Thread: Verdict? Is this safe?

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I have too many lighting hookups to keep using 3 way connectors tied into one another. Just seems not the right way to do it. So I'm gonna try a surge protector so it gives me tons of outlets and I need at least 4-5 in this location behind my tombstone. I've wrapped it 4 times in surane wrap.

Is this considered safe sorta? It should hold up against the rain, but I worry about fires..lol.

some duct tape on those open spots where the wire goes in just in case for condensation and water, i think it would be a nice temporary setup.

You can get outdoor multi-outlet surge protectors, often as a yard stake with a flip down cover (the one from Walgreens says "not for direct weather exposure" so read the labels closely!). It's probably not a good idea to do it your way, but the more important question is: are you overloading one socket with too many things plugged in? Your breakers will let you know, but you should also watch to make sure none of the cords are overheating. A surge protector won't be any safer if it's overloaded.

As an electrical engineer I wouldn't do that.

The plastic wrap will protect against rail drops, but it could also help hold from condensation (morning dew)
You best bet is to keep the power strip off the ground using a brick or rock, and then protect it against rain using a upside down rubber maid. (with air venting below to allow morning moister to dissipate. An outdoor electrical outlet in a outdoor box would also be preferable.
That plastic wrap wouldn't do jack in a fire other then burn quickly.

Anytime moister is involved make sure where ever your getting your power source from isn't just fuse protected, but Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) protected.
Unless your house is older, all your electrical outlets in your garage, outside and bathrooms should already have GFI protection. A GFI will cut power much faster then a fuse and is sensitive enough that even a small amount of water across and outlet will trigger it.

hmm, thanks guys...ya everything is fed off an outside wall outlet mounted to my brick/morter. It's a 20amp breaker so it should be fine. All of my candles and LED flood lights are low wattage. LED's can't take up too much and those candles are like 2-5 watts per piece. I shouldn't be pulling more than a few hundered watts off my setup..but I'm gonna double check my plugging in a watage meter.

I'll do the brick trick for now...but ya didn't think about morning dew

oh and my goal with the surge protector wasn't for surges...it was simply to have more outlets available at that one spot because I have 4 things to plug in, otherwise I would have used a 3 way connector from lowes

I have a simular set up but I use grocery bags instead of plastic wrap and it works great. I have been using that method for about 5 years but Zapwizard is correct dew could get inside the plastic. So far knock on wood no issues here.

Remember...HOT GLUE....is your friend!

If you don't want moisture getting to your plugs heat up the hot glue gun and cover each connections. Dip your fingers in cold water and form the glue around the plug then after Halloween a little pressure from a case-knife at the edge the glue will pop off.

I would just prop it up a little bit to get off the ground then put a bucket over it.

I made a few tombstones out of old foam coolers, they act as great weather proofing for my outdoor power junctions.