Question Electrical experts - can I safely use this C table with outlets?

Can that one outlet support a tablet, a phone, and a coffeecup warmer?
I have a great spot at the end of the sofa, next to the coffeemaker and I'd like to use this table for my tablet, maybe phone, and add a mug warmer (on second shelf). Would this be safe?

 

[GTS225]

Take a look at the underside of all three items. In the case of the phone, look at the wattage rating of the charger. Note the wattage rating, and add them together, and post that number for a reasonably intelligent response. Without that info, we can only guess.

Roger

 

[Rich W.]

I can’t see any reason why not. Your cup warmer is probably less than 5 amps, the other two are minimal and its probably a 15 amp circuit - check this but that’s most likely the case. Just do volts x amps to get watts, or watts/volts to get amps to figure out how you’re loading a circuit.

 

[bpaikman]

Take a look at the underside of all three items. In the case of the phone, look at the wattage rating of the charger. Note the wattage rating, and add them together, and post that number for a reasonably intelligent response. Without that info, we can only guess.

Roger

Warmer: 30W
IPhone 2014 Pro: 27W I think
(necessarily) huge Ipad 12.9": 30W

 

[Rich W.]

Warmer: 30W
IPhone 2014 Pro: 27W I think
(necessarily) huge Ipad 12.9": 30W

so an average lightbulb’s worth of current draw. This is a 120v outlet you’re talking about, correct?

 

[bpaikman]

I can’t see any reason why not. Your cup warmer is probably less than 5 amps, the other two are minimal and its probably a 15 amp circuit - check this but that’s most likely the case. Just do volts x amps to get watts, or watts/volts to get amps to figure out how you’re loading a circuit.

Thank you! I'm woefully ignorant about electricity - Bob suggested that we write that down and post it somewhere.
Haha, he's a retired PhD chemist, but he says his philosophy is to hire or ask experts for electrical stuff.

 

[bpaikman]

so an average lightbulb’s worth of current draw. This is a 120v outlet you’re talking about, correct?

yes

 

[Rich W.]

So it can run a lot of stuff. The thing to rmemeber is that its probably not a home run to the panel so there are likely other outlets on that circuit. Turn off that breaker and see what else is on the circuit. Then do the math (total load in watts divided by 120 to get amps) and you’ll know how much total load you can put on it. A 15amp breaker can theoretically power 1800 watts, but you should keep the load under 80% for a safety margin, so just make sure that the total load on that 15amp breaker adds up to 1440 watts or less at any one time.

 

[bpaikman]

this is the table in question and my cozy coffee corner where I sit in the morning and do computer stuff. Coffee maker is plugged into one outlet, but the other one is where I was thinking to plug the table. I need the mugwarmer plugged in usually, and the ipad and phone only occasionally (if I forgot to charge). The outlet is difficult to see and reach, so I'm trying to figure out a way to get around it. I'm even thinking of a plain 'unwired?' table for the other end of the sofa if the first one works out.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

The answer to the question, is it safe? It is safe to assume that many loads are on that circuit, that you are unaware of. For the occasional overload incountered the breaker will trip, so yes it is safe.

As stated by others tablets and phones are low watt devices. Coffee warmers would burn the Coffee if more than a couple hundred watts. That would translate into a total load of under 2 amps at 120vac, on a minimum 15 amp circuit.

That is not enough to warm the wire!!!