Selectable power socket?

[PopaDom]

Afternoon All,

I have no idea if these even exists or if it does what it's called. So my situation is I am currently moving my hobby work shop and have a different set up now for my heavier tools. What I was hoping to find was a selectable power socket of some kind that plugs in to a standard outlet, and has 6+ sockets. But instead of allowing all devices plugged in to have power, I can can turn a dial or something that would only allow power to only one socket at a time, whilst disconnecting the other sockets. I Hope that makes sense! Anyone got any ideas? 

Cheers Dom

 

[Sharpend]

Why not just plug in as you need? Is it really that difficult? 

 

[Doc Hudson]

Well if you don't want to keep plugging things in/out, a standard switched double socket has switches so that you can turn each socket off independently. The most sensible and functional solution is to have your fixed wiring amended to included sufficient sockets for your tools, then just switch them on/off as required. https://www.screwfix.com/p/mk-logic-plus-2-gang-13a-dp-switched-plug-socket-white/15747

Doc H.

 

[phil d]

I'd go with what others have said, I don't think you could buy what you want off the shelf, it would be possible to make one but you'd be looking at about £300 depending on how many sockets you want.

 

[Doc Hudson]

To explain a bit further; As a home DIY project something could be built to you basic concept for 6 outlets with items such as;

6 position rotary switch + some wires & other connectors etc  <£20.00 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/rotary-switches/0320685/

6 of each:-

20A DP Contactor £9.00  https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-20a-dp-contactor/6654p

Single socket £1.45  https://www.screwfix.com/p/1-gang-13a-unswitched-plug-socket-white/6856d

Single gang surface box with knock-outs for glands £1.29 https://www.screwfix.com/p/tower-1g-surface-box-with-20mm-knock-out-and-mini-knockout/33241    ( £70.44 )

A suitable enclosure to mount 6x contactors into. A bit of wood to fix it all onto and some 13A flex, glands, 13A plug + few other odds & sods fixings etc.. could be £50.00+/-  So to buy the bits we are around £150, Then if you need to pay someone to build it all for you, it would be an unknown quantity labour charge.  So total cost could well be £300+ as Phil suggests.  So the overall cheapest, safest and most practical solution would be to just get three or more double sockets correctly wired into your hobby room.

Doc H 

 

[Sidewinder]

You can at least treble the build cost as it MUST meet legal requirements if you are going to make it and supply it, even as a one off.

That's the law unfortunately, and it will cost over £1k to get copies of the standards that you would need to ensure that it meets the legal requirements unless you feel that you know better/enough to justify your design decisions and can generate the technical file for HSE if things go wrong.

Oh and you had better have adequate product liability insurance too if you are placing such an item on the market.

 

[Geoff1946]

What are you trying to achieve?

As owner/user of a quite versatile home workshop I don't see the point in what you propose.  As others have said, just plug in the machines you want as and when needed. 

Are we all missing something?

 

[poni]

you could use one like this

View attachment 6 gang ex.docx

 

[PopaDom]

Hi guys thanks for your advice. I was looking at building something similar to what Doc Hudson suggested might work before I posted on here but thought it might already exist. The main reason I don't want to use extension cords is because I don't want to keep plugging and unplugging everything, a small inconvenience I know but something I don't want to do,  as it would mean reaching behind machines and would leave cables on the floor. I am aware that the most practical/cost effective way of doing it is to have more sockets installed. However I liked the idea of having a rotary switch or similar mechanism built in to wall mounted box that allowed me to select which machine is powered. It would give a single overriding emergency stop for all machines along with the fuses to be housed centrally with power and blown fues indication lamps. Being pretty certain it didn't already exist I also thought it would be a fun project to undertake. 

 

[Sidewinder]

One thing that it would not give you is an overall emergency stop!

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

 I also thought it would be a fun project to undertake. 





 

But you clearly demonstrate you have no idea how to build such a "device" and also it will not be financially viable.

 

[phil d]

Hi guys thanks for your advice. I was looking at building something similar to what Doc Hudson suggested might work before I posted on here but thought it might already exist. The main reason I don't want to use extension cords is because I don't want to keep plugging and unplugging everything, a small inconvenience I know but something I don't want to do,  as it would mean reaching behind machines and would leave cables on the floor. I am aware that the most practical/cost effective way of doing it is to have more sockets installed. However I liked the idea of having a rotary switch or similar mechanism built in to wall mounted box that allowed me to select which machine is powered. It would give a single overriding emergency stop for all machines along with the fuses to be housed centrally with power and blown fues indication lamps. Being pretty certain it didn't already exist I also thought it would be a fun project to undertake. 

So from yesterdays initial idea you now want a master emergency stop, and indicator lamps for blown fuses and power, this is getting bigger and therefore more costly, for me, or any other experienced spark it would be easy to come up with what you want, but it wouldn't be cheap, as for it being a 'fun project' you'd soon get tired of trying to work out what connects to where to achieve the desired result. if you want all your switches in one central point then why not fit an unswitched socket for each machine and wire them back on radials, I.E one cable to each socket and then connect these through a separate switch for each socket, that way you've got all your switches in one place.

 

[Adrian]

Why not wire each machine back to a central consumer unit. each machine will have its own MCB, and the main switch/RCD as you emergency stop 

 

[Sidewinder]

The main switch strictly speaking cannot function as an emergency stop.

An emergency stop is a defined funcion in international standards which goes much deeper than a red button.