Uplugging everything when done?

[mad57]

Uplugging everything when done? who does it ? Iam a freak when it comes to this, radio, chargers, vac everything i cant sleep at night thinking something might malfunction and burn it all down. P.I.A BUT i just gotta do it please tell me im not the only **** pr*ck on here

 

[Racer_X]

I do it for the exact same reason.

 

[BioHazard]

I'm pretty paranoid about it in my shop, even though it's detached and made from concrete....

Mostly I turn off a lot of breakers when I leave. I'm adding a subpanel so that I can just turn off one whole panel when I leave, leaving a few lights and things on.

 

[Scout Driver]

Same here, I'm paraniod about stuff plugged in. I turn off the breakers in my garage. The toaster in my kitchen is even unplugged becaues I've heard too many stories of them causing house fires.

Woohoo! 500th post for me!

Scott

 

[Gary S]

I pretty much never unplug anything when I'm done. My welder gets unplugged and pushed back in its spot. My hand tools like drills, router, saws get unplugged and put on a shelf.
Most everything else stays plugged in from the time I buy it until it dies. My drill press never gets unplugged. My trouble light never gets unplugged unless I need it in a different place in the garage. My electric heaters never get unplugged. My air conditioner doesn't get unplugged.
My refrigerator in the garage gets unplugged only when the garage temp is below 32 degrees.
I've been in the electronics and electrical business for over 40 years, so I'm not paranoid about electricity. Use it right, and don't worry.

 

[BioHazard]

One thing, not so much related to shops or fires, but...

Many people do not realize how much power they waste when things are "off" but still plugged in. I recently bought a Kill-a-Watt meter and have been testing things and I'm outright shocked at what the standby uses are. I have a 13" TV in my office, that I haven't turned on in probably a year. It's been using 15 watts while OFF for the whole damn year! That's about $15 I could have saved if I would have just unplugged it. After looking for more stuff like this I had an easy 100 watts (24/7) around the house doing absolutely nothing that I could just unplug.

 

[Torque1st]

I mostly leave everything plugged in but I use a number of power strips that I turn off. I don't worry as much about things like my drill press because it has a regular switch. All of those microprocessor controlled items with the digital clocks etc cause the most problems for sucking power and the chance for fire. I have even had a couple of them let out the magic smoke but no fires to date...

Check out this site:
http://www.vampirepowersucks.com/Energy-Loss.aspx?gclid=CILkmo7w-6ACFRTyDAodXmequg

Even those LED "power saving" and conventional dusk-dawn night lights use power when they are off.

 

[sberry]

This is an old pic but you get the idea.

 

[Hardware]

Check out this site:
http://www.vampirepowersucks.com/Energy-Loss.aspx?gclid=CILkmo7w-6ACFRTyDAodXmequg


Great Site Thanks!

 

[december45]

Years ago we had a shop burn to the ground because of a battery charger that was left plugged in charging batteries, I know they are better now but, i still unplug chargers of any kind, and have unplugged the fridge cause its an energy hog. I dont unplug as many things as i "think" i should but i need to get back to doing that.

 

[BlindViper]

I personally would just trip all the breakers. If the power goes out I have to reprogram my radio presets and the WIFI access number in my wireless stereo thing. That would drive me nuts.

 

[gumbudah]

I don't unplug anything other than portable power tools. I have had a couple close calls, I had a plug connection between a circular saw and an extension cord "Melt" one time. Came out in the morning and it's all charred/burned. Breaker wasn't even tripped. Good thing it was on the concrete floor.

 

[Keep]

I just flip the main breaker on the panel in the garage. Makes life easy and I do not forget anything.

 

[larry_g]

So all this plugging and unplugging you don't worry about loosing tension in the plug and recepticle? These thing do wear out and when they do become a point of resistance that generates heat. That worries me more than spontanious combustion of the device plugged into it. When it gets to the point that the plug is falling out of the wall socket or you have to wiggle the plug to get things to work then its time to worry and do something.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Joe B.]

Same here, I'm paraniod about stuff plugged in. I turn off the breakers in my garage. The toaster in my kitchen is even unplugged becaues I've heard too many stories of them causing house fires.

I was worried about a toaster fire too so I moved mine next to the bath tub. Now, if there is a fire, I can just drop it in the water. No need to unplug.

The added bonus is that I can have warm Pop Tarts while taking a bath.

 

[s_morrison57]

I un-plug everything too, it can't burn if it's not connected, I use a battery powered clock also. Coffee pots kill 40-50 people every year from fires. I also never step on an extension cord.

