Technical > Home Improvement > Unplug stuff?

Unplug stuff?

I use a ceramic heater, they don't have hot elements that can catch dust on fire. Most have several safety features (over temp, tipover etc.)

My last Ceramic heater lasted 20 years then the fan seized. The over temp sensor turned it off.

If you use a timer, make sure it is rated for the load.

I bought a new one and it works well but even in the off position, the LED is on. I hate that and know people who unplug things like that because "it is still on".
--
Scott Henion

Embedded Systems Consultant,
SHDesigns home - DIY Welder

reply to fartness
If stuff is unplugged it can't catch fire or consume power in the off state, called phantom load.

The only way to determine how much power a device consumes in the off state is to measure it. As mentioned many times in the forum the Kill-a-watt is a very useful tool for measuring power consumption.

Once you know how much power something draws in the off state you can make an intelligent decision about whether it makes sense to unplug it.

For arguments sake lets say the device draws 1 Watt in the off state and electricity cost $.15kwh.

1w x24h x365d = 8.75kwh per year or $1.31

Does not sound like much and it isn't but the average home has tons of these parasitic loads and some draw much more.

/tom

reply to fartness
With nearly 40 years in the trade and witnessing the many house fires and "near misses" caused by either space heaters or their use cooking the components of the branch circuit, there is absolutely NO chance of myself or anyone who lives in my home using ANY portable space heater with ANY commonly available plug-in timer. Just my two pennies and YMMV.
--
Zach

reply to fartness
if you use the timer you can plan on replacing the house soon. just hope you are alive to see the new house.
--
Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine!

reply to fartness
Not sure about space heaters or toaster ovens (my family had neither), but we always unplugged the toaster after use. I think it was one of those 'something could fall on it holding the knob down causing it to catch on fire' type of things.

I do now have a space heater though (oil radiator), but I only unplug it when it's not going to be used for a few days. I'm more worried about something falling on the cord causing it to become partially dislodged more then anything. By unplugging it I always give the outlet, plug, cable, and heater itself a once-over before firing it back up. Periodic inspection will catch things like loose connections that are starting to melt before they get bad enough to start a fire, and unplugging it forces you to look at the plug at a minimum.

/M

reply to fartness

reply to fartness
Unless you are constantly unplugging and replugging the appliances into electrical outlets that are hospital or commercial grade you are most likely to have an electrical fire caused by high contact resistance at the outlet.

My mother in law insisted on unplugging her toaster and coffee maker every time she left the house. I was very concerned because the plastic on both plugs were slowly melting because they became so hot due to high contact resistance at the outlet. I replaced all counter outlets in the kitchen with hospital grade outlets. I only unplug sensitive electrical equipment in my home when thunder storms are forecast.

reply to mackey
A lamp timer? No...

If you really want to do this - and I'd suggest the-thinking it, myself - use a block heater timer... At least they are designed for the load; and would stand a better chance of holding up to the load.

reply to fartness
Try one of these it is rated at 15 Amps:

»www.lowes.com/pd_148297-207-TM01···cetInfo=

reply to fartness
Toaster oven? No I leave that plugged in.
Electric space heaters, on the other hand, make me very nervous.
I've personally seen too many fires caused by electric space heaters.
I would never leave one plugged in "unsupervised". The thought of a space heater on a timer throws up giant red flags in my mind.

For other appliances, I do not buy into the "vampire draw" bull shit. I'll pay a few extra bucks a year and have my appliances / devices ready to work when I want them too.
--
If someone refers to herself / himself as a "guru", they probably aren't.

reply to fartness
You don't have to worry about phantom draw. In most simple appliances like toasters and heaters, the switch is just that: a switch. When the switch is off, the electricity is totally cut off from the appliance.

Any appliance that has a light that's always on, a clock, or that's turned on by a remote control - those, yes, will always draw some power when they're off. But it's not much.

But as others have mentioned, your biggest worry is the chance of fire. Many space heaters will shut off if they're knocked over, but if someone's inadvertently thrown a shirt over it, you don't want it turning on by itself.

reply to fartness
I don't think your grandparents were overreacting. Any high current resistive device that generates heat needs to be used with extreme care. Space heaters are not only a fire hazard from heat generation, but they also tend to push wiring near its limits. I avoid the using a space heater.

Now, I don't unplug my toaster oven when not in use, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to do so. Better safe than sorry.

That said, I worry more about all these laptop chargers/Lithium Ion batteries around the house. :-(

reply to fartness
I have K&T and leave stuff plugged in all the time.

reply to fartness
I would not do the heater into timer thing. Buy a good quality heater with a built in timer, preferably oil radiator type. Also, make sure the receptacle you plan to use grips the plug tightly and that during heater operation the plug does not get uncomfortably warm (slightly warm is normal). If in doubt, replace receptacle with a good commercial grade receptacle.

Another alternative would be to permanently install a baseboard heater into the room. Programmable thermostats designed for use with baseboard heaters do exist.

reply to tschmidt

reply to fartness
I keep one of these hooked up in my bathroom in the winter: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_heater ...and turn it off if I go somewhere.

reply to fartness

reply to fartness
better safe than sorry.