We love power strips. They turn one outlet into six, solving our modern problem of having too many gadgets and not enough plugs. We treat them like magic wands that expand our home’s electrical capacity. But electricians warn that power strips are not designed to handle heavy loads, and misusing them is a leading cause of residential fires.
A standard power strip is essentially an extension cord with multiple ports. It does not generate more power; it simply splits what is available. When you plug high-wattage appliances into a strip, you risk overheating the internal wires, melting the casing, and sparking a blaze. To keep your home safe, here are seven appliances you must never plug into a power strip.
1. Space Heaters
This is the number one offender during the winter months. Space heaters draw a massive amount of continuous current—often 1,500 watts—to generate heat. This load pushes most power strips to their absolute limit or beyond.
The resistance generates heat within the strip itself. It can melt the plastic housing and ignite the carpet or flooring underneath. Always, without exception, plug a space heater directly into a wall outlet.
2. Refrigerators and Freezers
Your fridge might not seem like a high-draw appliance because it runs quietly, but the compressor cycles on and off. When it kicks on, it pulls a significant spike of power. If a power strip is already handling other items, this spike can trip the breaker or overheat the strip.
Furthermore, if the power strip trips and shuts off, you might not notice. You could lose hundreds of dollars in spoiled food because a $10 strip failed. Large appliances always need a dedicated wall outlet.
3. Microwaves
Microwaves are deceptive. They are small, but they are energy beasts. Cooking a frozen meal requires a tremendous surge of electricity to power the magnetron. This fits into the category of “high-wattage appliances” that strip manufacturers warn against.
Using a strip can cause the voltage to drop, damaging the microwave over time, or worse, causing the strip to catch fire. Dedicate a kitchen outlet solely to this appliance.
4. Toasters and Toaster Ovens
Anything with exposed heating coils requires a lot of juice. Toasters, toaster ovens, and waffle makers draw current comparable to a space heater for short bursts. If you have your coffee maker and your toaster plugged into the same strip and turn them on at once, you are inviting disaster.
The combined load will almost certainly overload the strip. Keep your kitchen counters safe by plugging these heating appliances directly into the wall.
5. Air Conditioners (Window Units)
Just like space heaters, window AC units are designed to run for hours at a time, drawing a heavy, continuous load. A standard power strip is not built for this kind of endurance. The internal components will degrade and overheat under the constant stress.
Additionally, AC units often cycle on and off, creating power surges. If you must use an extension cord (which is not recommended), it must be a heavy-duty appliance cord, not a flimsy multi-outlet strip.
6. Hair Dryers and Curling Irons
In the bathroom, outlets are scarce, so a power strip seems logical. However, a blow dryer can pull as much as 1,800 watts on high heat. That single appliance maxes out the capacity of most residential circuits, let alone a plastic power strip.
If you use a strip, you risk tripping the GFCI outlet constantly or melting the strip. Given the presence of water in bathrooms, this is a shock and fire hazard you want to avoid.
7. Another Power Strip (Daisy Chaining)
This is called “daisy chaining,” and it is a major fire code violation. Plugging a power strip into another power strip does not give you more power; it simply adds more resistance and failure points to the circuit.
You are forcing the first strip to handle the load of everything plugged into the second strip. It creates a bottleneck of heat and electricity that inevitably leads to failure. If you need more outlets, call an electrician to install them properly.
Check Your Connections
Take a walk around your house today. If you see any of these items plugged into a strip, unplug them immediately. A minor inconvenience is much better than a house fire.
Do you have a “spaghetti junction” of wires behind your TV or desk? Let us know which appliance you need to move in the comments!
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The post Electricians Warn: Never Plug These 7 Appliances into a Power Strip appeared first on Budget and the Bees.
