(Part 2) Best electric plugs according to redditors
We found 381 Reddit comments discussing the best electric plugs. We ranked the 116 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
This takes less space.
I have a 2015 EcoDiesel 4WD Tradesman Crewcab. Live in Virginia, US.
If fuel economy is big thing for you and/or you want to save on your diesel bill, I suggest the EcoDiesel. I have one and I get anything from 23-30 MPG depending on time of year and driving conditions.
> 4WD (winter)
Both have this option.
> daily commutes of 40 minutes each way 80 and 50 KPH roads
Ecodiesel should save you on fuel $$$ in the long run, but that depends on the price of Diesel vs. Gasoline in your area.
> once in a while towing of up to 7000 lbs
EcoDiesel can handle this like it's nothing. Tradesman comes with the full Tow Package.
The one NEGATIVE to the diesel is the warm-up time, which will be a big deal for you in Ontario. Make absolutely sure your EcoDiesel has an engine block warmer and the cord to go with it. I also purchased a male outlet and installed it on the front of my truck for easier extension cord access.
Sounds like the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome. Unless you find a solution to this problem, it will likely get worse so you need to treat the cause, not the symptoms.
Ever take a mig gun apart? The trigger is generally just a piece of plastic that activates a small microswitch (or in the case of some of the less expensive guns, it's just a couple leaf spring contacts). If you have to squeeze that switch so tightly that it's causing you physical pain at the end of the day, something is wrong.
I would begin by taking the gun apart and cleaning/adjusting the contacts so it only requires a light trigger pull to activate. If the switch is extremely worn, full of grinder crud, or has bent contacts, that might be part of the problem.
If that doesn't fix it, the switch itself is just controlling a low voltage DC signal - all it has to do is make contact between two wires. Anyone with some basic electronics knowledge and a little wiring skill could bypass the gun switch and make you an easier-to-activate switch. Could even be a momentary foot switch like this
If you want to get fancy and have a 2T function (momentarily press a button once for on, press once again for off) you could add what's called a latching circuit to the stock trigger assy. Adding on a custom made 2T switch would probably be pushing the limits of "reasonable accommodation" which is a legal term for small work-arounds that employer must make to help a disabled employee perform their job, but it is technically feasible and would only require minor (reversible) modification to the machine and a few dollars worth of electronics components.
Hope that helps.
Sure, I'll give it a shot:
Amps is a measure of how much electrical current is flowing through a circuit. Generally, the more current going through a wire, the warmer the wire will get - to the point the wire will either soften and break, or hot enough to start a fire directly.
To avoid this, circuits are designed "to code" so that dangerous temperatures are never reached.
15-amp circuits usually use 14-gauge copper wire (might be thicker depending on distance), are protected by 15-amp circuit breakers, and have outlets that look like this.
20-amp circuits usually use 12-gauge (which is actually thicker than 14-guage) copper wire (might be thicker depending on distance), are protected by 20-amp circuit breakers, and have outlets that look like this.
Appliances that require 20 amps use a special plug, with one blade twisted 90 degrees, so that they can't be plugged into 15-amp circuits. 15-amp appliances can be plugged into 20-amp outlets without problems.
If you put a 20-amp outlet on a 15-amp circuit, nothing bad should actually happen. But if someone tried to use an appliance that required 20 amps, they would trip the 15-amp breaker when they weren't expecting to - the shape of the outlet "told" them there was 20 amps available. Better to just use a 15-amp outlet in the first place.
Here's a 15-amp version of the round outlet you're looking at.
Hope that was useful!
I have had 100% success rate with both of these:
Each of these outlets are used in daily automations that turn on/off twice a day (so four triggers/day) - never had a problem.
Not sure if this would be helpful. Amazon sells low wattage outdoor pet safe heating pads. 4-22 watts. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AZSR68/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9SV2Db1T201DH
There is also a temperature sensitive adapter you can buy to use even less electricity. It only turns on below 50. HEATIT ET-21 Freeze Thermostatically Controlled Outlet On at 38F /Off at 50F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074HVYDV1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MWV2DbREZCHBN
Is that wire is coming from the same wire the plug is? I would just cut that plug off and replace it with an extension cord end. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Grounding-Extension-Replacement-Electrical/dp/B07V5Y13X4 If it doesn't come from the cable, I would buy an extension cord and cut it to length and rewire it to the terminals inside (may require soldering depending on the termination points).
