Unplugging things?

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Do people unplug appliances after using them? One of my flatmates insists on unpugging everything after using things! I find it very irritating. Do other people do this? Which one of us is in the wrong?

― choux-fleur, Saturday, 12 March 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

She has even gone so far as to unplug the fridge when it was full of food!!

― choux-fleur, Saturday, 12 March 2005 22:25 (twenty years ago)

When I was small, my dad used to have a habit of unplugging almost everything in the house whenever we went away on holiday. This stopped after he also unplugged the fridge-freezer one year; two weeks later we came back home, opened the front door and said "what's that smell?"

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 12 March 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

the fridge shouldn't be unplugged as it's always on. other things, toasters, hairdryers, yeah you should.

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Saturday, 12 March 2005 22:45 (twenty years ago)

small appliances, yep. everything else, fuck no.

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 12 March 2005 22:49 (twenty years ago)

Should, yes. Should as in, Car should be covered when not in use and Hands should be washed after touching hair or face. This never happens at my house.

― Stephen X (Stephen X), Saturday, 12 March 2005 23:05 (twenty years ago)

I unplug things when there is a potential that the house could burn down if I don't (iron, hair straighteners, that's about it). Otherwise, who cares.

(answer = me when my house burns down due to a plugged-in microwave oven or something)

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 12 March 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

I'm always turning the kettle on - walking away and then one i come back i realise that it isnt plugged in - grrr

― choux-fleur, Sunday, 13 March 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

Car should be covered when not in use

What does this mean?

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 13 March 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

My grandparents got a dvd player which somehow affeced the tuning of the tv. They kept unplugging it at night and then all the tv channels would be lost. Then my dad would have to go up to and retune the tv. This happened for about a week, until my dad went on protest saying that he wouldnt retune it if they unplugged it again. My feeling is that if you can accept that there are always going to be things which are constantly on, eg fridge, why worry about all the other things.

Also, does anyone actually know the justification for unplugging?

― choux-fleur, Sunday, 13 March 2005 00:09 (twenty years ago)

My wife read somewhere that an inordinate percentage of electrical fires are caused by the toaster, so we keep it unplugged when we're not toasting. Everything else (coffee maker, microwave, fridge) stays plugged in.

― Curious George Finds the Ether Bottle (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 13 March 2005 00:15 (twenty years ago)

Unplugging an appliance will prevent damage to it in the event of an electrical surge. Though rare, they can and do occur. Electrical storms and the power company are the two main culprits.

Toasters, toaster ovens, irons, hair dryers, TVs etc. produce great amounts of heat when they're on and create a pretty big demand for current. I'd say this is when there is the greatest danger of fire.

Large appliances like clothes dryers and electric ranges run on a different, higher voltage circuit so their demands don't affect the rest of the household.

That said: I unplug the hair dryer to put it back on the shelf, but that's about it.

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 13 March 2005 04:17 (twenty years ago)

If appliances don't draw any power when not on -- like a toaster -- it doesn't matter if you unplug them...

― green uno skip card (ex machina), Sunday, 13 March 2005 04:39 (twenty years ago)

I don't trust my cats not to toast each other while I'm out. Every time I walk in the back door I hear Harvey jump down from the kitchen counter. He's probably on the sink watching birds through the window, but why take chances?

― Curious George Finds the Ether Bottle (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 13 March 2005 04:56 (twenty years ago)

If appliances don't draw any power when not on -- like a toaster -- it doesn't matter if you unplug them...

Probably true, but there is live current sizzling right up to the apliance's internal shut-off switch all the time it is plugged in.

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 13 March 2005 05:54 (twenty years ago)

Don't press the switch then!

― adam (adam), Sunday, 13 March 2005 06:00 (twenty years ago)

Ever?

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 13 March 2005 06:05 (twenty years ago)

Everything I own is battery operated.

― Remy (AAA) (x Jeremy), Sunday, 13 March 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

Even your socks?

― C J (C J), Sunday, 13 March 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

I unplug most things. Or at least I try and not leave things on stand-by, coz of Kyoto and stuff.

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 13 March 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

My grandmother once decided she had enough of the vacuum cleaner and cut the cord with SCISSORS!

― nathalie barefoot in the head (stevie nixed), Sunday, 13 March 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

(I need to add that the vacuum cleaner was on. She survived.)

― nathalie barefoot in the head (stevie nixed), Sunday, 13 March 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Large appliances like clothes dryers and electric ranges run on a different, higher voltage circuit so their demands don't affect the rest of the household.

In the UK, usually only the cooker will be on a wired-in high-current circuit - all the other appliances, even built-in ones, will usually be on the normal mains circuit with 13A fittings.

but there is live current sizzling right up to the apliance's internal shut-off switch all the time it is plugged in.

A pedant writes: voltage, not current. Apart from appliances in stand-by mode, which will always be drawing a small amount of current.

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 13 March 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

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