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How many pins in one plug socket?

Martywolfman

Martywolfman

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Jun 2, 2018
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Bedford
So I'm about to acquire my 5th Machine. I've done a bunch of reorganising, and they are now in one line. The all have easy access to one double socket (with extensions) There are other sockets but it would be a hassle getting cables from them to the machines.

Is it reasonable to use all 5 from this double socket?
 
It's reasonable to assume about 350 watts average from a single pinball machine - a figure taken from a BSD with incandescent light bulbs while being played, so pretty representational of an 'average' DMD pin. That's way higher than you're going to see in reality but as you'll see we can more than afford to assume worst-case.

UK sockets properly wired are rated for 230v, 13 amps, so just short of 3 Kilowatt on a single socket is your upper limit.

You'll be absolutely fine with five on a double socket.

That being said peak draw can be quite a bit higher on pinballs, either during switch-on or during worst-case gameplay situations with all coils, flashers etc. engaging, but unless you're expecting to have all five under very heavy usage at the same time you wouldn't have to worry about this - and of course it would only be momentary, not sustained draw. Even then I think you would be totally fine.

Just make sure your extensions are not crap and are up to the job... and are not coiled up if they're reels. They specify different ratings for fully unwound and for rolled up for a reason!
 
Brilliant thanks guys. I didn't think it would be too much of an issue, but best to ask people that know! :)


Thanks for the advice on the extension reel, I didn't think about that, I'll definitely uncoil it.
 
I would turn the machines on individually. Flicking all 5 on simultaneously might blow a fuse
 
PBrookfield said:
It's reasonable to assume about 350 watts average from a single pinball machine - a figure taken from a BSD with incandescent light bulbs while being played, so pretty representational of an 'average' DMD pin. That's way higher than you're going to see in reality but as you'll see we can more than afford to assume worst-case.
Click to expand...

So that’s not much more than 1.5 amps of current (350 watts / 220ish volts) while the line fuse in the machine is specified as a 5amp slow blow.

I appreciate your point that peak draw will be above 350 watts, but that sounds a lot higher before blowing to my non-electrician mind?
 
Also worth noting that the Varisitor across the mains filter will divert current (mains spikes) to the 5Amp QB fuse. As the voltage increases , its resistance decreases, blows fuse, protects boards.
 
The point above on extension leads is a good one, especially the note on the coiled type.

We had someone plug a fan heater into a coiled extension lead, turned the whole thing into an induction coil and melted the thing.

The strip type extension leads also should be 13 amp rated, both the wall plug and cable. Many are not and they burn out under surprisingly little load.
 
andy said:
So that’s not much more than 1.5 amps of current (350 watts / 220ish volts) while the line fuse in the machine is specified as a 5amp slow blow.

I appreciate your point that peak draw will be above 350 watts, but that sounds a lot higher before blowing to my non-electrician mind?
Click to expand...
EDIT: Posters above explain it better than me
 
Just check the extension is not .75mm or 1mm, as they take less current.You want 1.5mm cable. I generally keep 4 per gang.I have measured 2.5 a peak in past on games where practicable
 
Btw there's probably a 40%chance that if anyone has a stern on a socket on a normal cb of 16amp it may trip on initial power up
 
Just to add to what's been said......….you mentioned 'one double socket' so to my former electrician mind that means, simplistically, that you can potentially draw 26 amps across the double socket (i.e. assuming a 13amp fused 3 pin plug in each that then feeds your extensions into the pins). If you split the 5 across the two sockets then you'd be potentially drawing a max of 15amps on one and 10amps on the other (based on the pin being rated at 5amps each). The evidence from the earlier comments is that you'd be hard pressed to draw more than, say, 2.5 amps peak per pin and even in the probably unlikely event the peaks coincided on the 3 pins this would still be under the 13 amp rating per that socket. But an equally important question is what circuit are these pins on in your house as it's the total draw on the circuit that's also ultimately relevant. Plug sockets are generally, but not always, on 32 amp rated ring circuits in the UK and should be protected at the consumer unit (fuse box) accordingly so cut out if you draw more than the circuit is designed for.
 
They're not actually at home, I keep them at work, simply because I don;t have space at home. Work is a business unit used as a warehouse, generally the pinballs will be the only things in use on that particular circuit - the office is seperate. It could well be that the circuit is somewhat higher capacity. Apparently the unit was used by a dry cleaning company before I strted renting it. I can imagine their equipment needed that, but I don;t know for certain.

really my main concern was whether I'm likely to be blowing fuses on the extension(s) with 3 on the same one, and given that I have no knowledge whatsoever of how they actually work, whether drawing all 5 through the same double socket could potentially be a problem - I don;t know whether that's actually any different to powering 2 from a socket on the other side of the room or not.

it seems from the replies here that since they are all on the same circuit it doesn't actually matter which socket they use, as long as I'm not drawing more than 13 amps through any one socket.
(yes, i'm an utter n00b in this regard :rolleyes:)
 
Your business unit might have radial circuits, be good to check what fuses your circuit is using as it might not be on a 32a fuse/breaker.
 
Poibug said:
Btw there's probably a 40%chance that if anyone has a stern on a socket on a normal cb of 16amp it may trip on initial power up
Click to expand...
Why is that @Poibug ? Ive got a 16 amp cb which trips on powering up Data East games but I’ve never understood why that happens.

WPC, Bally -35 and 6803 games all power up with no tripping.
 
andy said:
Why is that @Poibug ? Ive got a 16 amp cb which trips on powering up Data East games but I’ve never understood why that happens.

WPC, Bally -35 and 6803 games all power up with no tripping.
Click to expand...
System 11 games can be trippers also. Had that in the past.

If it's a real issue, you can change your breaker to a Type C (normally B in domestic setting) It is more tolerant to momentary high inrush current and less likely likely to trip.

Not entirely sure why some games are more likely to do it. I think? it's something to do with the transformer and the AC cycle, but someone more knowledgeable like Poibug can prob explain it [emoji16]

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk
 
A bad bulb socket (and/or bulb) probably in a very difficult to get at location normally causes the power up trip. Certain DE games are especially bad for this, eg have to remove all ramps and plastics just to get at one particular bulb which can be a real pain.
 
System 11 (unsurprisingly Data East's Sys11 "inspired" designs as well, as well as derivatives) have massive initial inrush current.

Someone please correct me if I'm talking crap but it's not really to do with the amps drawn as much as it is a feature of RCDs, these trip because of imbalanced loads. Basically, the whole little 'warming up' moment of filling up capacitors and light bulbs sometimes convinces RCDs that there's a leak to earth, and those kinds of faults are designed to trip extremely fast, and over very little current.

I imagine the better luck with bigger circuit breakers is because of presence/lack of RCDs, or different sensitivities in these, as there are other heavier devices people would use that can trip an RCD.

It's just a poor aspect of these pinball designs in that they weren't designed to keep an eye on that inrush current suitable for smaller-rated circuits - if you consider their original application, it was likely never an issue.

Apparently fitting an inrush limiter of appropriate type could resolve this but I've no experience.
 
Yes RCD/RCBO units are designed to trip when the load goes asymmetric and poor insulation/short to earth would do it so you're not wrong in that regard, but seems mostly like a typical surge problem (like you can get with pumps and motors kicking in fast) if installing a Type C MCB sorts it.
 
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