In tonight's local news paper was an artical about a home fire, resulting in quite a lot of damage. They say the likely cause was a defective foot pedal on a sewing machine, which overheated, and started a fire on the carpet. No one was home at the time so the fire really took hold before neighbors noticed smoke. I usually unplug my machine when not in use, but did go in and check to make sure I had last time I used it. Something to think about.

good idea for sure thanks for sharing the info with us

That is a great idea or if you put the machine on one of those surge protectors and all you have to do is hit the switch and your off or on depending on what your got going on. Fortunately all I have are treadles and I do not have to worry about that. ;)

Billy

I always unplug my sewing machines.
I also don't leave the house with the dryer running. Years ago a neighbor's house burned down after she left her dryer running and left the house.

It's a great idea. I always unplug my machines.

Hi Billy, how are you doing today?

I always unplug mine when not in use. I do it because we have storms in the spring and summer with lightening. I didn't want my machine "zapped". I didn't think about fire. This is good info to have.

A fireman told me the same thing about a toaster oven, and said to always unplug it when not in use. They apparently "hold" current, or something like that.

Wow, who would have thought....... I have mine plugged into surge protectors but I will try to remember to unplug them now. Thanks for the warning. I try to unplug my appliances, but always keep iron plugged in too. Not anymore.

I never even thought of that happening. Thanks for the heads up.

I just hit the switch on the power cord, but, now I quess i will unplug that. thanks for the advice.

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.

My husband and GS think I'm nuts because I raise such a fit if they leave the toaster plugged in. Always inplug my machines also. and never leave the iron plugged in.
I wish they where her tonight to read this post, LOL.

If you install GFI electrical sockets in your home on the things that you have plugged in all the time like toasters, lamps and what not then you can get by with leaving everything plugged in. But they are pricy and I do have them in my home. They have the little reset buttons on the socket so you can test the surge protector and reset it if it trips.

Billy

I had never thought of that. I never leave small appliances plugged in or the dryer running when I leave. My sewing machine is on a surge protector, but I don't always turn it off unless there's a storm. I'll remember to unplug it from now on. :)

My DD is very cautious about electric, because she does not want to have to pay large bills : ). So the electric company told her to unplug anything she was not using. Well in some cases this is a good idea, however....she even unplugged her large screen TV. When the repair man was there last week, well, he suggested she not unplug it every night, and to leave it in. Eventdently it is very hard on the power supplies turning them off and on. Anyway kinda off subject, but I never unplug my sewing machine...I don't unplug anything, maybe I should think about doing that on some things.

I always unplug my machine after using it. Like unplugging the iron. Just a habit I got into.

I unplug my sewing machines, iron and computers when they are not in use. Had a lightening strike when I lived in Calif that hit a phone pole across the street, came right down the line and fried the modem.

Thanks. Quality info.

I always unplug mine completely. From past experience this summer do not assume that leaving anything plugged into a surge protector and then shitting off the protector will do the job.
I did this during Hurricane Irene this summer and when we had a power surge the surge protectors did not do the job that I assumed they would. Needless to say we lost a lot of electronics in the house. I did however have my machines and computers completely unplugged and they did survive.
Thought you might want to know this as I had to learn the hard way

This is what we have done in our rooms in the house for certain items.
We also have to remember..my stove is gas..but uses elec for the ignition... fridges... microwaves... washer/dryers.. we all leave such items plugged in at all times. So use the special outlets for your house.. well worth it.

Surge protectors to NOT always protect your items. Our neighbor had his business office in his house.. when a mega storm happened. They just like MacThayer..lost every electronic item in the house because of a storm..but all his entire office supply was on backups power supply/surge protection.. still lost it all. He was told, the surger protectors really do not cover for storms. it covers a different kind of power surge. He spent over 100 a piece on his surger protectors.

Having worked at a fire department for many years I can tell you all the stories you hear about appliances are true. I have my entire sewing room on a surge protector and when I come in I just flip a switch or two. Very comforting. Also, don't run your dishwasher at night. My friend ran hers and when she woke up in the morning she had water from her kitchen to under her bed and when she stepped out of her bed--surprise. Had to replace all the hardwood floors in her house. All electronics should be on a surge protector, and kitchen appliances should plugged in only when in use.

