The extension cord with chargers constantly gets in the way on the table or under your feet, collects a lot of dust, and also looks unaesthetic. Dealing with this problem is very simple: take a nice box, make a few holes in it and hide all the wires and cables there.

There are also ready-made solutions, such as Plug Hub from Quirky. This is a box made of hard plastic with a rubberized bottom. There are three holes on top for cables, and inside there are three fasteners that can be used to wrap cords that are too long. The Plug Hub can be placed on the floor or mounted on the wall.

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2. Secure the wires under the tabletop

To secure the wires and extension cord under the table, you will need binders and screws (their length should be at least a quarter less than the thickness of the table top, otherwise they will go right through and the table will be damaged). First of all, attach an extension cord under the tabletop, preferably in the middle of the table or closer to the wall. Then secure the binders in the required places using screws. Connect everything you need to the extension cord and collect the wires with clamps. Visually the table has become much cleaner and neater.

There is a simpler option if you don’t need to hide a large number of wires. To do this you will need a construction stapler. To prevent the long wire from the lamp from dangling under your feet, carefully secure it with paper clips at the table leg. A small extension can also be secured with paper clips. For thicker wires, it is better to use special clamps (for example, these).

Stapler clips aren't your thing? Regular zip ties will do. Secure the wire to the table leg with zip ties. Wires that run along the floor can be covered with plastic or a board that matches the color of the floor. The extension can be secured under the tabletop using wide Velcro: secure it to the back side countertops, and then attach the extension. To prevent the wires from dangling under the table, run them through cable channels - they can be purchased at any hardware store. You can fix the channels themselves with electrical tape or a regular plaster.

3. Organize your cable storage

They will help you get rid of tangled wires. proper organization. First, collect cords from phones, players, game consoles, and tablets throughout the house. Then take boxes (preferably prettier ones), place cardboard dividers inside them, label the location for each cable (so you don’t get confused later) and lay everything out neatly. To prevent the wires themselves from getting tangled, use regular cable ties.

If you don't want to deal with boxes, buy a basket and save up more toilet paper rolls.

If the wires don't bother you, you can simply attach a label to each one to make it easier to distinguish between them. For example, like this:

4. Keep all necessary wires at hand

We can’t hide all the cables in a box: we need some of them almost constantly. The solution is simple: secure them to the edge of your desktop so that if necessary, you can reach out and connect the device to the desired wire. Sugru will help us with this - plasticine-rubber and one of the most irreplaceable things in the household. Don't believe me? Then take a look.

Roll Sugru into small balls and secure them to a table support. Then use a utility knife to remove some of the plasticine (be careful, try not to deform the balls too much). Life hack: to prevent the plasticine from sticking to the blade, first rinse it with soapy water. Then adjust the shape a little with a sushi stick or toothpick to create neat hollows (they should be slightly wider than your wires). Everything is ready, you can fix the cables.

There is an option for those who know how to work with wood. A small block with holes will help organize all the wires on your desktop.

The simplest solution is to pass the wires through binders attached to the tabletop.

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5. Don't hide wires

Seriously, if you get creative, cables can become interesting element decor.

Unfortunately, wireless technologies have not yet become widespread in offices and homes. This means that the pile of annoying wires on the desk won’t go away anytime soon. Here are some tips to help you get rid of clutter and hide cables from prying eyes.

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1. Hide the extension cord from chargers in a box

• The extension cord with chargers constantly gets in the way on the table or under your feet, collects a lot of dust, and also looks unaesthetic. Dealing with this problem is very simple: take a nice box, make a few holes in it and hide all the wires and cables there.

• There are also ready-made solutions, for example Plug Hub from Quirky. This is a box made of hard plastic with a rubberized bottom. There are three holes on top for cables, and inside there are three fasteners that can be used to wrap cords that are too long. The Plug Hub can be placed on the floor or mounted on the wall.

2. Secure the wires under the tabletop

• To secure the wires and extension cord under the table, you will need binders and screws (their length should be at least a quarter less than the thickness of the table top, otherwise they will go right through and the table will be damaged). First of all, attach an extension cord under the tabletop, preferably in the middle of the table or closer to the wall.

• Then secure the binders in the required places using screws. Connect everything you need to the extension cord and collect the wires with clamps. Visually the table has become much cleaner and neater.

• There is a simpler option if you don’t need to hide a large number of wires. To do this you will need a construction stapler. To prevent the long wire from the lamp from dangling under your feet, carefully secure it with paper clips at the table leg.

A small extension can also be secured with paper clips. For thicker wires, it is better to use special clamps (for example, these).

• Stapler clips aren't your thing? Regular zip ties will do. Secure the wire to the table leg with zip ties. Wires that run along the floor can be covered with plastic or a board that matches the color of the floor.

• The extension can be secured under the tabletop using wide Velcro: secure it to the back of the tabletop with screws, and then attach the extension. To prevent the wires from dangling under the table, run them through cable channels - they can be purchased at any hardware store. You can fix the channels themselves with electrical tape or a regular plaster.