 

[Full Size 66]

JOE B. That is hillarious. I my self do not unplug any radio or appliances, I do unplug tools lights etc.

 

[BioHazard]

you get the idea.

Fire waiting to happen?

So all this plugging and unplugging you don't worry about loosing tension in the plug and recepticle? These thing do wear out and when they do become a point of resistance that generates heat. That worries me more than spontanious combustion of the device plugged into it. When it gets to the point that the plug is falling out of the wall socket or you have to wiggle the plug to get things to work then its time to worry and do something.

Outlets are quick, cheap, and easy to replace.

 

[nate379]

Never heard of unplugging stuff like that before. I live most of my stuff plugged in. Hell my Dad has a radio in his shop that hasn't been turned off in probably 15 years.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I even take the batteries out of my smoke detectors at night. It would really **** if one of those started a fire.

 

[Vernmotor]

I unplug most stuff.

 

[Coach James]

I have a lot of stuff plugged into power strips so I just turn the strip off when I leave the garage. Chargers always get unplugged.

Coach

 

[rodnok1]

Chargers and power tools always, two reasons fires and small children. Once my dumb *** neighbor starting changing a saw blade and it was still plugged in from the previous night...I think it was me that left it plugged in BTW

 

[sams]

going one step ahead of what was suggested about using the main circuit breaker switch, why don't you guys put in a complete isolation switch that you just turn on the way out. It would be cheap, easy and you wouldn't need to have a sub board in your garage to do it.

 

[Joe B.]

JOE B. That is hillarious. I my self do not unplug any radio or appliances, I do unplug tools lights etc.

Yeah, these people are crazy with their turning stuff off.

 

[torqueman2002]

I leave stuff plugged in, except the compressor - the noise scares the h*ll out of me when I hear it through the family room wall.

Also, I put the cordless charges on a timer, set to only click OFF after 30 min.

I started doing that several years ago, when Dewalt issued a recall on 12V cordless drill batt. chargers for overheating and causing fires.

I never heard from Dewalt, even though I registered the drill.

I sold the drill and updated charger and now buy Milwaukee, Bosch, Delta, or Porter Cable hand tools.

 

[kbs2244]

Do you unplug your furnace at night?
Maybe your AC?
What about the clock radio that gets you up on time to go to work?

Do you turn off the main CB in your electric panel and find your way to bed with a flashlight?
What if the flashlight batteries short out over night?
Did you put it over a pail of water?

This has got to be a joke!
Do things catch fire in the night?
Sure.
And people die from walking in front of the bus.
And choking on a breakfast roll.

The percentages are all against it.
That is why places like UL exist.
And why there are guys in the insurance industry that are better at calling the odds than anybody in Vegas.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I generally unplug my trouble lights, that about it. Funny thing the other day, I turned my box fan on and it didn't work. I tried a different outlet, still didin't work. Later that day I tried it again and it worked. That thing is now unplugged, the first since atleast October, which it has be running constantly since then.

 

[ghnl]

I unplug tools. It became my habit when I had young children. Now that I have grandkids I still unplug them. I don't one of them to grab a tool/turn a switch and get hurt.

 

[nate379]

No joke! My little one is right near the people door from the garage to the house, against the kitchen wall. I forgot it on last night and about threw my beer across the living room when it kicked on just as I picked the bottle up off the table.
Thing is so loud it should be illegal to own. Competes with a 747 at WOT I think!

I leave stuff plugged in, except the compressor - the noise scares the h*ll out of me when I hear it through the family room wall.

.

 

[Indy_500]

i unplug all power tools but other than that everything stays plugged in.

 

[TONE]

Im also confused as to why you have the urge to "unplug everything".................yet Im sure it is subconsciously a feeling you think is needed.

What Im saying is also what has been mentioned above, do you turn off things that you where told could catch fire? Do you turn off everything in your house at night?

I doubt highly that leaving a drill plugged in is any less dangerous than a running fridge.

Do you unplug your tv at night? These are a few questions off the top of my head.

 

[Chuckw]

I only unplug chargers. There is no TV in the shop if I"m in the shop I DOING something that requires my full attention. I think excessive unplugging is not only a waste of time but will lead to loose outlets which are more of a hazard than something being plugged in.

Everybody has there own quirks so if it works for you do it. Who can really define what crazy is?

