Our team examines different items and products that should always be plugged directly into the wall — not a power strip:
Kitchen Appliances
The kitchen has many electrical appliances, and as such, you may be tempted to consolidate their power sources into a few power strips. However, most kitchen appliances require too much energy to be plugged into a strip safely.
Coffee Maker
If you’re one of the thousands of Americans who can’t start their day before a cup of joe, you’ll want to pay attention. Steaming beans for your morning brew may seem easy for your coffee maker, but in reality, it takes a lot of energy to get the perfect cup of coffee.
Plus, your coffee maker directly into the outlet so your machine has all the energy it needs to operate.
Toaster
Toasters are one big heating machine. They’re filled with wires that conduct heat to warm and toast your bread, bagels, and more. To get those wires as hot as needed to actually toast your food, they need a lot of energy. So much so that it can cause a power strip to overheat. You’re better off keeping this appliance plugged directly into an outlet to avoid potential safety hazards.
Crockpot
The appeal of a crockpot or slow cooker is that it can operate unattended for hours at a time in order to help you achieve the perfect roast or stew when you come home from work. To do so, your crockpot will need to be plugged into the outlet directly — since they use ample power over long periods of time, a power strip could short circuit and fizzle out — leaving your dinner cold and undercooked.
Miscellaneous Products and Tools
Outside of the kitchen, our homes are chock-full of electronics vying for our coveted outlet space. While it may seem efficient to plug many into a power strip to save wall outlets, in reality, this can be extremely harmful to your home and electric devices.
Haircare Tools
Curling wands, flat irons, hairdryers…oh my! For those who style their hair, it can feel inefficient to constantly change out the plugs for these tools and wait for them all to heat up again, rather than just plugging them into the same power strip and getting the job done. However, to get these tools as hot as necessary takes a massive amount of energy — so much that it can trip your circuit breaker if not handled correctly.
Gaming Consoles
Certain console manufacturers (like Nintendo) will directly warn against plugging their consoles and systems into a power strip. Like everything on this list, gaming consoles require a tremendous amount of energy to operate — and misuse can lead to power issues and tripped circuit breakers if ignored.
Need more outlet space for all your electronics? A-TEMP Heating, Cooling & Electrical can help you upgrade your wall outlets or install new outlets to better accommodate all the technology our homes and families depend on. Contact our team at (503) 694-3396 to schedule an appointment today!