3. Organize your cable storage

• Organizing them correctly will help you get rid of tangled wires.

First, collect cords from phones, players, game consoles, and tablets throughout the house.

Then take boxes (preferably prettier ones), place cardboard dividers inside them, label the location for each cable (so you don’t get confused later) and lay everything out neatly.

To prevent the wires themselves from getting tangled, use regular cable ties.

4. Keep it all necessary wires at hand
We can’t hide all the cables in a box: we need some of them almost constantly.

The solution is simple: secure them to the edge of your desktop so that if necessary, you can reach out and connect the device to the desired wire. Sugru will help us with this - plasticine-rubber and one of the most irreplaceable things in the household.
Roll Sugru into small balls and secure them to a table support. Then use a utility knife to remove some of the plasticine (be careful, try not to deform the balls too much).

Life hack: to prevent the plasticine from sticking to the blade, first rinse it with soapy water.

Then adjust the shape a little with a sushi stick or toothpick to create neat hollows (they should be slightly wider than your wires).

Everything is ready, you can fix the cables.

• There is an option for those who know how to work with wood. A small block with holes will help organize all the wires on your desktop.

• The simplest solution is to pass the wires through binders attached to the tabletop.

5. Don't hide wires
Seriously, if you get creative with it, cables can be an interesting decorative element. For example, you can secure the wire to the wall using special clamps. Why hide a wire when you can attach a bird to it?

Just some eight to ten years ago, a surge protector, in the eyes of the majority of our fellow citizens, was exclusively a computer attribute. In those days, when purchasing such a device, the buyer studied its technical characteristics for a long time and carefully in order to choose the truly best one offered by sellers. At the same time, not much attention was paid to the appearance of the product, partly due to the fact that in those days most surge protectors looked almost the same. But, times are changing. And today, surge protectors are not at all an exclusively computer attribute, but have become a common and familiar household device. The modern buyer is no longer so attentive and picky about clean technical specifications, as it was before. In addition, surge protectors in everyday life are mostly considered as extension cords with a bunch of output connectors and a switch, rather than as a serious device for filtering the supply voltage. Accordingly, the buyer’s main attention is focused on such parameters of the purchased product as ease of use, appearance, and functional equipment. It is from this point of view, in this material, that six network filters will be considered. I hope that this will help some people broaden their horizons and see that not all filters are the same and are just “a piece of wire with a box of connectors hanging on the end.”

According to the manufacturer, Pilot-S is a cost-effective solution for protecting office electronics. In fact, the only thing this filter will do well is protect the user’s network from possible short circuits in the power circuits of the equipment connected to it.

The filter in question is primitive both outside and inside. Network cable, whose length is 1.78 m, ends with a simple, without any frills, body (size 373x47x46 mm). In turn, the case carries an illuminated power switch, a fuse reset button, and six connectors for connecting consumers. Five of them are quite modern, that is, with grounding. The sixth connector is without grounding and is made for compatibility with older style plugs. All connectors are located almost close to each other, which is why the user may experience some problems. I mean the case when the equipment is powered by an external power supply whose dimensions, most often, exceed the dimensions of a conventional power plug.

Accordingly, when connecting such a power supply, the user will not be able to use the connector adjacent to it. In addition to this, the Pilot-S connectors do not have the so-called “child protection”. By the way, a child can also disassemble the housing of the filter in question without any problems. To do this, he doesn’t even need a Phillips screwdriver, because the case covers are fastened with ordinary furniture screws, the heads of which almost protrude beyond the boundaries of the case. Only one of them is recessed so that a plasticine seal, made in the best traditions of electrical instrument making of Soviet times, could be placed on top of it.

I hope that you can still convince your child that there is absolutely nothing inside the filter that deserves even a drop of attention. Actually, this is actually true, because in addition to the switch and fuses, the filter consists of one single container. We are not comparing the characteristics of filters now, but I think it’s not difficult to imagine how “serious” such a filter is.

I hope you have already sufficiently appreciated the Pilot-S in question. And, in my opinion, the last thing left to consider is the possibility of attaching this filter somewhere. For this purpose, its design includes two ears with holes. Unfortunately, the shape of these holes does not allow hanging the filter housing on an existing screw, for example, in the wall. That is, in order to secure the Pilot-S to any surface, you must first install it at the mounting location and only then secure it with a screw, screw, or whatever you will secure it with. The design of the case does not provide for any other options, which is sad.

This model is no longer as economical as the Pilot-S discussed above. The electrical circuit has become more serious and has grown to the LC filter that has already become traditional in such devices. True, the manufacturer still managed to save money. Instead of six output connectors, as was the case with the Pilot-S filter, in this case we have only five. Four of them are with grounding and one is without it. But, compared to the younger model, the location of the Pilot-GL connectors is more convenient for the user, since the universal connector (the one that does not have a ground) is spaced 11mm away from the others. Of course not a lot, but if you include not very large external blocks power supply to the equipment, the adjacent outlet will still remain accessible to the user.