I'd also be plugging that into a GFI outlet, but seeing as it is stationary it may not be required.
On another note, Im jealous of all those features. I put under the seat bidets in all my washrooms and will never look back, but something like this is the dream.
On yet another note, assuming you're American, be cautious, this is very unlikely to be certified and any resulting fire/issue will not be covered by your insurance.
I used to use right around 1900kwh/month, I bought one of these, and I methodically tested every 110 volt appliance in my house to find the power hogs. It took a few months to test everything, but I found some real surprises and was able to adjust our usage to lessen the impact. Now we are averaging 1500kwh/mon.
My biggest surprise was the coffee pot, you would think it only runs for the 15 minutes it takes to make the coffee, but that little warming plate uses almost 400watts the entire 3 hours until the time runs out.
My other surprise was the Dish washer, I expected it to be higher than the coffee pot, especially with heated dry turned on. But a full cycle is only .89 kwh, less than the coffee pot's 1.3kwh
Entertainment center was roughly 2.4kwh/day
Its much easier to cut your costs when you know whats actually costing you. That said at the end of the day HVAC is gonna be your biggest consumer and its harder to measure because you cant just plug it in to a smart plug.
When you say "like the kill-a-watt" are you talking about with a screen? If so I'm not aware of any. If you just want to report to home assistant there are tons of options. A few off the top of my head:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15654
https://smile.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Smart-ZEN06-Charging-Ports/dp/B01MTRZXHF/
https://smile.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-ZW096-Switch/dp/B00VQISOCG/
Here's a shitty cheap one for $15 + free s/h.
Here's a good OEM one for $60 + s/h.
Your call if $60 is worth protecting your $1,000 equipment. Personally, that's the route I would go.
Cheap power supplies are prone to heating issues and inconsistent voltage. Could work just fine. Could damage your equipment. It's a gamble more or less.
I'm pretty happy with the lighting. I have many light sources which is good considering my windows face east. I did edit some of the photos but is was primarily to fix the color balance.
I have these awesome LEDs behind the TV, bar, and under the kitchen cabinets. Can't recommend them enough.
These are also very handy! I have my floor lamp and lights above the cabinets hooked up to them.
Can they be set on like a timer or do I have to manually control them from my phone? Also do you have a link for a recommendation? some of the ones I was looking at or like $80-$120
Edit: I found this one Iron-m WiFi Smart Power Strip Surge Protector
In addition to normal household plugs, you can plug in thes slightly higher rated 20 amp plugs:
https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5366-CA-Industrial-Grounding-Black-White/dp/B0026H1C9I
Ps. GFCI means ground fault circuit interrupter. It helps prevent electrocution by means of a much more sensitive breaker (than the one at the breaker box) built in. Its mainly used where water may be present like bathrooms, kitchens, pools etc.
The set button and test button are for checking to see if little built in breaker is working. The light should be green if there is electricity flowing.
This particular one also has plastic gates built in - to make it harder to push the plug in and harder to put foreign objects in there. Mainly this is to help protect children from accidental electrocution.
Some lines don't like you using power strips. Try one of these
The plugs I have were $10/each so I guess it's cheaper actually?
https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-HS103P2-Required-Google-Assistant/dp/B07B8W2KHZ/
If you wanna run bigger stuff off of them get the 15A ones though: https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-HS105P3-Anywhere-Required-Assistant/dp/B07HGSRF1R/
Iron-m WiFi Smart Power Strip Surge Protector, 4-Outlet 4-USB with 5-Foot Cord, Remote Control via Smart Phone, Work with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0721QD57S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_V9IKzb38D1MT6
> Unfortunately, no good deals that I can find on Zwave or Zigbee devices.
Here's a zigbee plug on sale - $15 if you're a Prime member
It works with hubs that fully support zigbee. Don't know if Wink falls in that category.
