A simple warning!
 

Please check the cords on your iron for freying or damage.

Today I was ironing some fabric that had just been washed and my iron went cold. Thinking I had pulled the cord out of the extension cord I lifted the cord to follow it and it looked like July 4th in my living room. Ok not quite the 4th but sparks were going everywhere. Once I got it unplugged and looked at it the cord had a hole near the end where it had blown out. So once my heart worked it's way back into my chest I cut the end off, threw the iron away and thought I would post a warning.

Please remember to check those cords on those helpful but electrified tools that we use. I guess sometimes we don't actually see the wear that they are getting.

Tammy

Thanks for the warning!

Check the wiring on other things, too -

Sewing machines and lamps are the two first things that come to mind - especially the vintage ones.

Those old space heaters too that get the red hot coils are also dangerous.

Also toasters! I remember long, long ago, some (NFL?) football player's home burned to the ground, and it was attributed to a toaster, which was not in use, (I believe no one was home at the time,) just plugged in. You don't stop to think when you leave small appliances plugged in that you are entrusting the welfare of everyone and everything in the house to that inexpensive item, but you really are.

Thanks for the warning! After reading several previous blogs about irons catching fire, I now always unplug my iron and from now on will check the cords over periodically also.

was it a Rowenta by chance? those have been catching fire all by themselves. glad you are all right.

No not one of those. I don't even remember what it was. I've had it for awhile and had never notices any ware on the cord. It worked well up until today, it actually worked better than the new one I have. I guess it just finally got tired and wanted to rest.

I never leave my irons plugged in and will have to reconsider leaving the toaster plugged in. I check my cords for my sewing machine because I don't leave them plugged in. I guess the movement of the iron just helped to ware on it.

Go to the search at the top of this page and enter unexpected fire and see what happened to a friend of mine last week. These irons are getting a bit scary.

I unplug my irons all the time when I'm done using them. And that's part of the reason I'm having cord issues with both of my irons now! It's the extra wear/tear on the plug/cord connection. But I'll still unplug. Just got used to doing that when my dogs had access to wherever I happened to be ironing. Don't care if there's an auto shut-off. Never know what the 4 legged creatures might get spooked by, jump up and knock it over. Not taking chances here.

An update on the Rowenta that burst into flames while I was using it - I have received the prepaid label from Rowenta to send it into their factory, however, first I'm going to take it to the Fire Department and get it documented from them. Just as a precaution on my part. There is NO wear on the cord where this shot fire out and burnt it off. I hope your heart is pounding o.k. now - think my is starting to slow down too!

Besides the possiblity of me walking off and leaving the iron plugged in, my dogs are crated in my sewing room when we are gone until I can move them out of there. Dolly even pulled one down on herself the other day because mom (me) forgot to put the cord up. I just unplugged it and let it dangle. She's okay,not hurt but felt so guilty that she even yelped.

Wow, that is scarey. Great idea letting someone at your local fire dept. look at it and verify that ther is something wrong that caused it to shoot fire. I think that is probably be a smart move. Glad your okay to. Heart finally worked it's way back into the chest and no harm done. LOL

Wow! I'm grateful to have my son close -- If a cord gets worn/frayed, he cuts the cord and removes the damaged portion, reconnects the wires and away I go. I'm sure I probably don't use my iron as much as you do, but I've had that happen to me and it scares the bejabbers out of you!

Jeanette Frantz

Wow! Good thing you caught it before it turned into a disaster. Thanks for reminding us once again to always unplug irons. I unplug the toaster and the coffee maker and if I'm going away - ALL non-essential appliances.

I don't have any family near me. Yesterday I realized I had left my iron plugged in. When I went to unplug it there were a few sparks. Now I am scared to plug it back in after reading these posts! What should I do?

I left my iron on all night the other night and part of the next morning, when I went in the room I could smell faintly like something was buring and I forgot to unplug my iron, Boy I was lucky and it was a rowenta just bought it about 7 months ago and now afraid to plug it back in. The iron does not have a auto-shut off or a off-on button you have to plug it in and unplug it. I just unplug it so often I though it was off,whew was I lucky.

Yes do check, and watch your refrigerators, washers and dryers too for lint buildups. I bought myself a new iron that turns off after a while. i figured it was worth the money just to make sure I didn't leave it on. You can't be too careful, can you?

