(UK)+44 (0) 1924 367255 | (DE)+49 (0)2261 958 3001

Help Center

Please have a look through our help topics below

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for – 

Please call 01924 367255

Search

Terms & Conditions

Video's

Privacy Policy

Downloads

FAQ's

Standards

Customer Guides

More Questions?

Popular Topics

VGA

VGA

 What is the maximum cable length?  OE Electrics supply VGA cables in 1.8m, 3m, and 5m...

Fuses help guide

Fuses help guide

A short video demonstrating how to replace the fuse in an OE Electrics unit.

USB-C

USB-C

USB-C What is USB-C? USB-C (also referred to as USB Type C) is the most recent USB for delivering...

USB Charging

USB Charging

USB ChargingIntroduction USB was introduced in 1995 and quickly became one of the most essential...

USB

USB

OE Electrics can provide a range of audio visual cabling and connectors, including HDMI

TUF-R® A+C 25W Power Delivery

TUF-R® A+C 25W Power Delivery

OE Electrics’ TUF-R® PD (25W) is our next generation USB fast charging module incorporating the latest Power Delivery technology and a world first reversible USB A port. The new TUF-R® PD (25W) USB charger enables mobile devices to charge at optimum speeds. For a low battery boost, a quick 10-minute charge is all that is needed to add around 20% for the latest phones.

What is Type-C?

What is Type-C?

Type-C USB is quickly emerging as the new standard for transmitting not only power but also data. What is USB Type-C? And why do I need it?

Universal sockets are unsafe!

Universal sockets are unsafe!

The Plugs and Sockets, etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 control the selling of mains sockets in the UK. Universal sockets do not meet the requirements specified, and it is therefore not legal to supply them in the UK – despite the high praise of some media. David Peacock and Tim Hobbs explain:

TUF-R replace/upgrade

TUF-R replace/upgrade

The NEW OE Electrics TUF-R5A has been developed for the future. TUF5A was perfect for your fast-paced life, but TUF-R5A offers the same powerful, compact and efficient power delivery with one fantastic advantage: it’s upgradeable!

What’s a GST?

What’s a GST?

A GST is a type of connector that allows users to connect OE Electrics power modules to one another and to the power outlet in the wall. GST connectors look like this….

Fuses trouble-shooting

Fuses trouble-shooting

This video explains how to replace a fuse on an OE product, with a UK socket with an integral fuse.

Customer Help Guides

Customer Guide to HDMI

Customer Guide to TUF

Customer Guide to Fuses

Customer Guide to TUF-R Replacement

Frequently Asked Questions

Sales FAQ’s

Do not delete
Do you have literature we can have?
Of course, we can post out a brochure or you can download it along with data sheets direct from here
How long is the warranty on your products?
There is a 12 month warranty from the date of delivery.  In the event of any failure, items must be returned to OE for a full investigation.
What are the lead times?
Lead time is dependant on many factors including the type of unit and quantity required. Lead time indications are stated on quotations, but by all means feel free to ask for up to date information.
Is carriage included in the price?
For mainland UK, next day service is not charged on orders over £300. Orders under £300, £12.75 carriage is charged. Excess is charged for timed deliveries and for cable tray orders under £500.
Can you send me a pricelist?
Yes, no problem – please ring (+44 (0) 1924 367255) or email your request and we will arrange this for you.
Can you send me images of your products?
Yes, no problem – please ring (+44 (0) 1924 367255) or email your request and we will arrange this for you. Alternatively, images are available for download from each product page. This is also a gallery section and some 3D block downloads available under the resources section of our website.
How much will it cost?
This will vary on the type and specification of the unit, please either call a member of the quotes team or complete the online form.

Technical FAQ’s

Do not delete
Whats the maximum number of sockets I can daisy chain?
It Depends! – What Standard is the installation going to comply with?
1. BS6396 – The number of sockets in each power unit and the fuse rating: The maximum number of sockets connected from a 13A plug is 6, where the socket fuse rating is 3.15A – So if the unit contains 6 sockets fused at 3.15A no more can be connected. In a typical office solution there may be 4 sockets in an under desk unit and 2 in the desk top 4+2 = 6. It could equally be 3 under + 3 desktop or 2 under + 4 desktop as long as maximum number does not exceed 6. Where 5A fuses are fitted the maximum is 4 per feed from the 13A plug.
2 . BS7671 – Where the sockets are connected by an underfloor track or hard wired usually via a Power Distribution Unit. In this case the number of connected sockets may be larger but this will depend on the equipment likely to be used on the workstations. The potential electrical load on the supply and the nature of the equipment in use will dictate the limits. This type of installation will need to comply with BS7671 also known as the IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition. Check with electrical facilities manager with responsibility for the site.
Why have my fuses blown?
Because the socket has been overloaded beyond the rated socket fuse current.