You’re right, I posted before thinking. Definitely replaceable with a hardware store end on the cheap though. You could even upgrade it to something like this: Journeyman-Pro 5278 15 Amp 125 Volt, Flanged Inlet, Black Commercial Grade, 2 Pole-3 Wire, Straight Blade, Nema 5-15 (With Cover/Cap) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E6N0XFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8cHYDbQADWAXM
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DQM4ZC2/
I use the above smart plug/wall monitor. I can cycle it on/off over the internet with an app on my phone. I've also changed the BIOS setting on my miner's motherboard to turn the computer on when it detects power has returned after an outage. There are a lot of products like it so take your pick. But be careful of how much power you put through them, most are only rated for 15amps @120v even though 20amp 120V circuits are common in houses.
I plan on cutting off the NEMA 5-30 and replacing it with this plug. Let me know if you think I'm crazy or if you have any other ideas.
might be cheaper to buy a the DC power supply https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DDJ-SX-system-replacement-adaptor/dp/B00GQWO458
but if you're still thinking about the SX2, the main difference is DVS, RGB pads, and FLIP controls. otherwise it's about the same. if those things are necessary for you, it's definitely a good controller. it will feel almost the same as your current controller.
have you tried it in another outlet on a different wall in the same room? That's not foolproof, but sometimes it is on a different circuit.
You may have a grounding problem in the entire house. because think about it: how long does it take the stereo to "come up" when you turn it on? 2 secs? That switch flip may be spiking the stereo and causing it to restart which could default to 'pass thru' on anything connected until it's up.
At a minimum, have an electronics savvy friend come over and ground test your outlets. It's not hard, it just requires a tool you likely don't have. A line conditioner will help and be relatively cheap, but it's a bandaid really.
A simple, inexpensive solution MIGHT be to put your stereo on a grounding adapter but that's only guaranteed to work if the outlet is grounded. If you do this and the problem does not go away, then you should call an electrician.
Bottom line is that stuff on the same circuit shouldn't be getting spiked like that from flipping a switch. Get it fixed soon... every flip of a switch is like getting a good hit in the head with a ball-peen hammer. the first 10 or 20 aint much, but then it starts to hurt and will eventually make you wonder why you're hitting yourself in the head with a hammer.
Something like this out the outside:
http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-5239-Receptacle-Commercial-Grounding/dp/B00004YUKT
And wire that up to the normal outlet on the inside.
The link in my initial post shows a picture of the type of box I'm working with for the heater connection, but here and here are two specific pictures which show how I'd like to do its connection (although I'd prefer to not have a cable attached - not sure how to create a safe, waterproof (when plugged in only, obviously) socket connection though.
I've built a wifi-based + tablet HMI controller so the control box is just a waterproof box that I need a way to connect a 120VAC in, 120VAC out, and 3-wire waterproof temperature probe to it safely. I see on your controller that you have recessed male connections so maybe that's what I'm looking for?
Something like this maybe? I could mount it with something like this for safety?
My goal is to make everything "plug and play" where each object doesn't have a wire coming out of it and everything is just "plugged in" when it's time to brew. This will make cleaning easier for me and replacing parts easier in the long run.
If I understand you correctly you are looking for something like this.
I have a lot of different Smart outlets being used around the home. It really depends on what your use is going to be.
For a cheap outlet where space is not an issues, these from KMC have worked well for me. They are pretty dependable even in areas with weak WiFi signal and the energy monitoring is nice for things like air filters or fans.
KMC also makes a nice multi outlet plug. I personally use this to control the multiple led light strips at my garage workbench.
For anything 15A, I would say TP-Link is the way to go. These have been great for me, but the newer HS105 does have a better form factor. I have used these for my garage fridge, windows AC unit, and tools at my workbench. There is an energy monitoring variant as well, the HS110
You may see that there are a ton of the cheap round shaped smart plugs on Amazon and other sites. I have found all of these to be almost exactly the same, no matter what company they come from. They work well enough for simple devices like lamps, but they have tended to have issues in anywhere, but perfect WiFi signal areas.
Let me know if you have any questions on this or any other devices. After a few years of upgrades, I am at over 110 smart devices, so I can tell you what not to get...
Anyone tried the Satechi Dual Smart Outlet with Real-Time Power Monitoring?
It’s a little bit expensive before today’s 25% off coupon, but it otherwise seems to have a lot going for it.