 

[waltmcq]

no, it's all plugged in

 

[cowboyjosh]

I typically unplug things like battery chargers, shop vacs, air compressor, etc. TV, Radio, etc; I don't bother with since they are newer and are in good shape. Inside the house, things like the coffee pot and toaster get unplugged after EVERY use, I don't allow candles to be lit in my house, or any bathroom appliance like curling irons to remain plugged in. I grew up with a family of firemen and I was on a volunteer department for several years and being a Master Electrician I have witnessed my fair share of fires resulting from things like coffee pots, curling irons, etc. One of the other big no no's IMO is to leave the house with a major appliance like a washer, dryer, or dishwasher running. I've sprayed water on more then one house because the owner left when the dryer, dishwasher, or washing machine was running and it malfunctioned and caught fire. One thing some folks we know think is funny is that when we cook with a Crock Pot, I plug it into a 12 gauge extension cord and place the crock pot in the middle of the garage on the concrete floor so that if it starts fire, it won't likely burn much.

 

[dfndr]

You guys are NOT nuts. I met an old lawyer friend of mine after not seeing him for years. He told me he had a great job. He worked for a very well known automatic home coffee maker manufacturer. All he did was defend the company when they got sued for peoples houses burning down. He said he had plenty of work! He also advised me to never leave a device with heating elements plugged in. I took his advise.

 

[Norcal]

I turn off the main breaker for the shop power, lighting is fed from another panel, & the major reason is so the air compressor does not start in the middle of the night. I leave things plugged in even if the power is not shut off.

 

[Aberdale]

I leave everything plugged in. I never even thought about unplugging tools before. Let's see, what's plugged in right now . . .

First, the hard wired stuff . . .
Furnace
Water heater
Well pump
Exhaust fan
O/H lights
2 post lift
Phase converter

Then the plug ins . . .
Stereo (runs 24/7)
Laptop (runs 24/7)
Stick welder
MIG welder
Drill press
Lathe
Milling machine
Grinder #1
Grinder #2
Sander
Buffer
3 Right angle grinders
Table saw
Cut off saw
Air compressor
Brake lathe
Valve grinder
Band saw
Wood lathe
Jointer
2 Cordless battery chargers
And about a dozen work lamps

It would take about an hour every evening to shut all of this down and unplug everything, and take an hour every morning to power back up. Or if I left things unplugged until I need them, it would drive me crazy. I guess if I worried about this stuff and was losing sleep, I would unplug it all as well, but I just don't worry about it.

There's always a chance that an electrical appliance will malfunction and catch fire, but the chances are pretty small. There's also a chance that an airplane will crash into the house or shop, or lightning could strike, or whatever. Life's too short to worry about the little things, so I just carry insurance . . .

Dale

 

[BioHazard]

Some of you are turning a "do you unplug things in your shop?" question into "do you unplug everything you own?". No, I don't go around unplugging things in my house unless they have a ridiculous standby power draw. Shop stuff is different though, many tools are able to cause fires more than other appliances in your house, air compressors develop leaks randomly (and some ALWAYS leak a little) and if you don't turn it off you can come back and find a dead compressor. (or a burned hole where your compressor used to be) There is also often a lot of flammable material/liquids in a shop, making a fire that much easier. Shops/garages also stay empty for lengths of time, so it would be harder to notice a fire starting out there than in your house.

Additionally my shop is detached, so it's easy enough to just flip breakers, and I don't have computers and clocks and stuff like that plugged in that needs to stay plugged in. Also I turn off my water heater when I leave. That's why I'm simply installing a subpanel - all the loads that get turned off will be on one, all the loads that don't (lights, fridge) will be in another panel, so I just have one breaker to flip.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I typically unplug things like battery chargers, shop vacs, air compressor, etc. TV, Radio, etc; I don't bother with since they are newer and are in good shape. Inside the house, things like the coffee pot and toaster get unplugged after EVERY use, I don't allow candles to be lit in my house, or any bathroom appliance like curling irons to remain plugged in. I grew up with a family of firemen and I was on a volunteer department for several years and being a Master Electrician I have witnessed my fair share of fires resulting from things like coffee pots, curling irons, etc. One of the other big no no's IMO is to leave the house with a major appliance like a washer, dryer, or dishwasher running. I've sprayed water on more then one house because the owner left when the dryer, dishwasher, or washing machine was running and it malfunctioned and caught fire. One thing some folks we know think is funny is that when we cook with a Crock Pot, I plug it into a 12 gauge extension cord and place the crock pot in the middle of the garage on the concrete floor so that if it starts fire, it won't likely burn much.

I, too, do not like candles, and I do not like gas heaters or water heaters. With these, I worry more about carbon monoxide, than a fire .

In the shop, I will also sometimes put something in the middle of the floor, if, for some reason, I have a worry about it causing a fire, like charging a battery. I also have a covered waste can for oily rags and paper towels.

As far as electrical, whether they are unplugged, is one of my least concerns.