Fuse Failure in Power Modules

When BS6396 was published as a full British Standard in 1990 the allowable socket outlet configurations – up to 4 sockets fused at 5A and, up to 6 sockets fused at 3.15A – were introduced as a result of comments on the draft documents by the HSE. The purpose of the fuses is to restrict the use of the desk/workstation socket outlets to office equipment only with a maximum current of 5A.
Where socket configurations utilise a 3.15A rated fuse this clearly will be the maximum operating current for each socket. This should be taken into account when specifying desk electrical systems.

In most circumstances this allows the use of normal office desk top equipment. Equipment requiring an operating current in excess of these values should be connected directly to the building supply.

Therefore desk mounted sockets must not be used for heaters, kettles, coffee makers and cleaning equipment such as vacuum cleaners. Users of the desks and workstations should be made aware of these restrictions.

OE Electrics power modules are fitted with anti-surge ceramic HBC fuses as standard during manufacture. Replacement fuses should only be of the same type and rating as the OEM fitment. 3.15A fuses should only be uprated to 5A where no more than 4 sockets are connected from the building supply via the 13A plug as required by BS6396. Under no circumstances should the fuses be substituted with glass bodied fuse types.

The coloured fuse rating tags should be changed to indicate the correct fuse rating for the installation.

Failure of the fuses is not indicative of faults with the power modules but of overload from the connected equipment. This may be due to high initial current drawn by the equipment plugged into the sockets hence the original fitment of anti-surge type fuses.
Where fuse failure is occurring and 3.15A fuses are fitted consideration should be given to reduce the number of sockets to 4 per feed from the mains supply. This will then allow the use of 5A rated fuses. Where the number of sockets required at the desk is in excess of 4 with fuses rated at 5A then additional power modules feeding from a separate13A supply plug may be introduced.
In failing, the fuses have served the purpose intended – to prevent the use of high current equipment as set out by the British Standard, to protect the circuits and installation and to protect the staff using the desk.

Whats wrong with buying a trailing socket and using it in my office?
Because it will not conform to the relevant Standard for office furniture installations as it does not have individually fused sockets.
Electrical systems in office furniture must be undertaken in accordance with relevant Standards to ensure compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations; these are part of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Employers must be able to demonstrate that any electrical installations or equipment in use in the workplace comply with the Regulations. The simplest approach to show a credible compliance is to meet the requirements of relevant Standards which in the case of Electrical Systems in office furniture connected to the supply by means of a 13A plug is:-

BS 6396– Electrical Systems in Office Furniture and Office Screens.

BS6396 restricts the number of outlets for safety to a maximum of 6 outlets per mains supply feed from the 13A plug; each socket must be individually fused. Trailing sockets do not provide fuse protection for individual sockets and are therefore unsuitable for this application.

Also the use of trailing sockets also often encourages “daisy chaining” of the sockets by unqualified users leading to potentially dangerous situations.

Ref: HSE Guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations HS(R)25

Is It a legal requirement for units to be switched?
No – within the UK and Ireland switches are a customer option. Both BS6396 and BS7671 do not require switched sockets for compliance.

For other country specific units please contact the technical team who should be able to advise.
What is the situation with sockets inset into desk tops?
BS6396:2008 states in Section 5.5.4 “Socket outlets shall be positioned so as to minimise the risk of electrical hazards from liquid spillage.”

This means that socket outlets should not be mounted inset or horizontally facing upward in desks. When testing to BS6396 is carried out, the standard UKAS approved test is that cup of liquid is spilled over the sockets or in the vicinity of them if they are in an cable basket or tray. The liquid should not be retained on or in the sockets. Clearly where the sockets are angled any liquid would run off.

This will equally apply to sockets installed on office furniture in compliance with BS7671.

