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Thread Number: 28165
To Plug or Unplug |
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Post# 430805 4/24/2010 at 10:14 (5,113 days old) by joelippard  (Hickory) |
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Post# 430808 , Reply# 1 4/24/2010 at 10:40 (5,113 days old) by Combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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TO UNPLUG OR NOT
I have seen plugs and outlets worn out by consumers who always unplug there appliances when not in use, its also always a debate for me to recommend whether or not you should turn the hot & cold water valves off when not using a washer as most shut off valves will not with stand the constant turning on & off and will start to leak at the valve stems and many don't really turn off fully anyway. I often turn off the circuit breaker for seldom used electric ranges and dryers as this is safer than than struggling with the plug on these appliances.
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| Post# 430811 , Reply# 2 4/24/2010 at 11:42 (5,113 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
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Post# 431006 , Reply# 4 4/25/2010 at 08:33 (5,112 days old) by GadgetGary (Bristol,CT) |
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Switch | ||
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Post# 431015 , Reply# 5 4/25/2010 at 09:08 (5,112 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia) |
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those of you who which to safely turn off appliances at the wall without wear and tear on plugs and sockets need only move to Australia... Switched power outlets are standard here. 
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Post# 431030 , Reply# 6 4/25/2010 at 10:34 (5,112 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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This is an interesting thread. What appliances and electronics CAN safely be separated from the power source and which(besides the refrigerator) can't? Most of my idiot employers have spent thousands of dollars coverting existing light switches to automatic motion detectors. It's my understanding that turning fluorescent light fixtures on and off all day long is more costly than leaving them on. Is this no longer true?
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Post# 431058 , Reply# 7 4/25/2010 at 13:11 (5,111 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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Here is an article debunking the myth about leaving fluorescent lights on vs. shutting them off.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO polkanut's LINK | ||
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Post# 431081 , Reply# 8 4/25/2010 at 15:21 (5,111 days old) by Toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Wear and tear? 
~I too have an original Maytag Neptune W/D and bought this switch at Homo Depot so that I could leave the washer plugged in and turn off the light so that I could leave the door open.
Works wonderfully. Yes but the lack of a ground/earth (as evidenced by the adapter in the middle is dangerous). Similarly major appliances in a power-strip is questionable at best! Pull PLUGS not cords, is the right way to unplug something. IMHO is is much safer to unplug old things than to risk a fire or damage via shorts and sparking/arcing in wiring that has become brittle and unstable due to age. Plugs outlet and (flex)cords can be replaced; more difficult to replace a house and its contents due to fire. | ||
| Post# 431085 , Reply# 10 4/25/2010 at 15:46 (5,111 days old) by SeamusUK (Dover Kent UK) | ||
Switched sockets..... | ||
| Post# 431095 , Reply# 11 4/25/2010 at 16:55 (5,111 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia) | ||
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Unplug Older I always unplug my jukeboxes and my 1935 Capehart Radio-phono and old color TV.Switches can fail sometimes on old appliances even when they are turned off,the springs get brittle with age.You never know when you might get a power surge,when you are not at home.Thanks Bobby | ||
| Post# 431107 , Reply# 12 4/25/2010 at 17:56 (5,111 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room) | ||
"I always unplug my jukeboxes and my 1935 Capehart Radio-phono and old color TV."
I won't necessarily argue against this. With older electronics that aren't at least gone over, I'd probably pull the plug. But my bigger fear is actually with NEW cheap appliances. I have heard the advice with modern coffee makers and toasters that they should ALWAYS be unplugged. Apparently, the switches used are often cheap, and can fail "part on", causing them to over heat, and burn the house down. | ||
| Post# 431128 , Reply# 13 4/25/2010 at 19:41 (5,111 days old) by cadman (Cedar Falls, IA) | ||
While I've never seen it done in a kitchen, I always thought it'd be a nice idea to have switched countertop outlets (one switch for all, like occasionally done for bedroom outlets) such that toasters, coffee pots, toaster ovens, mixers, etc. could be easily disabled with the flip of a switch on the way out the door.
I did a similar thing with my TV collection when building the display room. Used double gang boxes along the walls with one recept tied to a central switch A (TV's, Radios), the top of the second recept tied to switch B (for floor/table/tv top lamps) and the lower half of B always on (clocks and such). The 20A switch bats are lighted so you know their status and they're mounted low on the wall next to the doorway so they're easy to flip when entering/exiting the room. -Cory | ||
| Post# 431134 , Reply# 14 4/25/2010 at 19:58 (5,111 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
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Post# 431448 , Reply# 15 4/26/2010 at 22:00 (5,110 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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I tend to unplug the washers | ||
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Post# 431507 , Reply# 16 4/27/2010 at 06:40 (5,110 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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Paul, | ||
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