Review on ADJ Products Power Strip PC 100A by Abaraham Duvernot

There is a large warning at the top: DO NOT EXCEED 10 A PER CHANNEL. This is underscored by the fact that the device is NOT certified (UL Listed) by Underwriter Laboratories. There's even a review that claims the device set itself on fire. I'm pretty sure, but not sure I know why this is all true, and I think they're all related. So I took it apart. The device starts with a 3x14ga heavy-duty power cable. It enters the chassis and the ground wire is immediately bolted to the larger half of the chassis. Next to the chassis is a second screw that connects to a pair of 18ga cables, one going to the top half of the chassis and the other in-line to the outlets. The neutral line 14-ga is dropped into the 1st switch and is routed down the row of switches. In the same way, the hot wire goes through a fuse and then into a series of circuit breakers. Both hot and neutral tires are 14ga full length. Liadz DPST switches, part number LY606, are rated 20A at 125VAC and 16A at 250VAC. The sockets are designed for 15 A, 125 V AC. Connections from a 16ga switch. THIS IS A MISTAKE! Now I'm not an electrician or an electrical engineer; I'm a software engineer but as far as I know 16 ga is enough for 15 amps only for short distances or 10 amps for long distances. It's a short distance, but since it's part of a longer run, I suspect the problem is that the length of the entire path multiplied by the lowest current meter determines the device's power rating. Therefore this device cannot be certified for 15 amps over a single channel, but it is likely safe. So what you're really going to have is a long circuit from the panel through this device and back. It could easily be over 100 feet, all 14 ga copper except for two 1.5 inch 16 ga segments. It was a really stupid decision that saved them pennies per unit but cost them certification. But ultimately, this device is not designed to power a single circuit at full capacity. Do not do that. You can overheat a 16ga heater wire, melt the insulation and short it to the chassis, starting a fire like one dude did. The real problem is that it depends on the user being stupid. From a technical point of view, this is unacceptable. Aside from the big problem above, I need a master switch. The structure is made of painted steel and feels solid. All electrical connections, except the ground studs to the chassis, are spade terminals, crimp. There are a few spots where they added extra insulation. In general, the design and workmanship are good. I would buy it again but would hesitate to recommend it. If you're using it because you have multiple lightly loaded devices that you want to manage from one place, great. If you use it because your devices cannot be turned on at the same time, you may encounter problems. Manufacturer's recommendation: Discontinue the product. Replace with PC-100B with 14ga wiring from switch to outlet. Seriously, that's $0.10 more. Don't do a Ford Pinto.