When we think of the past, one of the first thoughts that runs through our mind is how people lived without electricity. Nowadays, we can’t even imagine a day without it because all of our appliances and devices run on electricity.
The truth is, however, that most homes don’t have enough power outlets to keep everything running and charged, so most of us rely on power strips without being aware that appliances that consume a lot of energy become dangerous fire hazards when we plug them into a power strip.
Although power strips are the thing to go to when it comes to charging your phone or power an entertainment setup, there are certain devices that should never be plugged into a power strip.
Air conditioners, space heaters, toasters, and other appliances that use high wattage can easily cause power strips to overheat, which can easily lead to a fire hazard.
Even before plugging anything into a power strip consider the ammount of power they support. This is usually listed on the product itself.
High-capacity appliances need to draw a lot of power through an electrical circuit to work. Keep in mind that an appliance does not need to be large in size to draw large amounts of power.
Below is the list of appliances that should never be plugged into a power strip.
1. The oven: Even though the oven is not used continually, it is a power-hungry appliance that should not be plugged into a power strip. In fact, it should be plugged into its own wall outlet on its own circuit.
2. Refrigerator: Refrigerators require a lot of power and frequently cycle on and off which can easily overload a power strip and cause damage. Much like the oven, refrigerators require a wall outlet dedicated solely to powering the appliance.
3. Washing Machine: When turned on, washing machines pull a lot of power. This is the main reason why these appliances shouldn’t share a receptacle with any other appliance or device.
Most washing machines use a max of up to 1400 watts, putting it dangerously close to the max load of most power strips. On top of that while working, washing machines are usually left unattended and work longer hours, at least an hour, which is long enough for a power strip to overheat.
4. Heating: Portable heaters should never be plugged into a power strip because most of them use 1,500 watts of energy on their high setting and they usually run for extended periods of time.
5. Microwave: Since they consume a lot of energy when used, most microwave ovens are plugged into their own receptacle and that is always a good practice.
