Turning off v Plugging out

splashthecash

My wife is driving me nuts at the minute after reading some articles about how a high percentage of fires start from appliances such as TVs remaining plugged in over night as opposed to just going on standby.

It's a relatively small thing but curious how many people actually unplug/switch off the power socket to their main TV every night before they go to bed?

P.S. Things such as phone chargers left plugged in are supposed to be a common reason for fires also

Uriel.

There's also the needless cost of leaving things on standby.

I have a lot of those remote control socket things which are great for flicking off the sockets. Saves the grief of plugging stuff out or trying to get in behind the TV etc.

Well worth the investment... About 18euro for a pack of three and I'm sure they'd be cheaper online

Turtyturd

Switch off the main socket for the TV but taking out the plugs is a no-no.....as I've said before I'd rather die in a house fire than stand on a plug.

bumper234

splashthecash wrote: »

My wife is driving me nuts at the minute after reading some articles about how a high percentage of fires start from appliances such as TVs remaining plugged in over night as opposed to just going on standby.

It's a relatively small thing but curious how many people actually unplug/switch off the power socket to their main TV every night before they go to bed?

P.S. Things such as phone chargers left plugged in are supposed to be a common reason for fires also

I would unplug everything because that's what my parents did and it's just something i picked up along the way and carried on with it.

I unplug nothing, pain in the hole having to plug them back in and somethings like the sky box for instance take an age to come back on and it will mess up if there are recording set and you forget to plug it back in. I cant even access the plug to the tv etc in my room as its hidden away behind things. I often fall asleep with the tv on too anyway. It actually used to annoy me when a former house mate plugged things out.

We never plug out things at my home place either, just never something we did. I think its a bit of an OCD thing.

turnikett1

Always unplug, always. It takes 2 seconds to plug something in and out, it's pure lazy not to (unless it's something that will go nuts if you plug it like the above poster said - Sky box)

Macy0161

No, we don't. Where do you draw the line? Do you plug out the big appliances like the fridge or freezer? What about the dishwasher and washing machine which often have inaccessable plugs? The Modem? Satellite and Cable TV recievers are supposed to be left on - the likes of Sky send updates overnight. Our phones and tablets are plugged in overnight to charge - if you were concerned about the chargers going on fire, I would've thought at night when the household was asleep was the main time of concern, but that's when you want to use the chargers.

Teyla Emmagan

I turn off at the switch but don't unplug, how's that? I don't really have that many electrical devices, even the microwave died on me last week. The dishwasher and washing machine are never plugged out though. The radio is always switched off at the wall and I've no TV. Laptop always plugged out.

splashthecash

Cheers, All good replies and as one poster said, where do you draw the line. I have the TV power on an extension that also houses t'internet, phone and Sky so I think I'll have the TV in its own plug and just turn off that plug going forward

AnonoBoy

Both are good options.

We turned off Grandma whereas Granddad was unplugged.

Rabies

I died in a fire once.

Never again.

kylith

I don't plug out the telly because it's in an awkward place, but I do turn off the socket. Most stuff would be turned off at the socket or unplugged. Except the kettle. Unplugging the kettle is a flogging offense.

Calibos

40 years on this earth and never unplugged a thing. That includes 6 Tv's for the bulk of this millennium.

danniemcq

Never unplug anything, radio is always on in the bedroom even when i'm not there, I can't be in a house without noise.

Computer is always on (has a habit recently of waking up from sleep after a few hours so it'll be fully on in the morning and again when i get home.

Phone chargers never unplugged either.

that extra few quid a bill I don't really care about, its handy and i'll pay for that ease.

I've lived with people who turn off toasters, kettles, phones, tvs, EVERYTHING!

Bugs the hell out of me, wake up hungover stumble downstairs put phone on charge and try and boil the kettle. Waiting for ages for the click of the kettle and then you realise that the fecking thing is off. Or when you have sky set to record and someone turns it off, yes i know i'm recording at stupid o clock in the morning but thats when the F1 is on!

SteelyDanJalapeno

Just turn the power off going to your house from the fuse box.

FTA69

danniemcq wrote: »

Never unplug anything, radio is always on in the bedroom even when i'm not there, I can't be in a house without noise.

Computer is always on (has a habit recently of waking up from sleep after a few hours so it'll be fully on in the morning and again when i get home.

Phone chargers never unplugged either.

that extra few quid a bill I don't really care about, its handy and i'll pay for that ease.

I've lived with people who turn off toasters, kettles, phones, tvs, EVERYTHING!