Its non-sale price is in the same range as some sale prices I’ve seen for the iDevices IDEV0010. I like the IDEV0010 but it does require replacing your in-wall outlet.
Couldn't find one with 6 outlets, but I found a Woox model with 3 where the manufacture states in answers to users question the outlets can be controlled individually.
Woox Smart Power Strip, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G9LKDJ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_999PCb2PQFCD9
Yeah - lots of them. Was just looking myself.. Amazon search: thermostat plug
There are a few of them. Some are dumb and have a single on/off range, like for turning on a cattle water tank at 40f so it doesn't freeze. Like this one https://www.amazon.com/HEATIT-Freeze-Thermostatically-Controlled-Outlet/dp/B074HVYDV1
Some more connected, like dis: https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Multi-Function-Thermostat-Countdown-Compatible/dp/B07PWCPG3G
Actually, there is a product named ZAP by Etekcity which is a wireless remote control that allows you to turn on and off power from the wall!
I have this as light system in my house but I also use it for thing such as Xmas tree, TV and such. You can set it to your PotatoBox then turn it off after 20 min and say "Ah sorry my Pot.. I mean Xbox is dying, why not play on PC!"
Would something like this do the trick?
In an ideal world, my rack wont go up in flames while I'm away on vacation. The only 20amp plug in the house is behind the washer/dryer, which coincidentally, is not where my lab is
You could always get a slightly thicker one
Okay let's start from the beginning- each of your devices needs to be machine-controllable.
Lights- you can use smart bulbs (Hue etc) or you can use lighting controllers (smart light switches, plug-in dimmer modules, etc). Either way you'll either need a network like Z-Wave or Zigbee or Insteon to control them, which will require a USB RF interface. You could use all WiFi devices but I don't recommend this.
TV- that probably means infrared. Some TVs you can control by serial port, other TVs you can control with network traffic. 99% chance infrared is your best bet though.
Fan- if this is a plug-in fan you can use a plug-in switch module. What kind of fan is it?
Xbox- probably via IR.
Voice control- Alexa or Google Home.
Hub- Home Assistant works, HomeSeer costs money but might be easier to set up.
So to break this down, you need to find a way to interface all these devices with your hub. Let's assume you're using HA.
For the lights, you need a primary control technology, that'll be Z-Wave, Zigbee, Insteon, etc. I suggest Z-Wave as it's got better support in both Home Assistant and HomeSeer. That unfortunately rules out Hue bulbs, but it means you can instead get nice Z-Wave smart light switches and use your existing bulbs. Here's a popular one. If you want super controllability check out the HomeSeer branded switches- they'll work fine with Home Assistant, they have several LEDs that you can program to do whatever, you can decouple the switch (so pushing the button doesn't turn on the light but rather sends a Z-Wave command), program double/triple/quadruple tap actions, etc.
Note that if you really really want Hue lights, Home Assistant and HomeSeer both (somewhat) support ZigBee. You can also buy a Hue Bridge, which is basically an Ethernet-Zigbee interface that's Hue-proprietary, and link that to HA or HomeSeer.
Fan- if it's a plug in fan you need a plug-in appliance/switch module. Here's one. If you have a ceiling fan type thing you'll need a ceiling fan switch. Here's one of those (HomeSeer makes one too).
IR (TV, Xbox, etc)- probably BroadLink devices or Global Cache iTach. Note that if you try HomeSeer, Global Cache works, Broadlink I think does not.
Voice commands- How to integrate Alexa and Home Assistant.
I think he might actually an adapter for ungrounded outlets - mhttps://www.amazon.com/Pc-Grounding-Adapters-Convert-prongs/dp/B0035GB4YC
This is outlet I used. I paid $10 for it but it looks like it goes for $19 now, there are a bunch of equivalent outlets around $10. Stay in the "known brands" such as Leviton, Lutron and Legrand.
I got this one because it's see through and I wanted to be able to see the conductors.
It's not something you have to "rig up," it's a common industrial product. That style is easy to activate with hand pressure if you want; not all of them are so easy.
There are even "drills in a box" that sit on a bench, have speed and direction control, and can be hooked up to a foot switch.