What is a PDU?
Typically used to provide mains power distribution to a cluster of desks from a 32A underfloor track supply. They are fitted with MCB’s to provide circuit protection for the power feeds to the individual desks. The MCB’s prevent overload of the Wieland connectors and connecting cable to the units
Are my units broken as the fuses have blown?
Units are not faulty or broken if the fuses have blown. The fuses have failed due to overload and have performed the function as intended – see FAQ Why has my fuse blown.
What is BS6396?

BS6396:2008+A1

Standard for electrical installations in office and educational furniture connected to the supply by means of a 13A BS1363 plug – Standard UK square pin plug

BS6396 applies to electrical installations in office and educational furniture connected to the supply by a Standard UK BS1363 square pin 13A fused plug. In addition to the UK, installations complying with BS6396 may also be specified in locations where UK electrical practice and sockets are also used such as the Eire, UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong. Furniture installations connected to the building mains AC by other means such as underfloor track tap-offs, industrial connectors or hard wiring are not covered by BS6396 and should be installed in accordance with the BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations.

 

BS6396 Includes furniture for use in educational establishments – Schools – Colleges – Libraries – Universities

The 2008 edition of BS6396 widened the Scope of the Standard to include Educational furniture. Effectively bringing electrical installations in educational furniture connected by means of a 13A plug under the same rules as commercial office desks and workstations. This change was requested by the British Standard Committee with responsibility for Educational furniture to ensure that students in schools, colleges, universities and training establishments enjoy the same levels of safety as staff in commercial premises. Installations in these establishments connected to the building AC mains by other means will need to comply with BS7671.

 

BS6396 restricts the number of sockets connected from a single 13A plug to a maximum of 6.

BS6396 restricts the maximum number of sockets fed from a single 13A plug supply to 6 when they are individually protected at 3.15A. These restrictions should not be exceeded as it may lead to overload or excessive earth leakage currents back to the supply. The sockets on BS6396 compliant installations areintended for use with equipment with a maximum current rating of 3A and must not be used for high current appliances such as kettles, vacuum cleaners, and heaters. If equipment exceeding this rating is to be used on the furniture must be connected directly to a dedicated floor or wall 13A supply socket. The cable may be routed through the furniture.

All sockets must be individually fused – 5A for a maximum of 4 sockets – 3.15A for a maximum of 6 sockets.

OE Electrics power modules fitted with our fused UK sockets are fitted with ceramic anti-surge HRC fuses as standard. Replacements must be of the same type and rating and comply with the restrictions as previously indicated. Under no circumstances should glass fuses be used as replacements even though the rating may be the same.

 

Furniture is to be provided with facilities for cabling and sockets

For compliance with BS6396 the furniture into which the electrical accessories and cabling are to be installed must comply with relevant structural strength and stability Standards. BS6396 requires that sockets should be mounted in accessible locations free from the risk of liquid spillage, and the safe routing and securing of power cords should be provided.

OE Modules available for both earthed and unearthed Furniture. For guidance please contact our Wakefield office.

Many OE Electrics modules when fitted with UK sockets are supplied as standard with a facility for earthing the furniture metalwork via the module. To aid this some modules, such as POWERUNIT, POWERBOX, come complete with a 250mm long 1.5mm 2 earth bond cable terminated with M5 ring terminal as standard. Earth leads are available to order for all other modules including those with non UK socket types.  If earth cables are not required please indicate this on placing any order.

OE Electrics can provide a wide range of desktop and under-desk units correctly configured to meet the requirements of BS6396.

All OE Electrics standard modules are available with individually fused UK BS1363 sockets marked with the 3.15A or  5A fuse rating. In addition our new QikFIt UK twin UK socket module is fitted with 3.1 A resettable thermal overloads instead of fuses to enable BS6396 compliance.

Download printer friendly PDF

Can you come to site and test the units?
Unfortunately OE Electrics does not have the resources to undertake site testing of installed units. Tests on site will need to be in accordance with the Standard to which the installation was created by suitably trained or qualified personnel. If necessary OE Electrics can arrange testing.
How do your products fix to the desk?
There are various methods of fixing for each unit – a member of the quotes team can talk you through the options or you can view them on the website
Can I download images from your website?
A full range of brochures & data sheets is available from our website. If you can’t find what you are looking for please contact sales
What colours do you do the units in?
Each unit has its own standard colour although some units can have different coloured plastic mouldings dependant on quantity. For example, the POCO is supplied as standard in silver/grey and the PolarICE is white. Please enquire if you would like units in custom colours.
What’s a tap off?
A tap-off is a cable that connects the under-floor track to a power outlet device above the floor such as a power distribution unit or a desk power module. Generally, the cable is protected by running it through a flexible conduit.
Do you test the sockets?
Yes, every power socket in every module is individually tested before leaving our factory. The same applies to data and A/V sockets
Do I need a starter cable?

