Have you seen or heard new power point installation with USB points in the market? If your answer is no, then you are not all alone.
Power points with USB are the newest evolution of traditional power outlets. Unfortunately, most people don’t even know that they exist. If you are tech-savvy, then you shouldn’t miss this update.
If you don’t have power points with USB at your home, it is high time to upgrade. Are you in doubt about whether to upgrade? Then keep reading this article and discover why these new power points are worth installing.
What is a USB Power Point?
If you haven’t seen a powerpoint with USB, it is almost identical to a traditional powerpoint. However, along with the normal three-prong socket, there are several in-built USB sockets in the powerpoint.
If you have a USB port in the powerpoint, you don’t need to have a charger to charge your electrical devices. You can use the USB cable and charge your phone directly.
How do Power Point Installation with USB work?
You don’t have to use a charger if you have USB power points. The USB powerpoints will get power directly. Therefore, these USB powerpoints will supply a high voltage to charge your devices more efficiently.
However, these outlets will distribute a constant amperage. Therefore, if you connect more USB devices simultaneously, the power will be distributed among all these devices. As a result, each device will receive less power.
Therefore, it is best to pick a powerpoint with two USB outlets or choose ones with high amperage.
You can connect any electrical device to these powerpoints, which could be charged from a USB. For example, you can charge devices such as:
- Smartphones
- iPads
- Tablets
- Keyboards
- Bluetooth speakers
- Wearables and heart rate monitors
- Flashlights
- Drones
- Digital cameras and Go pros
Do Power Point with USB Waste Power?
Standby mode will still leak electricity to the devices even when not in use. For example, when your television is on standby mode, it is generally indicated by a red light. Your television will draw power even in this state..
Accordingly, the records indicate that power consumption at standby mode accounts for more than 10% of the total energy consumed in Australian homes.
USB powerpoints will mostly remain in standby mode. Therefore most people might question whether powerpoints with USB waste power or electricity.
Let’s put your mind to ease. Powerpoints with USB will draw less than 0.05 watts when nothing is plugged in. This is a very low value compared to the power drawn from the traditional powerpoint. Therefore don’t worry; USB powerpoints draw less power even when they are in standby mode.
What are the benefits of installing Power Point with a USB?
Now that you know how USB powerpoints work, let’s find out why you should install them. There are various benefits of installing power points with USB. Some of these benefits are:
1. Improves the value of your property
Powerpoints with USB are the next step of traditional powerpoints. With the rising use of electrical devices, you should have the equipment to facilitate them. Powerpoints with USB are one such improvement.
Therefore installing USB powerpoints could increase the value of your property.
2. Doesn’t draw much power in standby mode
As we discussed earlier, the USB powerpoints will draw minimum power in standby mode. Therefore adding them to your property will not negatively affect its energy efficiency. On the contrary, it will help to improve energy efficiency by minimizing the number of extension cords used to connect the chargers.
3. No more tangled wires
You can only connect one device to the socket in traditional powerpoints. If you want to connect another device, you must use an extension cord. When you use extension cords, more tangled wires would make the place messy.
However, if you have dedicated powerpoints with USB, you don’t have to go through this trouble. You can connect several USB devices and another separate device to the same powerpoint simultaneously.
4. No need to look for chargers
Have you ever been in a situation where you looked for the USB charger everywhere but couldn’t find it? Well, say no more to the chargers with the new USB powerpoints.
You can directly charge your USB devices with the dedicated USB slot in the powerpoint. Therefore you can completely ignore the charger as long as you have a USB cable which is compatible with the device.
5. Charge the devices faster
How do you usually charge your phone? Normally you would have to charge it through a charger.
Sometimes, the charger will be plugged into an extension cord. In such situations, the power drawn by your phone will be less. Therefore it could take more time to charge the phone.
However, the process would be faster if you can directly charge your phone or other electrical devices from a designated powerpoint. As said before, powerpoints with USB receive power directly. Therefore more energy flows into the device, thereby making the charging process faster.
6. Safer outlets
When you have a designated slot on the powerpoint itself, you don’t have to rely much on the extension cords. Relying too much on extension cords could put your life in danger. If you overcrowd a powerpoint with extension cords connecting many devices, that powerpoint could burn out, leading to a fire.
Therefore modern powerpoints with designated USB outlets can help to minimize the use of extension cords, thereby minimizing the risk of power overload.
Are there any disadvantages of Power Point with USB?
While there are many advantages of using USB powerpoints, there can be disadvantages too. The main disadvantage of shifting to these power outlets is the initial cost.
If you already have traditional powerpoints, replacing them could be costly. You would have to remove the old powerpoints, adjust the wiring if needed, purchase powerpoints with USB, install them, etc.
So if you are shifting to these powerpoints, make sure that you have USB-compatible electronic devices. Otherwise, it would be a waste of money.
Should you hire a licensed electrician to install Power Point with USB?
The studies done by Energy Safe Victoria indicate that most people tend to do small electrical work by themselves. Especially things like changing a powerpoint.
If you are thinking of doing it yourself, then don’t. While any kind of electrical work would be dangerous, doing electrical work without licenses is strictly illegal in Victoria.
Don’t put your life and the lives of others in danger. Hire a licensed electrician to install the powerpoints in Victoria.
Wrapping up
Powerpoints with USB are similar to traditional powerpoints. However, they have a separate USB port along with the three-prong socket. This is ideal for a tech-savvy household that has many USB-compatible electronic devices.
There are various benefits of installing USB powerpoints. One such benefit is that they leak minimum electricity while in standby mode. The main disadvantage of installing powerpoints with USB is that the total project would have a significant initial cost.
When installing a powerpoint, you should hire a licensed electrician since it is a legal requirement and will keep you away from danger. If you are looking for a licensed electrician in Ballarat, don’t hesitate to contact MJ Electrician.
We have served the Ballarat community for many years and helped our clients overcome electrical issues. We can help you to upgrade your property with power points with USB. Contact us today to get a quotation.
