Never Plug These 12 Things Into Your Power Strip

The modern world’s dependency on technology — and by extension, electricity — is no secret and certainly no news to anyone. There are never enough outlets to plug in all your gizmos and whatchamacallits. That’s when power strips come in handy, but here’s the thing: They’re only designed for short-term use with light stuff like your charger. Power strips just aren’t built to handle a heavy amp load over the long haul, as they will overheat and melt. 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), plugging certain appliances into power strips is a dangerous fire hazard.  

Here are 12 things you should never plug into a power strip. 

Daisy-chaining — which sounds like a country song but is actually the oddly charming name for plugging an extension cord into your power strip — could overload the circuit, put your devices at risk, melt your power strip, and, in the worst case, cause a fire. It is also a violation of both the National Electrical Code and OSHA regulations. Extension cords are designed for short-term use only — as in hours and days and not weeks or months.

Firefighters have seen enough fires caused by this seemingly harmless practice — plugging a heater into a power strip — to say: never do this. Always plug your space heater, regardless of its size, directly into a wall outlet. The heating elements in a space heater can reach up to 600°F, which is more than enough to fry your power strip and spark a fire. 

The first thing they’ll tell you when you’re buying a new fridge is to plug it into a wall outlet. A power strip isn’t beefy enough for heavy-duty appliances such as fridges and freezers as they cycle on and off, draw surges of power, and just don’t handle sharing well. Plugging your fridge into a power strip could mess with its cooling cycle and leave your ice cream in a sad puddle, or fry the strip altogether.  

Microwaves are power-hungry beasts with short fuses (literally and figuratively) — they can pull up to 1,000 watts each time you zap leftovers. This means it can overload power strips with ease, causing sparks, pops, or outright shutdowns.  

An average hair dryer pulls anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 watts with professional models going as high as 3,600 making it a power-hungry tool. When used with a power strip, the dryer’s motor and heating elements create quick surges that could cause a power strip to short-circuit or trip. 

We get it, all outlets in your kitchen are full, but don't give in to the temptation of the power strip. Coffee makers and toasters have high wattage, designed to heat water and toast bread with rapid power surges. Throw one on a power strip, and you’re asking for an overload or, worse, burnt toast and a smoky kitchen. 

Drills, saws, sanders, oh my! Power tools might seem innocent, but they’re absolute power gluttons. If you’re using these outside, the added risk of a tripped breaker or short circuit could cut your project short—and maybe fry the strip. 

Although they run at a lower wattage (usually 200-300 watts), slow cookers need long, uninterrupted hours to get the job done. Power strips are designed for shorter periods and can overheat if pushed all day. 

Vacuums need high and consistent power for peak performance. Using a power strip could cause the vacuum to underperform, have less suction and possibly trip a breaker.  

Electricity and water don’t mix, and power strips are especially vulnerable to moisture. A sump pump should always be plugged into a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet. This type of outlet is designed to cut off power instantly if it detects any electrical imbalance, protecting you from shocks or shorts. 

These appliances are on for hours at a time, usually pulling 300 to 500 watts, sometimes even more for larger models. The continuous power draw can cause a power strip to overheat and even trip.  

With some models consuming up to 1,400 watts, washing machines pull a serious amount of energy, especially over extended periods. Leaving one plugged into a power strip not only risks overheating the strip but also creates a fire hazard if left unattended. Always use a wall outlet for these workhorses to keep things safe.

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