If the unit you are purchasing is hardwired to a Wieland or includes an integrated Wieland you will require a starter lead. 

What’s a Wieland?
Wieland is a trade name for a type of power connector that has become the de facto standard in many countries for connecting mains power to devices. The type OE Electrics use as standard is GST.
What is the maximum length of VGA cable I can use?
The maximum length of a VGA cable depends on a number of factors including the quality of the cable and the device that is providing the signal. The further you go, the more signal degradation occurs & the worse the image becomes. OE Electrics supplies high quality VGA cables up to 5m in length. Thereafter we can supply additional high quality extensions allowing the introduction of boosters on site where degradation has occurred.
What is HDMI?
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It is a standard for transmitting digital video and audio data. OE Electrics can supply desktop modules with HDMI connectors, as well as DVI & VGA.
Why is my HDMI flickering or not working at all?

Please see our HDMI Help Guide for trouble shooting here.

What is the minimum bending radius allowed on data cables?
The minimum bend radius varies between different categories of cable. Each manufacturer will specify different minimum radii for their own brand of cable, so check their data. A good rule of thumb is to multiply the diameter of the data cable by ten to calculate the minimum bend radius. For example, an 8mm diameter cable will have a minimum bend radius of 80mm. This may be more than is necessary for category 5e cable, but it is advisable to over estimate to maintain the highest possible transmission rate.
If we use your data modules, the network guarantee will be voided. Is this true?
Your network installer will have specified a certain category of data components and possibly a particular brand. If they have specified a particular brand then it may be necessary to use the same brand in our module. In the majority of cases this is possible, with only a few restrictions relating to module depth and cable entry. On request, and at additional cost we have provided a data cable test certificate to prove that our standard category 6 or 6A cable is capable of providing an equal transmission rate to that of the branded cable specified by a network installer or architect.
How long is the maximum cord length I can use on CAT6 cabling?
The maximum recommended total length for a run of Cat6 cable is 100m, which includes 90m of cable in the building and a patch cord of up to 10m. The cable supplied for connecting the OE Electrics’ units to the floorbox or wall is considered to be part of the fixed link and a patch cord is normally used to connect the OE Electrics’ unit to the computer at the desk.
Why shouldn’t I use universal sockets?
Universal sockets do not comply with any national electrical standard and therefore cannot be considered safe. The terminal apertures in the universal socket are unusually large because they have to accommodate such a wide variety of pin shape and positioning. The universal socket does not include a shutter.
Why can’t I connect 20A or 32A mains direct to your power units/Prism units?
These units are supplied via a Wieland connector rated at 16A. Therefore they should only be connected to the mains supply via a connection incorporating over-current protection of 16A or less – 13A plug or via PDU with 16A rated mcb or RCBO. Our standard power connector that we use for all modules are rated up to 16A. For higher currents we use larger connectors and these don’t fit in some of our units. Please contact us for further information
What can I fit inside that unit?
The majority of modular components will fit inside the majority of modules. Moulded plastic modules, such as Powerunit and Pulse, have greater restrictions due to their fixed length and limited choice of cable entry points. Modules based on a length of extruded aluminium have greater flexibility and can be tailored to your specific needs. All extruded modules have common configurations but they can be cut to specific lengths to contain a greater or lesser number of components.
Are the units in a set configuration?
Off-the-shelf units are available in set configurations but in the majority of cases a unit can be configured to suit your needs. Certain restrictions apply with each module – for example, unit length, unit depth and cable entry points. Please see modular components.
Do you do different sockets for different countries?
Yes, we have sockets for almost every country in the world.  See the modular components section of our website
How can I add power or data or VGA into Prism after initial installation?
This depends on various factors such as the length of the unit and also what it contains. However, if there is enough space in a unit, we can provide snap in fascias for site installation or the unit can be sent back to us for re-working.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
`