End of lecture.
Lana :thumbup:

Having worked at a fire department for many years I can tell you all the stories you hear about appliances are true. I have my entire sewing room on a surge protector and when I come in I just flip a switch or two. Very comforting. Also, don't run your dishwasher at night. My friend ran hers and when she woke up in the morning she had water from her kitchen to under her bed and when she stepped out of her bed--surprise. Had to replace all the hardwood floors in her house. All electronics should be on a surge protector, and kitchen appliances should plugged in only when in use.

End of lecture.

I always unplug my iron and machines when i am down with them. never thought of the toaster though.

Am starting to unplug my machines. Started with my HQ16 after a lighting strike across the street; then with my FW I also unplug as I had read about the foot could overheat.
When we bought the house we the curcit box changed out and added a surge protecte to the box, something I had read about and the electrician knew nothing about. Also I do use surge protector to plug into. Just replaced one in my studio.

I do the same things as you do. However, it never dawn on me to unplug my sewing machine.

Thanks for the heads up!

Unplugged some items too, to conserve $$ and resources; this is done across the planet.
But have more selfish reasons for unplugging my machine - don't ever want to lose her.

When a pole outside out house was struck, we lost out phone, fax, fridge, answering machine, some were plugged in to cheapie surge protectors but they didn't help. The electric company said if the strike is close enough surge protector will not help. They are mostly to protect against power surges. We took our expensive business phone in to see about repair and they called and said all the electronics inside the phone were melted and it was a good thing no one was talking on the phone at the time. I always thought mom was just being a scaredy cat telling us to get off the phone during a storm, but now I never talk on the phone during a storm! The electric company said safest thing to do in a storm is to unplug everything and stay off the phone and out of the shower! :!:

I always unplug mine due to lighting, if computerised it can ruin your machine.

Sounds quite possible.

The foot control on my older Singer went out the other day. When I picked it up, the controller was HOT on the bottom making me wonder if it went bad from the heat. At any rate, I'm now putting my new controller on a cookie cooling sheet so some air circulates under it.

My sewing set up is such that I HAVE to unplug it when I'm done------------no choice. Now, I may not leave it plugged in even for lunch breaks.

Wow! Scary!! You just never know, do you? Guess I'd better get smart & start unplugging mine....

We have GFI on EVERYTHING and surge protectors ----BUT you have me thinking about the unplugging.

I have my sewing machine,iron, and a light all plug into a surge protector strip. that I trun off ever time I leave the room and with the light on the some strip it is ease to see that all is off.

I was told that a surge protector only works if it is turned on.

So, turning everything off with the surge protector leaves all of those items unprotected.

I was like you, sweetpea, until a storm in which I had pulled the iron and sewing machine plugs and left in the tall Ottlite. Lightning hit a tree outside our yard which fell on power lines. It took out a ceiling fan, microwave, and the black box on the Ottlite.

I now unplug everything when I leave the area. You could also pull the plug on the surge protector.

Family thinks I am nuts, nuthing is plugged in until I'm ready to use it. Microwave, oven light, toaster. Been hit and fried tooo many times, costly and GRRRRR!

This happened to my mother. Her sewing machine was in the bedroom, we were in the kitchen having a cup of coffee when I happen to look into the room and noticed the machine was on fire. Lucky we were home at the time. Couldn't put the fire out with water so we smothered it with blankets. Very scarey, since then I always pull the plug.

I ALWAYS unplug my iron and machine when not in use.

I don't always unplug, but will now. I remember when I had a high school girl staying with me, who always had the iron plugged in, even if the dial, which was on the top, was turned to the off position. She had a cat who jumped everywhere. I told her the cat could knock the iron down and cause the dial to move to the on position, and cause a fire. I think a good motto for us is to "Be aware, and beware".

Mine is always unplugged when not in use.
I know some people unplug all small appliances in the kitchen also; but we don't here. Hubby and son think it is too much of an inconvenience to plug them in lol. MEN !!