The real problem with the USB chargers is the size of the transformer on the end of the chord that reduces the voltage for the phones. Combine that with the fact that many people have more than one device that they charge on a daily basis and you quickly grow a “farm” of chords and transformers plugged to your wall.
So now there’s a really cool solution and it’s fairly inexpensive and very easy to use.
Leviton is selling a few products that can really help out in the USB charging arena. They recently sent me one of their USB Charger/Outlets to try and their Mobile Device Station.
Warning: Working with electricity can cause serious injury or death. If you’re not familiar with electrical work please consult a licensed electrician.
Installation was very easy as I followed these steps.
The Mobile Device Station basically widens the existing single outlet and allows you to install their phone holder. The holder can hold a SmartPhone while it’s charging. This definitely clears up some desk space.
As you can see in the adjacent photo, I now have a phone charging on the wall braket, an iPad plugged in and still one outlet available for any desk devices that may need power. No special chords needed, no special adapters just an all new outlet with an excellent feature.
I’m very impressed with these new charger/outlets. I’ll be placing several of them around the house to take the brunt of our charging needs. Priced at $20 they will likely sell very well!
The Mobile Device Station is also a neat idea but it’s not as crucial. Priced around $11 this too is a good value.
If you’d like to buy these you can online at several stores including the links below to Amazon:
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2.1 amps is the same output as the power brick for the iPad. I'm betting that was a design choice. Any less and the iPad would charge slower. It should charge your phone really fast. PC USB slots are around .5 amps.
Yup....but I did find one issue...just waiting to hear back from Leviton. Apparently this will only charge one USB device at a time...seems a bit useless to me having two ports if in fact that's the case.
I'm a bit of a novice, so apologies if this question seems basic.
I've shutoff the power to the outlet, so working with it is not a problem. When I start disconnecting the wires to straighten them, I noticed that there are two black wires, two white wires and one ground, each connected to their own terminal with a screw. On this Leviton T5630-W outlet, there are only three terminals with screws: one white, one black (hot) and one ground.
Do I connect both black wires to the one "hot" terminal? And, do I do the same for the two white wires, connecting them to the one white terminal? (Assuming ground is the same, as well?)
Thanks, in advance.
Jay - I didn't remember this when I installed the ones I reviewed, however I'm not all that surprised. Sounds to me like you'll need to create pigtails for the hot and neutral wires. basically you attach a short 3rd wire to each pair with a wire nut, then attach the end of the new wire to the back of the outlet. Trying to attach two wires to a terminal at the same time isn't really a good idea as one or both can come loose. Good luck.
One nice thing about the Decora Mobile Device Station is that it can be mounted on either side of the outlet. Looking at the your phone in the first picture the micro USB port is on the side and interferes with using the receptacle. This would be an easy change to just the plate.
I have a leviton T5632-BW USB receptacle. I replacing a regular outlet that has a line and neutral power and then a another and neutral off to another outlet. If I connect all 4 to the new outlet, both neutral and both lines to the right connections it actually discharges my phone. If I only connect the power in lines and leave the outgoing line out of the circuit it works fine....Is there a solution to this?