Yes, TV can be plugged into a power strip because TVs are light to medium-duty devices. They don’t pose a threat to power strips. You don’t have to concern yourself with overloading.
These are the only considerations standing in your way:
- What does the manufacturer say?
Some manuals unequivocally discourage consumers from using power strips. They expect the TV to plug directly into a wall outlet. Admittedly, manufacturers don’t really care what you do with your property.
They want to protect themselves from lawsuits. They are aware of the fire and electrocution hazards associated with power strips, and they don’t want you to sue them if you connect your TV to a power strip or extension cord and a fire starts.
But they don’t actually expect fires to start because you used a power strip. However, you can’t afford to ignore them (even though many consumers do). The manufacturer will void your warranty if you damage your TV because you connected the device to a power strip despite the manual’s instructions. Don’t expect them to accept your claim.
Therefore, even though power strips are convenient, you’re better off listening to the manual and using a wall outlet. If the manual doesn’t mention power strips, do what you want.
- Configuration
This conversation only matters to people whose plugs have failed to enter the power strip’s outlet. Have you checked the TV plug? Does it match the configuration of the power strip? If it doesn’t, you can invest in an adapter.
Is It Safe To Plug TV Into Power Strip?
It is safe to plug the tv into a power strip. Power strips can tolerate an average of 1800 watts. Fortunately, a TV uses roughly 50 watts, which is not enough to destroy a power strip. Any danger your electrician highlights is tied to the risks experts associate with power strips in general.
For instance, a TV won’t overload a power strip. However, people buy power strips because they have multiple outlets. In other words, a homeowner can still overload a TV’s power strip if they connect additional items such as microwaves, toasters, and air conditioners.
But you can eliminate that risk by applying basic common sense, such as limiting the number of appliances running on the same power strip, avoiding daisy chaining, using power strips with the shortest cords, etc.
If you take precautions, you have nothing to fear from TVs and power strips. Power strips start fires because people get careless.
Things To Consider While Using Power Strip With TV
As you’ve now realized, power strips are only dangerous if you’re careless. But what can you do to protect yourself? Take the following variables into consideration:
1). Power Strip Capacity And Rating
The rating is the most important consideration because it shows how much power a power strip can tolerate without overloading. This protects the power strip, the connected equipment, and your home.
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, power strips and extension cords start over 3,000 fires each year, killing dozens in the process. You can avoid this outcome by finding a power strip whose rating exceeds the total load.
Look at the gauge. It tells you the ampacity. Most manufacturers use wattage to represent an appliance’s electrical draw. But dividing the wattage by the voltage will give you the amperage.
Get the total wattage of all the devices you expect the power strip to accommodate and convert that figure into amps. The power strip you select requires a rating that exceeds the total amperage of the load.
Devices like fridges with motors have a unique disadvantage because their electrical draw spikes significantly when they cycle on. You’re looking at a three or four-fold increase in the wattage.
You will fry the power strip unless its rating exceeds the starting wattage of heavy-duty appliances with motors.
2). TV Power Consumption
A TV’s power consumption shouldn’t concern you. These devices use 50 watts or less. The Natural Resources Defense Council has a report which noted that TVs in the United States consume $1.2 billion more energy than regulatory bodies initially reported.
They blamed the U.S. Department of Energy for using a flawed method to measure energy usage in the most prominent TV brands on the market. However, that report shouldn’t alarm you. TVs are light-duty devices.
This assumes that you have a modern TV. Older models are highly inefficient. 24-inch CRT TVs use 75 to 95 watts per hour, which exceeds the 36 to 44 watts per hour you find in LCD TVs of a similar size.
A 2011 report on “TV Energy Consumption Trends and Energy-Efficiency Improvement Options” from “Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory” expected LCD and LED backlit TVs to dominate the market by 2014. In other words, the chances that you own an ancient CRT television are incredibly low.
Smart TVs are a little tricky because of their sophisticated features. The more computing power a device offers, the more electricity it uses. But even then, smart TVs use significantly less electricity than older CRTs. That being said, the power strip’s rating should always exceed the TV’s power consumption.
3). TV Plug And Outlet Compatibility
The TV plug should match the configuration of the outlets on the power strip.
You can’t force a TV’s three-prong plug into a two-slot outlet. However, this factor is more of an inconvenience than a barrier because you can overcome it with adapters.
Although, it might be cheaper to replace the TV plug with one that matches the power strip’s outlet configuration.
4). Power Strip Length
People tend to ignore the length. However, it can shape the power strip’s ability to serve your needs. You have two primary concerns:
- The power strip should be long enough to cover the distance between the wall outlet and the TV.
- Limit the length if you expect the power strip to run heavy-duty appliances besides the TV. Longer power cords are more likely to overheat because the length increases the resistance.
How To Use TV With A Power Strip?
There’s no trick to connecting a TV to a power strip. However, you should take the following precautions:
- Select a power strip whose gauge matches the TV’s electrical needs.
- Replace damaged power strips.
- Make sure the power strip plug is firm in the wall outlet.
- Don’t connect heavy-duty appliances to the TV’s power strip.
- Don’t daisy-chain power strips and extension cords.
- Use a grounded power strip.
- Don’t hide power strips under rugs, clothes, or anything that limits the power strip’s ventilation.
- Keep power strips away from locations with heavy human traffic. They are tripping hazards.
Best Power Strip For TV
You can get this power strip in five feet and ten feet. It has six conventional AC outlets, a pair of USB ports, and a USB C slot. In other words, it can run nine devices at the same time. The plug has a flat design that fits in tight spaces.
The power strip is equally compact and doesn’t consume as much space as its competitors. Expect 900-joule surge protection and an on/off switch.
This power strip comes with six outlets and four USB ports. It also provides a noise filter (57dB EMI/RFI) that defends against electromagnetic and radio interference. The manufacturer includes a 600,000-lifetime equipment guarantee.
This device comes with ten AC outlets and four USB charging ports. The surge protection circuits (MOV, GDT, and TVS) can absorb 2100 joules. The outlets provide two inches of space in between, which allows you to connect large adapters.
The power strip comes with an FCC certificate, which speaks to the product’s quality and reliability.
- Belkin Twelve Outlet Power Strip
This power strip comes with twelve AC outlets. It is compatible with laptops, computers, cameras, phones, and the like. The 3,940-joule overcurrent and overload protection will keep your sensitive electronics safe.
The outlets are widely spaced, which allows you to connect large charger bricks. But the power strip’s construction is slender enough to fit in a home office or game room without taking up too much space. The manufacturer includes RJ11 phone and fax protection.