Bugs the hell out of me, wake up hungover stumble downstairs put phone on charge and try and boil the kettle. Waiting for ages for the click of the kettle and then you realise that the fecking thing is off. Or when you have sky set to record and someone turns it off, yes i know i'm recording at stupid o clock in the morning but thats when the F1 is on!

I would turn off chargers alright. Apparently once they're plugged in, energy p*sses out of them. Which is a bit of a waste.

kneemos

TiltedBrain wrote: »

Just turn the power off going to your house from the fuse box.

Better still sabotage the nearest power station.

turnikett1

FTA69 wrote: »

I would turn off chargers alright. Apparently once they're plugged in, energy p*sses out of them. Which is a bit of a waste.

Yep, chargers eat a stupid amount of electricity. That is one thing you shouldn't leave plugged in.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

The microphones and TV cameras on MTV Unplugged, were never unplugged.

True story.

My housemate keeps flicking the cooker and heating off at the isolators on the wall straight after shes finished with them. She won't even turn off the knobs on the oven. Being an electrician by trade, I know this is not good despite me telling her.

I may have to kill her

turnikett1

turnikett1 wrote: »

Yep, chargers eat a stupid amount of electricity. That is one thing you shouldn't leave plugged in.

They use virtually nothing even when charging a phone.

BKWDR

Only thing i won't unplug fully is the lead that powers the telly / UPC box / wifi...mostly as it would mess with UPC recordings BUT I did start turning off my telly from standby mode (red light still on) to actually hitting the physical power switch on the telly at the back of it due to the remote control acting the maggot and oddly enough over the months i did see my electricity bill go down marginally.

mmouse

Everybody trusts the fridge.The fridge is your friend and must never be turned off or unplugged.

Not like the evil old telly that's plotting to set fire to the house and run away with your missus.

Actually, I do know of a family who lost their house and all their possessions in a fire because of a faulty ambi pure plugin air freshener thing.

seamus

Old CRT TVs had a habit of bursting into flames when plugged in all the time, I know of one family whose house was burned to the ground and half of them nearly died. Afaik this is because CRTs store a huge amount of power in capacitors internally. If they short or overload, they will cause a fire. Other appliances are largely protected from surges causing fires because of their fuses, but the capacitors in a CRT are behind the fuses, so can blow without blowing the fuse.

New TVs though aren't the same. They use and store far less power, so the chances of them spontaneously exploding is very small.

On standby they do consume power though, so for the sake of your pocket you're better off switching them off at the plug. I leave stuff like t'internet and DVR on, but TV, PS3 etc is switched off at night.

I'm skeptical about how much power phone chargers may or may not use, and wonder is that an old belief about old chargers. If the charger has no lights or anything, then how is it consuming power while plugged in?

eamonnq

'Plug out' ? The one phrase that I really can't stand!! Unplug, Unplug, Unplug!!

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/plug_out

Is it an Irish thing ?

Tail Docker

I always quench the paraffin stove and turn off the petrol genny overnight. I am awful for leaving on the candles though.

eamonnq

eamonnq wrote: »

'Plug out' ? The one phrase that I really can't stand!! Unplug, Unplug, Unplug!!

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/plug_out

Is it an Irish thing ?

I hope not

Chattastrophe!

kylith wrote: »

I don't plug out the telly because it's in an awkward place, but I do turn off the socket. Most stuff would be turned off at the socket or unplugged. Except the kettle. Unplugging the kettle is a flogging offense.

For some bizarre reason, our kitchen is set up so that the kettle, the toaster and the steriliser (i.e. the three most-used appliances) are sharing the same two sockets. So almost every time you go to use one of them, it's plugged out. Drives me mad ... must really sort that out!

kneemos

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

My housemate keeps flicking the cooker and heating off at the isolators on the wall straight after shes finished with them. She won't even turn off the knobs on the oven. Being an electrician by trade, I know this is not good despite me telling her.

I may have to kill her

A lot of people do this,it ensures nothing is left on.Better than having the grill catching fire.

Zebra3

Unplug.

If you leave your tv on standby, it is using something like 30-40% of the power that would if it was turned on.

Waste of money and really bad for the environment.

For people that don't care, read up on what happened in West Antarctica earlier this week.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

seamus wrote: »

I'm skeptical about how much power phone chargers may or may not use, and wonder is that an old belief about old chargers. If the charger has no lights or anything, then how is it consuming power while plugged in?

