Quiltingboard Forums - unplug machine when not in use

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)

- Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)

- - unplug machine when not in use (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/unplug-machine-when-not-use-t162237.html)

I read this and then I ran all over the house unplugging anything and everything. DH started to holler at me when I unplugged his ballgame. Who would've thunk?????

Be sure to unplug your irons, too. My daughter keeps hers in the walk in closet in the master bedroom. One morning as she was getting ready for work, it sparked and could have set the house on fire if she hadn't heard it and seen it spark. Luckily, she hadn't left for work yet, thank goodness!

I do unplug my sewing machine. I had vepco put a wrong
part in the their pole, and it destroyed everything in my
house,except my sewing machine(it was not pluged in). 3
houses were on this pole. All smelled and really bad.
The vepco workers came over and said sorry, call Vepco and they would replace everything. The office said they are never responsible, I went up the line to 4 different people worked on it 3 weeks. Called Others:goverment offices, TV, & lawers all said Vepco and verizon no one can fight or win. They wouldn't take. We had to use homeowners they tried too! But home owners insurance paid. My spa (outside) computers,5 TV's, washer dryer, hotwater heater,clock, toaster, Mic.wave, phones, big frezzer, etc. Do you know how many things are plugges in all the time.
But they paid a amount and subtracted yrs. of use. I think we got 150. - 50.00 for tv's expample.
number of years used,etc.

Hi Billy, Long time no talk my friend. How are you and Val doing? I'm missing your expertise, that's for sure as well as all of your posts! Seems that you are slowly getting in the game again. Soon my DH and I will be referring to your tutes on refurbishing a 66 treadle.
I always unplug appliances at night or when going out of the house.

After reading every post on this subject, you guys have convinced me to start unplugging everything. I've lucked out in the past, but sure don't want to take any more chances, especially with my computerized machines. Thank you so much for the input.

I also unplug both my sewing machine and iron after every session. I also use a serge protector with both. After a friend had an electrical fire from leaving her toaster plugged into the wall socket, I unplug stuff when I'm not using it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anniesews

I have my machines pluged in to a surge strip and always turn the strip off when I leave the room. I wonder if this is good enough. Should I unplug the machines from the strip? Any suggestions?

It is not good enough. It won't protect your machines.

Either unplug your items from the strip after turning them off or unplug the strip from the wall after all of the machines/light/iron are turned off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacThayer

I have my sewing machine, iron and a nearby lamp on a surge protector, and I automatically shut it off when I'm not using them. Is that enough?

In fact, practically everything in this house is on a surge protector. We were hit by lightening a few years back, and even though the house was properly grounded, the lightening was so close, it blackened an outside and inside wall, blew a wall lamp off the wall, and fried every electronic we had plugged in, even if it wasn't on, except for a couple things like the fridge and range which had built in surge protectors. And I mean every electronic! My husband had a home office, and that meant his fax, copier, scanner, and 2 computer were history. We lost every TV in the house, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Even the blow dryer for my hair blew up. You can see why we use surge protectors now!

I remember when it hit. This shock of electricity hit me, knocked me down, and my hair stood on end. Scared the heck out of the dog. It wasn't funny. And I never leave the house with anything running: dryer, dishwasher, TV, nothing.

If anyone knows if turning off a surge protector would prevent a fire, I'd love to know.

Surge protectors wear out and we are not aware of it because items plugged in through them still work by delivering electricity. Each time they receive a surge it uses up some capacity. And there can be surges that you do not know of because the source of the surge happened way down the line. In other words, after a while a surge protector is only an extension cord. The surge protector is designed to protect what is plugged in to them while in use. When not in use unplug the surge protector, then everything is protected by not being exposed.

This is a hair drier story with same moral. For fifteen years I have been leaving my hair drier plugged in, and I hang it around the post which holds the tilting bureau mirror, right over the bureau where all my cosmetics, sprays, etc etc. are. It's in the bathroom and we put a sink into the bureau. So convenient.

Well, I came by the house during the day to pick up some stuff and let the dog out and I heard what I thought was the bathroom fan in our bedroom - went up to turn off the fan light and when I opened the door...there was my hair drier blasting on HIGH! It had already melted one of my plastic bottles! Evidently the cord on the drier is linked to the on-off switch and the weight of the drier pulled the cord which pulled the switch!!

Needless to say I don't do that any more. I disposed of the evidence and have not said a word to DH. I already give him enough to worry about LOL he doesn't need that.

That's really scary! I'm so glad that I unplug my machines when they aren't being used. I was always just worried about a power surge going through them. I never even thought of a short causing a fire.