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What I'm trying to do is have this embedded into a hollow table, then I can use it to feed into a couple outlets elsewhere in the table to power a few things, like a low power computer and a printer.

enter image description here

isherwood
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Vandel212
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  • Why would this be different than any other 10A load, such as a space heater? I'm not sure I understand your question. – isherwood Apr 07 '21 at 19:41
  • It would need to be in a rated enclosure, of course. – isherwood Apr 07 '21 at 19:42
  • What's the male part for? Are you going to make your own power cord?? – jay613 Apr 07 '21 at 20:39
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    That's the back of the female part. :) – isherwood Apr 07 '21 at 20:44
  • the picture shows the male connector ... it is what you see on a PC power supply – jsotola Apr 08 '21 at 00:28
  • If you want to switch to lower current carrying capacity than the line you're plugging into for any current carrying component, you need overcurrent protection. There are 15 and 20A versions of the connector you've listed. If you choose a connector compatible with standard computer cords, people could conceivably plug the table in with a cord they had laying around that didn't have 15A ampacity, so I would suggest avoiding that. – K H Apr 08 '21 at 06:33
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    Those C13/C14 are fine in a table, as long as they're behind their own breaker (10A or lower, pick a fast one) and you cover them up with something. After all, the pins you show on the left will be live. If you go this route, make sure you use the right version (preferably both). Nothing as pesky as a custom-made solution that has exactly the wrong type of socket. – Mast Apr 08 '21 at 09:15
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    @Mast The OP implied that the connector shown will be the inlet, so those pins will not be exposed when the cord from the wall is connected. – Andrew Morton Apr 08 '21 at 13:51

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If I understand your question, the answer is no. Or, yes, you "can". But no, you should not use a hollow table as the electrical enclosure for a home-made power strip unless the table was actually designed to be an electrical enclosure.

Instead you should buy ready-made boxes that do what you want. If you want to have power outlets embedded in a table, there are a lot of ready-made modules to do that. Search for "recessed table outlets" "recessed conference outlets" and so on. Some of them pop up in cute ways. Some of them have built in USB charging. Most of them have built-in power cords under the table presumably because that is cheaper than using an IEC connector and avoids the risk of users kicking the cable out. But some do have female IEC connectors instead so you can use separate power cords. Some of them can be daisy chained so you can install recessed outlets in different parts of a large table, while having only one power cord connecting the table to the wall or floor. That sounds like what you want to do, but a lot safer.

If you use daisy-chained ones perhaps you could route the double-insulated cables between them through your hollow table. Again, a more ready-made way to do this would be to install a $2 plastic channel under the table, or just use staples.

All my links are the results from random searches, just for illustration. They may or may not be what you or anyone should use for your purpose.

jay613
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The NEC doesn't regulate devices but wiring & wiring methods for structures. This is a case if all components are UL approved components are used and wiring methods yes you could create a “power strip” of sorts with multiple receptacles.

This would be much like building a home made lamp using listed components it is legal but you can not sell them in the US without being approved by a 3rd party vendor. If the components are not rated for 20 amps it would be smart to incorporate a overcurrent protection device to prevent a fire. Make sure all points are finger safe or you can not get shocked when it is plugged into the wall.

Ed Beal
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  • Hmmm I am designing this so I can sell it, what kind of vendor would I need to seek out to get approval? – Vandel212 Apr 07 '21 at 22:11
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    Not a vendor but a certified testing agency like underwriters laboratory UL. TUV Was another one we used for international equipment sales. It’s expensive also 18-25k if I remember correctly and they dissect the thing making sure it is safe , properly assembled and tested in worst case scenarios. – Ed Beal Apr 07 '21 at 22:20
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That's inappropriate since they are only rated for 13A. Just install the built-in outlets, then come out with an appropriate length of cordage with a proper strain relief where it comes out of the box. Bonus points for the "Chinese finger puzzle" variety.

Harper - Reinstate Monica
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Complete power strips that take a 10A IEC input (on a cable extension or directly), have mounting flanges and optionally also come with IEC outputs are readily available - though they are not available much in super cheap, low quality versions, since their main use is in datacenter and industrial control 19" racks. Search for "PDU". Most of these incorporate a fuse or breaker to make sure that the input connection is not loaded above its rated ampacity.

Also, for 13A/16A circuits, there is a larger version of the well known IEC C13/C14 system, C19/C20.

rackandboneman
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