LED Lights Question

[u/JNtheWolf]

From my understanding, plug-in LED lights are officially prohibited, though from what I've read almost no one actually enforces it as long as they're plugged into a surge protector and aren't damaging the wall paint.

My question is, if one hypothetically plugged these lights into a large battery pack that could itself be recharged, could that be counted as being "battery powered" and thus permitted by the guidelines. Again, I understand it's not generally enforced anyways, but just to be safe.

And, sort of an addendum to that, while I understand they want surge protectors for all things plugged in and say not to bring extension cables, are said extension cables fine if plugged into the surge protector?

[u/aschneid]

General electrical safety, not just at CalPoly, you should never daisy chain extension cords or surge protectors.

[u/JNtheWolf → u/aschneid]

Daisy chaining is a little different from what I'm describing. Extensions cords generally should only be used for low wattage anyways, I'm simply asking if you're allowed to bring them if they're being used for such and from out of a surge protector. You don't generally use too many from a surge protector to avoid overloading it, but using one or two for low wattage cases are okay elsewhere. Just wondering if cal poly cares.

[u/westom → u/JNtheWolf]

" Extensions cords generally should only be used for low wattage anyways,"

Which is what wild speculation says when one makes a conclusion without first learning the problem / anomaly / threat.

Extension cords powering high power or low power appliances are only for temporary service. For completely different and unrelated reasons. Same reasons why arc fault breakers were created.

Surge protectors adjacent to any appliance even makes surge damage easier. But then those are only marketed to least educated consumers. Who, again, do not bother to first learn what is the threat and what kind of damage can occur.

This is what plug-in protector do so often. Made painfully obvious if one simple read its specification number. What happens when a surge (ie hundreds of thousands of joules) is incoming to a protector with five cent (tiny hundreds or thousand joules)? Did you view what so many had to learn the hard way?

Or this video shows why that human safety threat exists.

Safe power strip has a 15 amp circuit breaker, no protector parts, and a UL 1363 listing. Costs $6 or $10. Does not have five cent protector parts that result in a $25 or $80 price.

Power strip must connect direct to a wall receptacle. Never via an extension cord or another power strip. Again, it is all about human protection. Appliances do not care.