viagra for plugs

July 14, 2006 1:13 PM

How do you secure a plug so that even if someone yanks on the chord, it doesn't come out of an outlet? It does need to be POSSIBLE to get the plug out sometimes, and it won't work to glue/staple the chord to the wall, because sometimes equipment needs to be moved to another room.

I teach for a computer-training company. At least once per class, someone trips over a chord and the plug gets yanked out of its socket. Inevitably, this chord leads to a strip powering half the PCs and the projector. So they all go down and have to be rebooted. The student feels like and idiot, and we have to pause class for 10 minutes.

I realize that chords should be taped down or whatever, but our tech guys are constantly moving machines from room to room, and the rooms themselves are continually re-organized (tables moved around, etc.) for various events. So everything needs to keep flexible and mobile.

I want to suggest a solution to my employers. Hopefully one that's not too expensive. I'm hoping there's something that can be mounted on or near sockets that can keep plugs from coming out. Any ideas?

posted by grumblebee to technology (23 comments total)

grumblebee, duct taping the power cords to the floor is the internationally recognized solution to this problem. It secures them and makes them harder to trip over. As a final bonus, it's completely temporary.
posted by onalark at 1:16 PM on July 14, 2006

Well, the first idea that comes to mind is that if a student tripped on something that did NOT pull out, then that student is in for a world of hurt when forehead meets desk corner.

If the cords are at trip-wire length, how about an extention cord, so they're on the ground? If they're on the ground, how about putting a rubber mat over the cords so they can be walked on?
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:18 PM on July 14, 2006

not duct tape: gaffers tape. Comes off easier and is easily torn.
posted by cosmicbandito at 1:25 PM on July 14, 2006

Movie sets and performance stages are constantly being reconfigured and have a lot of cables running around. I think the standard answer to the problem of people tripping over things in those situations is Gaffer's tape
posted by Good Brain at 1:27 PM on July 14, 2006

Either tape them to a plywood board (on the floor) or put a small rug over the cables.
posted by JMOZ at 1:29 PM on July 14, 2006

Better still, after one or two trips in a class, whip out your own personal rubber bathmat to put over the cord, making it kind of a cute class mascot/in-joke.
I like this manhole one, or this alligator.
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 1:29 PM on July 14, 2006

The plug attaches on two ends -- the outlet, and the appliance. Securing it at the outlet is going to put all the stress on the appliance, in the event that someone trips on the cord, which could (potentially) be much worse than rebooting some machines and having a delayed class. Maybe it will just give a power strip a good yank, maybe it will unplug the power strip (in which case you're back where you started), or maybe it will break said power strip (which is going to more of a hassle than unplugging it).

Be sure to consider that if you do find a solution that fixes the plug to the outlet.

And make darn sure a computer or projector can't get pulled off a table if you secure the outlet end, too.

(And if you do get it secured at both ends, you've just made a tripwire for your students...).
posted by teece at 1:29 PM on July 14, 2006

Try something like these.
posted by ny_scotsman at 1:46 PM on July 14, 2006

How about child-proof electrical outlet covers like these? They're not heavy duty by any means, but it might be enough to prevent cords from being yanked out. The covers snap off when you need to unplug stuff. Cheap and easy.
posted by ldenneau at 1:46 PM on July 14, 2006

ny_scotsman beat me to it.

Regarding the mobility issue, think about getting an extra set of cords, and leaving them in each room, so you don't need to pull up the cables every time the computers move from room to room.
posted by Brian James at 1:49 PM on July 14, 2006

Gaffer's tape would be the low-tech solution to this. The fancier equivalent would be to get a "fake threshold" strip designed for exactly this scenario.

If you really want to secure the plug, you might want to switch the plug and outlet to "twist and lock" connectors. These are not common in everyday life, but they are out there (see here). But teece explains how this can be a problem.
posted by adamrice at 1:50 PM on July 14, 2006

Thirding gaffers tape, but sounds like you may not want it looking kinda half-assed with tape all over the floor...? I think they make...well, google a moment and yes... here they are. Plastic "speed-bump" kinda things that go over the cables, can be moved around, look a bit more professional in a classroom perhaps. Hope that may work.
posted by zoinks at 1:51 PM on July 14, 2006

Beaten to it by several. Preview is our friend. Ahh, you've got a few shopping options, anyway. Also, like Brian James' suggestion about extra cables.
posted by zoinks at 1:55 PM on July 14, 2006

Given all the dangers of securing the plugs stated above if you still wanted to pursue I think i have a solution.

A 2 by 4 with strong wood dowel rising from it either screwed or fastened down in front of the plug could be used as a sort of "wrapping" pole. You would wrap said cord around the dowel several times and then plug said cord in, any force would be applied to the dowel instead of the plug itself..

Basically you have to diver the pressue away from the friction that keeps a plug in naturally and apply it to the cord itself, by wrapping it around something or pinching it at a point somewhat close to the electrical plug.
posted by crewshell at 1:58 PM on July 14, 2006

Cable Molding! You can get it at home despot, or any other place. It's a kind of soft plastic threshold with a cable slot in the bottom. Slide it over a cable on the floor and it will sit flat, allow folks to step on or over it, and prevent the cable from snagging on your foot-dragging students.
posted by Aquaman at 3:38 PM on July 14, 2006

try running the cables up the wall. if you have a drop ceiling, you can sling the cable over the support struts, and then drop them down where power is needed. only trips people who walk on the ceiling.
posted by anildash at 4:59 PM on July 14, 2006

Why gaffers' tape?

Cloth backing, so more easily torn straight across, different adhesive (sticks better, but removes easier and less likely to pull things off of whatever you're taping too.

Also, it costs 4 times as much. :-)
posted by baylink at 5:47 PM on July 14, 2006

There are a number of companies producing "flat wire" under-the-carpet wiring solutions, that might help. Some of these are more suitable for traditional carpet/pad systems, others can be used in areas with carpet tile, or unpadded, high traffic "industrial" or "indoor/outdoor" carpet areas. Some systems involve cutting shallow channel in the flooring or underlayment.
posted by paulsc at 8:25 PM on July 14, 2006

what about throwing a doormat over the wire?
posted by nomad at 10:11 PM on July 14, 2006

Well, nomad, it's actually not recommended to do that, and my understanding of why is something like this:

If you use a cable trough, it physically protects the wire from being walked on and crushed.

If you use gaffers or cable tape, at least people can tell there's a wire there, which somewhat reduces people walking on it.

If you hide it under a rug, no one can tell.

I think it may also violate fire code.
posted by baylink at 8:02 AM on July 15, 2006

Of course, this isn't going to happen, but the way one secures a plug into position is by using a different plug/socket!

You'd want a locking socket/plug. Yes, they won't install them but that would be the "guaranteed" solution.
posted by shepd at 9:28 AM on July 15, 2006

Yeah, I'm gonna go with the "fake Threshold"/"Cable Molding"... This works great to keep wires from being tripped over (we had this all over in our old apartment to keep ethernet from being tripped on.. couldn't nail into the walls or lift carpet).
posted by hatsix at 10:39 AM on July 15, 2006

Go with tape.

Having the cord release from one end or the other is a safety feature. No broken necks, and no live wires exposed when the cord breaks.

If you really want to buy something, here are the false thresholds that have been mentioned. You can even get extension cords with the false threshold built on, concealed-cord outlet box.
posted by Chuckles at 8:07 PM on July 15, 2006