Very few of our Residence Halls have the number of wall outlets we all would like. In addition the outlets more than likely will not be in locations which, will be most convenient to your chosen room layout. Because of this please follow the following electrical safety "do's" and "don'ts".
Never tamper with university wiring by removing or replacing a light fixture or electrical outlet.
All electrical equipment and appliances must be in good condition. The plugs and insulation on the wires must be intact; meaning the cords must not have splices or cracks and the plugs must not be missing any of its prongs. All electrical appliances used in our Residence Halls must be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed.
Some electrical appliances must always be plugged directly into a wall outlet. These include any microwave ovens, mini fridges, power-strips/surge-protectors, and room air conditioning units. Please remember that only one high wattage appliance should be plugged into any one outlet (this means a power strip or the microwave oven, but not both, and only one power strip per outlet that is if it doesn't already have a microwave oven or air-conditioner plugged into it).
The only safe and approved method to increase the number of outlets available for the rest of your electrical appliances is with the use of UL listed power strips/surge protectors that have a built-in circuit breaker or fuse.
These power strips/protectors can accommodate four to eight individual appliances, provided a total of 15 amps is not exceeded when all outlets are used.
Never run electrical cords under carpeting, piles of clothing, through walls, above dropped ceilings, across locations where the cord can be damaged by foot traffic or pinching by doors, drawers, etc.
NEVER defeat a three-pronged extension cord, or appliance by using two-prong adapters!
Extension Cords
The use of extension cords in residence halls is prohibited! Power strips are recommended instead!
Extension cords should be:
- For temporary use pending the installation of permanent outlets;
- For applications where equipment is not routinely used;
- For temporary or portable equipment;
- Energized from a permanent outlet; and
- Grounded 3-wire type.
Extension cords should not:
- Run through openings in walls, ceilings, or doorways;
- Be draped over light, ceiling, wall fixtures, etc.;
- Be attached or fixed to any surface;
- Run across aisles or walkways;
- Run under carpets or flooring; and
- Be plugged into a power strip.
Power strips/surge protectors should be:
- Properly secured to a permanent surface;
- Equipped with fuse or circuit breaker;
- Energized from a permanent outlet;
- Grounded 3-wire type; and
- UL approved.