Compared to the previous model, the Pilot-GL has improved not only electrical diagram filter, but also an indication. So, in addition to the backlit power switch, the Pilot-GL additionally has a green LED. It lights up if everything is in order with the device. If, as a result of overload or short circuit The protection in the filter will work and the LED will go out. At the same time, the power switch will continue to light, indicating the presence of voltage at the Pilot-GL input. I must say that this function sometimes turns out to be very useful.

This, in general, is where all the positive differences between the Pilot-GL and its younger brother end. Everything else, unfortunately, migrated from the younger model to the older one without any changes in better side. The network cable remained the same length (1.78m). The output connectors are not childproof. The covers of the device body are tightened with exactly the same screws as in the Pilot-S. True, there are two more ears for attaching the filter. But, the holes in them, just like in the Pilot-S, do not allow you to hang the filter housing on a screw or screw that is already screwed into, for example, a wall. In general, in my opinion, the Pilot-GL is certainly better than the simpler model described earlier. But final conclusions are still far away, and therefore let’s move on to considering the next filter.

Content:

IN everyday life quite often situations arise when the available sockets in an apartment or private house do not allow the use of any electrical appliances or household appliances. The main reason is their inconvenient location, so owners prefer to use an extension cord. In some cases, increased power outlets or a longer cord are required. In this case, home craftsmen make an extension cord with their own hands. A self-made extension cord will be much cheaper than a branded one and much more reliable. If you have the skills to work with the tool, the entire procedure takes from 15 minutes to half an hour.

Preparing to assemble the extension cord

Before making an extension cord, you first need to decide on its purpose. This will allow you to determine the possibility of connecting certain devices, as well as the maximum permissible power. These factors have a direct impact on the choice of cable cross-section and other components. It is recommended to select all parameters with a small margin, so that in the future there is the possibility of connecting more powerful electrical equipment.

First of all, you need to buy a wire that will be used as a cord. Most the best option considered copper, characterized by increased flexibility. If there is a grounding contact in the socket, the wire must be three-core, but if it is absent, a cable with two cores can be used. When purchasing, you should carefully study the product labeling.

If the brand “PVA 3 x 1.5” is indicated, this means that the wire is three-core and the core cross-section is 1.5 mm. These parameters allow you to connect a load with a power of up to 3.5 kW. For a power of 5 kW, a cross-section of 2.5 mm will be required. The data for calculations can be taken from a special one, which will significantly speed up the solution to the question of how to make an extension cord with your own hands.

When choosing a cross-section, it is necessary to take into account the conductor length factor. For example, if the cable length is more than 100 meters, then during operation there may be a voltage drop due to the connection of high power devices. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a cable with a larger cross-section than that provided in the calculation table.

Then you need to choose the right one, which should be collapsible. It is not recommended to purchase Euro-type products if you plan to use sockets in advance old design. Otherwise, you will additionally need an adapter. On the body of each plug there is a marking indicating the maximum current. For example, at 16A you will need a cable with a cross-section of 1.5 mm, and for 25A the cross-section will be 2.5 mm. If there is a ground connection, the plug must have a grounding pin in its design.

It is not recommended to choose a single outlet. The socket block should be at least double, and preferably with three or four elements. When choosing, you need to be very careful so as not to accidentally buy an overhead structure designed for use with open wiring. It does not have a special clamp that protects against accidental pulling out, and over time the back cover of such sockets falls out. For extension cords, there are separate options in the form of socket strips or cable sockets. If you need to connect a computer or other office equipment, then in this case a surge protector is made, which has a push-button switch and light indication.

After all the materials are prepared, you can begin assembling the extension cord. This procedure is carried out using a knife, screwdriver and pliers.

How to assemble an electrical extension cord with your own hands

At the first stage, the top insulating layer is removed from both sides of the cable by approximately 5-7 cm, after which the ends of each core are stripped to 1 cm. Next, the plug is disassembled by unscrewing the fastening bolt. After this, you need to loosen the screws on the clamp that secures the cable inside the plug body. Then the stripped wires are connected to the two plug contacts.

The location of the conductors does not matter; the most important thing is to correctly connect the grounding contacts on sockets and plugs. After connecting the conductors, the plug is reassembled.

At the final stage, the socket block is disassembled and two conductor cores are connected to the contacts. The third wire is connected to the ground pin, exactly the same as on the plug. Thus, both ground contacts are connected by a single wire.

If the core consists of many wires, then it is recommended to solder it or. As a last resort, you can simply twist the wires using pliers. After all connections, the cable is fixed inside the housing and final assembly block. The finished extension cord is checked by plugging it into a household outlet. electrical network or using a multimeter.

How to properly use a homemade extension cord

When using homemade extension cord Several mandatory requirements must be met.

• There should not be any damage on the cable, and if it does appear, it must be insulated. Isolation is performed when the extension cord is unplugged from the outlet.
• If a plug or socket fails, it must be replaced. They should be protected from moisture and avoid excessive overloads.
• When operating at maximum loads, the cable must be completely unwound to avoid overheating.