I now have a note taped to the light switch plate in my sewing room. IRON? That reminds me to check and make sure its unplugged, 'cause I have gone off and left it on before.

mine are all on power strips...even radios.....and all the power strips are turned off at night.....only flip the switch on for what i am using ...... guess i am scaredy cat !!! LOL less wear on the plugs and my old hands to flip the switch on the power strip

Many thanks for the warning.

In the past I've just had the cord replaced on favourite things like this. Replacements today just aren't the same quality.

do auto shut off really work my son is an electrican he says unplug appliances that are not essenticals and he does not trust power strips

Wohoa - glad you're ok!

An appliance like an iron, toaster, coffee pot, etc that produce heat should not be plugged in anywhere but the wall. NOT into extension chords, NOT into power strips, but directly into the outlet. Please be careful, you have so much to lose. I suggest you put your ironing board some place where you cannot leave it up long term. So much safer. Glad you are OK and that there was not major damage.

Thanks so much for the warning!

I like surge protectors and power strips with shut offs.

Thanks for the warning!

I save all cords from appliciances that have died and have saved iron cords from my friends whose irons have died but not from bad cords and reuse them to give new life to an otherwise broken appliance

I have all my sewing room cords plugged into surge protector multi outlet strips and turn them off when not in use. I think this would solve the problem of cord wear and tear of unplugging. I have a lamp plugged in with my iron so I don't forget to turn it off.

Years ago I had a toaster that I kept plugged in all the time. Was walking past it and smelled hot wood. It was the toaster and was burning the wood inside the wall. An electrician said that there was nothing wrong with the wiring in the wall, that it was the plug on the toaster. Learned my lesson. We could have lost our home.

It is always a smart thing to unplug everything from the wall if you are not using it!! No matter what it is, even if it is in the off position it is still pulling electricity. Therefore, you are keeping your electric bill higher and running the risk of "fire". I am so glad you were home, and so glad your heart is now back in your chest where it belongs!!! lol! :)

I have been told by many that most small electrical 'appliances' like irons, blenders and etc. are not meant to be plugged into an extension cord. I realize this incident had nothing to do with the extension cord, but I have followed that 'rule of thumb'.

understand about irons
 

Several years ago my mom was taking care of my grandmothers house after she passed. Well, mom has always turned off the iron but left it plugged in. She came to visit me about an hour away; before she got to my house I got a call that Grandmas house was on fire. The iron cord was melted to the wall of origin.
So you can guess, I use a surge protector and still unplug iron and turn off power cord. It is the last thing I unplug as I leave my sewing room at home. About the toaster, a principal's family back home in WV lost the kitchen to his home b/c of the coffee pot so same idea. So the microwave is the only small appliance I leave plugged in in the kitchen. I put those little cup hooks in the wall or cabinets near the item and when I unplug it hangs over the cup hook so I can do a quick visual sweep before leaving each day. As always I thank you folks for the information. Teresa

Oh my! Thanks for the reminder warning. Irons can be scary.

Very scary Tammy! I'm glad you, your heart, and your house are safe! I unplug my iron and have the issue about it being so hard to unplug, it can work the outlet loose. Hubby had to remove the plate from the receptacle and tighten the screws in there. The contractor was supposed to do that when he built the house but we noticed most of them were loose!

Maybe we should decide clothes look better with wrinkles and do away with the scary irons! j/k of course.

Thanks for the reminder. We use many items with electrical cords, not only in the sewing area but just about every other area in our homes.

My ironing cord lays on the countertop in my sewing room. I can see all of it while I'm sewing. I turn it off when not in use. Thanks for the warning.

To eliminate wear on the iron cord from plugging and unplugging, I bought one of those hard plastic 3 outlet multiplier things. I leave my iron plugged into it all the time. I plug in the multiplier and unplug it instead of the iron. I also have a blue nightlight plugged into it so if the light is on, I remember to unplug that handy gadget and know that if the light is off, so is the iron and there is no wear on the iron cord and plug since it stays plugged in.

Good advice to check those cords. Many years ago I had set my hair and dried it under a dryer at home (remember those days, girls?). I happened to look at the tube of air going up to my head and it was on fire! I was able to act quickly and put out the small fire on the tube. We have to be careful in this day and age too, where things are being made more cheaply.

Yikes. That is scary about the Rowenta. I have used them for years, but never any problem. I always unplug mine when I leave the sewing room.