Accidentally spilling a cup of coffee over a power strip will, at best, probably cause the connected equipment to stop working. On the other hand, such water-related electrical mishaps could lead to serious injury or even be fatal for the user. Wet Circuits has introduced a water resistant power strip that looks to avoid such situations by protecting internal wiring and minimizing the flow of electricity upon contact with water.
The water resistant design of the Wet Circuits power strip, along with the special material protecting the circuitry within, means that users need no longer risk injury (or worse) from physical contact with a damp strip. It can be safely handled with moist hands, and will continue to function even after accidental water spillage. Although not advised, it can even withstand submersion in water for around two hours before the special protective material wears off.
Each outlet on the power strip is independently wired and electricity will not flow through to any device unless a plug is fully inserted into the outlet. The upshot of this is that, should one outlet fail, the others will continue to work. Also, accidental physical contact with the parallel blades of a partly connected plug or experimental metallic insertion by investigative young hands needn't be the life-threatening worry it can be with standard power outlets.
Needless to say, such exploratory activity should still be actively discouraged, but it's good to know that if such sage counsel is ignored, the emergency room of the local hospital won't necessarily be getting a visit.
The design also negates fire hazards and overheating from internal circuitry - this can be caused by the build up of carbon, when tiny blue sparks are generated as a plug is inserted into a standard outlet. As well as fuse protection, the Wet Circuits strip also includes a circuit breaker to automatically cut the flow when possible overheating is detected.
The Wet Circuits water-resistant power strip is available now for a special introductory price of US$35 (until the end of July), not inclusive of shipping charges from Taiwan. The investment is claimed to last up to four times longer than other available products, the company stating "if you unplug three times a day, the outlet can last for 18 years!"
Via Like Cool
The following video enthusiastically explains how the power strip works: