While plugging electrical appliances into power strips is super practical and economical, did you know that this can carry certain risks?
Plugging in very energy-consuming devices or overloading the power strip can actually cause real failures. It can damage household appliances, cause power outages, but also cause fires! It happened to me, and since then, I’ve been extremely careful about what I do. Discover 9 devices to never plug into a power strip.
First, Look at the Maximum Power of the Power Strip
Before giving you the list of electrical devices not to plug in, it’s necessary to know one thing. On all power strips, the maximum power they can support is indicated on the power cable.
So the first thing to do before plugging in your electrical devices is to look at this information. Then, it’s very simple. You must add the power of each device that is plugged into the power strip.
How do I know what the power of this or that device is, you ask?
Well, as with the power strip, this information is written on each electrical device. I’ll give you a concrete example. Imagine that your power strip tolerates a maximum power of 3500 W. If you plug in your oven which consumes 2500 W, your vacuum cleaner which consumes 800 W, and your kettle which consumes 250 W. You exceed 3500 W (2500 + 800 + 250 = 3550 W). There is only one solution in this specific case.
Unplug one of the electrical devices from the power strip to return below its maximum power threshold. Otherwise, it can be very dangerous. Now, let’s look at all the devices that should not be plugged into a power strip.
1. The Oven
The oven is undoubtedly among the most energy-intensive household appliances. Even if you don’t use it regularly, you absolutely should not plug it into a power strip! It is better to provide an individual wall outlet to avoid the risk of dangerous overheating.
2. The Refrigerator
You might think that the refrigerator is not the appliance that consumes the most energy. Since it doesn’t consume too much power, it seems okay to plug it into an extension cord without any problem. Well, no! Let’s not forget that a refrigerator sends electrical voltage 24 hours a day to the power strip. So, plugging this type of device into an extension cord is not a good idea. This also applies to freezers.
3. The Washing Machine
A washing machine consumes on average 1150 kWh per year. It is therefore a very energy-intensive device and not recommended at all for a power strip. Plugging the washing machine into a wall outlet avoids any risk of short-circuiting and overheating of the extension cord. The same goes for tumble dryers. They consume way too much electricity to be left plugged into a power strip.
4. Auxiliary Heating
I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t use it, but remember to plug it directly into a wall outlet. Never into an extension cord, because this device can very quickly overload the power strip.
5. The Microwave
Never believe that this little metal box doesn’t consume any energy. A microwave can consume on average 70 kWh per year. You see, it’s not nothing. You should therefore avoid plugging it into an extension cord.
6. The Coffee Maker
You might think that a small machine like a coffee maker consumes nothing. In reality, it is quite electricity-intensive with consumption estimated at 165 kWh/year. Plug this device into a wall outlet.
7. The Toaster
If you toast buns every morning, you consume between 500 and 1000 W per year! Yes, that’s a lot for such a small device. Avoid plugging it into a power strip.
8. Another Extension
Do you have a lot of electrical appliances to plug in? So you use several extension cords connected to each other. Very, very bad idea! By doing this, the maximum authorized power of the power strip can very quickly be exceeded. This type of bad practice is also the cause of many domestic fires!
9. The Internet Box, the Computer, and the TV
The internet box, the computer, and the television do not consume a lot of electricity. However, these devices are particularly sensitive to any electrical problem, such as overvoltage. So, avoid plugging them into a power strip or equip yourself with a surge protector.
In conclusion, there you have it, you now know which electrical devices you should not plug into a power strip. The chances of fire are fortunately quite low, but prevention is better than cure! Because the risks of overheating are indeed present.
