Canada and the US. Code does state that the strips can not be a permanent part of the fixture. But my question is that if they can't be then how can a portable unit for example a cart or a kiosk possibly receive power for all their appliances? They are not permanently fixed and have no access to the direct AC line to be hardwired...so if not using power strip what other option is there?
Click to expand...

just because you cannot use a power strip does not mean you cannot have receptacles. go to home depot. buy some 4X4 boxes and some duplex receptacles. can have all the receptacles you want.
 
mgookin said:
Just for clarification, are you sending the cart to UL for evaluation and listing?
Or is it only required that you build it out of 100% listed components?
Click to expand...


I am going to be sending it to UL for evaluation and listing as this specific unit is unique. I only use UL-Listed components on all the designs to ensure i comply with the code. I understand that UL evaluation will let me know if the power strip will be acceptable or not but I want to identify the problem before hand and design it efficiently because our projects have a short/strict timeline...
 
petersonra said:
just because you cannot use a power strip does not mean you cannot have receptacles. go to home depot. buy some 4X4 boxes and some duplex receptacles. can have all the receptacles you want.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!

That was my back up plan. We can make quad-boxes on site and i can have a quadbox with a power plug coming out of it in the worst case. Ideally, i wanted to use a surge protected power strip with protection switch so that client can cut the power off and on from the switch rather than unplugging the devices.
 
Sarray said:
Thanks for the reply!

That was my back up plan. We can make quad-boxes on site and i can have a quadbox with a power plug coming out of it in the worst case. Ideally, i wanted to use a surge protected power strip with protection switch so that client can cut the power off and on from the switch rather than unplugging the devices.
Click to expand...

no reason you cannot have a switch in one of the boxes. they make light switches that fit in the 4X4 boxes.
 
Sarray said:
I am going to be sending it to UL for evaluation and listing as this specific unit is unique. I only use UL-Listed components on all the designs to ensure i comply with the code. I understand that UL evaluation will let me know if the power strip will be acceptable or not but I want to identify the problem before hand and design it efficiently because our projects have a short/strict timeline...
Click to expand...

I suggest you e-mail your salesperson at UL and ask the question. You should tell them what the loads are.
 
Sarray said:
Code does state that the strips can not be a permanent part of the fixture.
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the trick is to make the power strip so its not permanent. In other words, make it removable and replaceable.

You will find most power strips have mounting slots that will slide over screws, but they can be removed by sliding the strip back off. You can use those, or you could probably make some type of retainer that snaps around the power strip so it is removable.

Anyhow, running a screw all the way through the strip (or holes in the strip) so it requires tools to remove it seems to be a no-no. I say that because there don't seem to be any strips made with permanent screw holes.
 
steve66 said:
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the trick is to make the power strip so its not permanent. In other words, make it removable and replaceable.

You will find most power strips have mounting slots that will slide over screws, but they can be removed by sliding the strip back off. You can use those, or you could probably make some type of retainer that snaps around the power strip so it is removable.

Anyhow, running a screw all the way through the strip (or holes in the strip) so it requires tools to remove it seems to be a no-no. I say that because there don't seem to be any strips made with permanent screw holes.
Click to expand...


That's correct, i have to ensure that the strip isn't permanently screwed on to the fixture. However, if i design a specific slot for the strip in the fixture i'll have to include in the Product report for the UL Inspection which is something UL may/may not question.

I think my best bet is to install a quad box which we can make at our facility and install a protection switch to allow the client to cut off the power if need be.

Thank you for your input, i greatly appreciate appreciate all the help i received on this board!
 
Wire mold strip

Wire mold strip

In stead of 4" x 4" boxes can you use a wiremold power strip, they are made for it.
th
 
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