Only you can prevent garbage fires: Batteries, especially lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium types, should be taken to a hazardous waste collection center, not tossed in the trash. Search online for your city or town’s name plus the term “electronics disposal.” Or use this handy site.
Avoid these 10 dangerous mistakes when using power strips
You need to charge your phone, and that lamp you’re trying to plug in is too far away from the outlet. So you reach for a power strip to save the day.
But did you know there is a surprisingly long list of ways people misuse power strips? These mistakes lead to electrical shorting, fire hazards and the destruction of appliances.
Keep reading for a list of mistakes to avoid when using power strips to prevent a whole mess of problems.
1. Don’t plug one power strip into another
This leads to power strip overload. Overloading a power strip often results in short-circuiting, but it can go further. Overloading a power strip can melt the entire plastic housing and cause a fire. It’s never a good idea to “daisy chain” power strips.
Be careful when you plug anything into your power strip by checking the amperage requirements. Inexpensive outlets from dollar stores will have very low amperage thresholds and often won’t be UL tested.
Look for UL testing or certification. This ensures the wiring can withstand the advertised amperage. If it isn’t UL tested, it’s not worth bringing into your home.
2. Avoid plugging beauty tools into a power strip
Beauty tools such as curling irons and hair dryers turn electricity into heat. That’s okay in a standard wall outlet, but a power strip isn’t designed for that much electrical pull.
Because it’s turning all that electricity into heat, the prongs on your beauty tool plug will heat up as it draws additional power (which may depend on your settings). That leads to overcharging and a high probability of fire.
This is another instance where you need to think about the amperage of your products. There’s usually a maximum and minimum draw. If it even poses the potential to draw more amperage than your power strip can handle, it’s a bad idea.
3. Don’t assume that your power strip is safe near pets
Recall warning: Phone charger is a fire risk - Do you own it?
Prices on new tech gadgets can be hard to swallow. After all, who wants to spend thousands of dollars on a new 4K TV or computer?
But if you’re opting for inexpensive tech accessories to cut costs, you could be asking for trouble. Not all accessories are built with the same quality control, and cheap options are often recalled due to safety issues. These phone chargers that were recently recalled due to being fire hazards are just one example.
Check your home for these products - they've been recalled
Mass-produced products will always have a few bad batches that get returned for defects or quality control issues. When enough of these defects pose a safety hazard, that’s where product recalls come in.
When a recall happens, consumers should stop using the item and await further instructions from the manufacturer. The Consumer Product Safety Commission puts out regular updates to make these recalls easier to find. Tap or click here to see which products were recalled in October 2020.