To Plug or unplug? - Page 4

Cats3000 · ‎10-07-2013

We leave all of our small appliances plugged in. We have modern electric outlets and just installed a new circuit breaker box to cover the whole house.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I unplug pretty much everything in the kitchen except the stove and refrigerator. I have two microwaves and they are unplugged unless in use. I also have a convection oven (countertop), vacuum sealers, and a contact grill - all of which are always on the counters and always unplugged unless in use.

There are things that it is not practical to unplug all the time, like main TVs and the Tivos. Some of the lamps are unplugged but a couple that are used from time to time I keep plugged in.

It helps to unplug stuff that's not in use when one can. I also turn off and unplug computers that are not in use. All my computers are laptops now so it's easy to unplug when finished using.

I'm pretty good at not being wasteful of resources or tangibles. It matters.

adoreqvc · ‎03-09-2010

"Unfortunately many kitchen items manufactured today are not of the same high standards of quality purchased years ago."

Had a faulty defective kitchen appliance which almost caused a fire, so I unplug all small appliances, and many larger ones are on heavy duty surge protectors. Refrigerator and stove have their own dedicated outlets.

The toaster I have plugged in when using, then unplug and clean the crumb tray.

I never used a crock pot or any cooking appliance, and let them operate while I was not in the house, as I feel anything electrical can be defective, or become defective and start fires.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

I have known several people who have had fires, one from a toaster plugged in when no one home, so I never even leave mine on the counter, let along plugged in. My KA stand mixer is on the counter, but never plugged in unless in use. The only other appliance that I have is the coffee maker, and it is plugged in at all times, unless we are going away for more than the day, then it gets unplugged.

I do have a small TV in the kitchen, and unless storming, it and the DirecTV box with it are plugged in at all times as well. We actually leave that TV on for the dog, to help with anxiety issues while we are gone during the day. Again, if leaving for anywhere overnight (which almost never happens here, someone is always about), we unplug both.

CrazyKittyLvr2 · ‎05-11-2013

Fires are the one thing I am afraid of. I unplug the toaster and Keurig unless in use. If it were up to me the microwave would be unplugged too but my husband just gives me that look. I only use the crockpot if I am going to be home. And I never, ever leave the house with the washer or dryer running. My Mom was worse, she would unplug all of the lamps in the living room and the TV. My Dad didn't like it but she did it anyway.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

I only have a Keurig on my counter. I keep it plugged in. However, if we are going away for a few days, I go around the house and unplug everything, including lamps, TV's and electric clocks.

Please be careful with clothes dryers. A little girl was killed in my town because the clothes dryer caught fire (lint in the vent). The laundry room caught fire and it spread to the rest of the home quickly. Mom went to bed with the dryer still running. I have always used caution after that.

AnikaBrodie · ‎03-10-2010

I always unplug the coffee pot before leaving home. I learned this the hard way several years ago. I had a 10 cup coffee pot that was half full when we left to go shopping. When we returned and opened the front door we could smell something burning. Yes, it was the coffee pot that had malfunctioned and actually burned the coffee to a crisp. It was supposed to turn off after an hour but obviously did not. Thankfully, we returned when we did because it was very close to starting a real fire and the plate and pot were so hot we could not touch them for over an hour after unplugging the pot.

"Faith, Hope, Love; the greatest of these is Love." ~The Silver Fox~

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

On 3/31/2015 depglass said:
This has given me food for thought. Next trip away from home, I'm unplugging. The only thing I ever was conscious of was the computer, I always unplugged it during a storm to protect it from a surge. Now I leave it plugged in and pray for a lightening strike. I want a MAC and that's the only way I'll be able to justify one.

Be careful what you ask for. When my children were little, we were watching TV and lightening hit it during a storm. It was like the July 4th fireworks in my living room for several seconds. Scared the hello out of me and the kids.

I now have a surge protector and still unplug the TV during a storm.

PamelaSue72 · ‎09-22-2011

On 4/7/2015 Carmie said:
I only have a Keurig on my counter. I keep it plugged in. However, if we are going away for a few days, I go around the house and unplug everything, including lamps, TV's and electric clocks.

Please be careful with clothes dryers. A little girl was killed in my town because the clothes dryer caught fire (lint in the vent). The laundry room caught fire and it spread to the rest of the home quickly. Mom went to bed with the dryer still running. I have always used caution after that.

We had a fire in our dryer. I had used Sensor Dry and evidently, I had the dryer too full. It just kept rolling and drying. DH and I had even left to go vote because "well, we're only going to be gone a couple minutes". Came back and everything was fine. While we were eating dinner, though, we started to hear a crackling noise coming from the basement. Then the lights dimmed. DS and I ran down the stairs to the basement and the smoke was thick. DH and DS got the dryer outside and I went around the house opening windows. Thank goodness it didn't happen while DH and I were gone. I still shudder to think about that.

Moral of the story: Put a smoke detector in your basement. And a fire extinguisher. And don't leave home with the dryer running!

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

On 4/8/2015 PamelaSue72 said:
On 4/7/2015 Carmie said:
I only have a Keurig on my counter. I keep it plugged in. However, if we are going away for a few days, I go around the house and unplug everything, including lamps, TV's and electric clocks.

Please be careful with clothes dryers. A little girl was killed in my town because the clothes dryer caught fire (lint in the vent). The laundry room caught fire and it spread to the rest of the home quickly. Mom went to bed with the dryer still running. I have always used caution after that.

We had a fire in our dryer. I had used Sensor Dry and evidently, I had the dryer too full. It just kept rolling and drying. DH and I had even left to go vote because "well, we're only going to be gone a couple minutes". Came back and everything was fine. While we were eating dinner, though, we started to hear a crackling noise coming from the basement. Then the lights dimmed. DS and I ran down the stairs to the basement and the smoke was thick. DH and DS got the dryer outside and I went around the house opening windows. Thank goodness it didn't happen while DH and I were gone. I still shudder to think about that.

Moral of the story: Put a smoke detector in your basement. And a fire extinguisher. And don't leave home with the dryer running!

You are SO right about not drying clothes while you are gone!! My ex-roommate over loaded the dryer and wondered why the smoke alarm in the laundry room was going off. It didn't help that she just tossed them in without adjusting the heat from high for towels to medium for clothes. She never paid attention to much of anything like when she blew up a Pyrex dish in the oven or used a decorative glass pitcher for boiling hot tea and that too exploded.

Common sense is something your have or your don't. Appliances with heating elements can and do cause house fires. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.