We use several household things regularly and don’t give them much attention. These are also products that should be carefully studied because they can be deadly.
Power strips are one item that we must exercise extra caution with. Despite their convenience, they pose various hazards, and if overloaded, they can fail and even catch fire.
Before you begin plugging things into a power strip, you should examine how much electricity it can handle. This is indicated on the power cord. Certain items should never be plugged into the power strip; otherwise, you might end yourself in serious problems.
If you examine your power strips and discover that they are overloaded, disconnect everything and carefully assess what goes into the outlets. You should also avoid connecting any of the following to a power strip at any time.
- The oven: Even if it is not used frequently, the oven is a power-hungry equipment that should not be hooked into a power strip. In reality, it should be hooked into its electrical socket and circuit.
- Refrigerator: Once again, the refrigerator is very power-hungry equipment, and even if you have an energy-efficient refrigerator, it will still consume too much electricity to be connected to a power strip.
It is advisable to connect the refrigerator to its outlet with its circuit breaker.
- Washing Machine: Did you know that the washing machine uses a lot of power? It should also not be housed in the same receptacle as other equipment.
A washing machine should always be connected straight into the receptacle and if at all feasible, it should be on its own circuit.
- Heating: There are various occasions when you may want some type of supplementary heating. It carries its own hazards, although it may be used securely if plugged into its own socket. Be careful not to overload the circuit and never connect it to a power strip.
- Microwave: Despite its infrequent usage, the microwave burns a lot of energy. Most microwave ovens are hooked into their own receptacle, which is always a good idea.
- Coffee Maker: The majority of people are unaware of how much electricity the coffee maker requires. It uses a lot of electricity, therefore never connect it into a power strip or an extension cable.
- Toaster: When in operation, the toaster can consume a significant amount of electricity. Even if you’re simply using it to brown bread or bagels, it should be connected directly into the outlet rather than through a power strip.
- Another Power Strip: When it comes to improper electrical practices, stacking power strips is at the top. You may have a large number of products to plug into a particular location, but putting a power strip into another power strip is a recipe for disaster. This error causes a large number of fires.
- Devices (Computer, TV, Router): Do not plug any electrical devices into the power strip. Although the TV and computers do not use a lot of electricity on their own, they are susceptible to surges and can soon burn out.
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