My brother once tried to plug everything he could think of into one power strip to keep his room tidy; a toaster, his laptop, a fan, a heater. Well, the whole darn thing tripped the circuit and we ended up with a fried power strip, no power on and a mini fire to boot.
It took me a long time to realize that not everything can go into a power strip, no matter how convenient it is. So, let me share with you 10 things that you should never plug into your power strip.
Refrigerators and Freezers
These big, power-hungry appliances need electrical power to keep food cold; they also use a lot of electricity. It’s great to plug them into a power strip but if you do, it can cause the strip to overheat or even turn itself off, resulting in spoiled food. Always plug these directly into a wall outlet so that they can keep running properly and safely (not just steadily) at maximum coldness.
Portable Heaters
Heaters draw a lot of power to heat your house, and power strips are not built to handle that kind of power. Plugging a heater into a power strip will make it overheat. Some heaters have a warning label on the power cord that says not to use a power strip. It’s safer to just plug your heater straight into the wall instead of risking a meltdown, literally.
Air Conditioners
An air conditioner is another household appliance that requires a steady, high amount of power. It is another large appliance that will, if used for hours at a time, cause a power strip to overheat, so it should be on its own outlet.
Hairdryers and Styling Tools
Hair appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons heat up very fast in a few seconds, which requires lots of power in a short period of time. So, when you plug them in a power strip, often you will burn out the surge protector (overheat it or it catches fire). Hair tools are nice and all but dedicated GFCI wall outlets go better with them.
Sump Pumps
Sump pumps work to keep basements dry so it’s important that they do not stop working just because the power goes out. That’s why it’s so important for your sump pump to have an uninterrupted source of power. The last thing anyone wants is for a sump pump to fail because it’s plugged into a strip with just one too many devices on it.
Washing Machines and Dryers
These are the biggest power hogs in the house; not a good device if you plan to plug it into a power strip. Power strips aren’t designed to withstand surges from washing machines or dryers, for example, and you could end up damaging the washing machine or overheating the power strip by plugging it in. Plug them into a heavy duty grounded wall outlet instead.
Power Tools
Tools such as drills and saws use more energy when you begin to turn them on. Naturally, this is more than a power strip can handle and, if they’re plugged into one, it can lead to overheating, power surges, or the strips shutting off mid-process.
Extension Cords or Extra Power Strips
The use of a daisy chain is a big no-no. This refers to plugging an extension cord or another power strip into a power strip. Any setup like this one only needs one appliance to overload the circuit and lead to a potential fire. Thus, use one power strip per outlet only to be on the safe side.
Slow Cookers and Instant Pots
Both slow cookers and Instant Pots run for hours, with a steady draw of more and more energy over the duration of their use. If they’re on a power strip, they’ll slowly overheat and, in a worst-case scenario, cause a fire. These appliances run when you aren’t around, so you won’t be aware that something is wrong right away. You want to plug them directly into the wall.
Microwaves and Toaster Ovens
The huge surges of power created when microwaves and toaster ovens run take up a vast amount of electricity and are much more than a power strip is designed to handle. Such a surge could trip the strip, turn off other equipment, or even emit a spark. Use a wall outlet for anything that heats food.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