I have a Pay As You Go meter and leave everything plugged in (LCD TV, 4G Wifi Modem, S3 Mini on charge, 15" laptop, extension lead that has little lights, oven clock) and all these costs me 2c to 3c for around eight hours of standby use during the night.

kneemos

Zebra3 wrote: »

Unplug.

If you leave your tv on standby, it is using something like 30-40% of the power that would if it was turned on.

Waste of money and really bad for the environment.

For people that don't care, read up on what happened in West Antarctica earlier this week.

Don't believe a word of that,must have been dreamed up by the green party or something.Actually checked it at the meter one time and
it never budged.

jiltloop

Macy0161 wrote: »

No, we don't. Where do you draw the line? Do you plug out the big appliances like the fridge or freezer? What about the dishwasher and washing machine which often have inaccessable plugs? The Modem? Satellite and Cable TV recievers are supposed to be left on - the likes of Sky send updates overnight. Our phones and tablets are plugged in overnight to charge - if you were concerned about the chargers going on fire, I would've thought at night when the household was asleep was the main time of concern, but that's when you want to use the chargers.

Well of course you wouldn't plug out your fridge/freezer

Dishwasher and washing machines you don't need to plug out because they don't have a standby mode. They are either running/on or not/off.

I think we can restrict discussion to TVs/DVD players/Satelite receivers/Sky boxes/Chargers etc. Personally I would have a multi adapter with everything pugged into it except the sky box. I switch off the one switch on the wall for the multi adapter and leave the sky box plugged in. Simples.

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

A lot of people do this,it ensures nothing is left on.Better than having the grill catching fire.

And all those people are wrong kneemos old pal. Why? Because an isolator is exactly what it says on the tin. Its for isolating power for maintenance. Not for switching appliances on and off. The knobs/switches on your oven/hob/boiler/shower are designed to switch the product on and off. The constant flipping of the isolator switch wears down/burns out the contacts inside the isolator over time. Especially when the switches on the appliance itself are constantly left on. That can cause fires.

If I had a euro for thr amount of shower/cooker isolators I've changed over the years because of peoples ignorance, I'd be able to pay for a week away in the sun (cheap last minute holiday mind you). Also, most modern cookers keep the fan going to cool down after you've switched them off at the knobs. A lot of people just skip that part and hit the big red button on the wall and assume all is good.

SEPT 23 1989

Watched a programme about the Fire Brigade on RTE and one of the chief fire putter outers said the main sources of fire starting in houses was tv's and mobile phone charges left plugged in

SteelyDanJalapeno

Zebra3 wrote: »

Unplug.

If you leave your tv on standby, it is using something like 30-40% of the power that would if it was turned on.

Waste of money and really bad for the environment.

For people that don't care, read up on what happened in West Antarctica earlier this week.

Have those figures as facts anywhere?

Didn't think so....

SteelyDanJalapeno

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Watched a programme about the Fire Brigade on RTE and one of the chief fire putter outers said the main sources of fire starting in houses was tv's and mobile phone charges left plugged in

Very flammable alright

MRnotlob606

I Always take out the plugs before I go to bed.

fonda

jiltloop wrote: »

Well of course you wouldn't plug out your fridge/freezer

Dishwasher and washing machines you don't need to plug out because they don't have a standby mode. They are either running/on or not/off.

I think we can restrict discussion to TVs/DVD players/Satelite receivers/Sky boxes/Chargers etc. Personally I would have a multi adapter with everything pugged into it except the sky box. I switch off the one switch on the wall for the multi adapter and leave the sky box plugged in. Simples.

Chargers don't have a standby mode???

danniemcq

FTA69 wrote: »

I would turn off chargers alright. Apparently once they're plugged in, energy p*sses out of them. Which is a bit of a waste.

turnikett1 wrote: »

Yep, chargers eat a stupid amount of electricity. That is one thing you shouldn't leave plugged in.

nope sorry

at current rates on Electric ireland its roughly 19.31c per kwh.

Mobile phone chargers use 2-6 watts an hour charging and .1 -.5 when on standby.

with that you can get the price

6 hours a night full Charge
cost per hour 0.001
per 6 hours 0.0057
A month € 0.17
Every billing period € 0.34

18 hours standby
cost per hour 0.0001
per 6 hours 0.0017
A month € 0.05
Every billing period € 0.10


so leaving it in is 44c a billing period

now if you wanna go mental and always have your phone charging thats when you hit the big money

24 hours ALWAYS CHARGING
cost per hour 0.001
full day 0.0228
A month € 0.69
Every billing period € 1.38


yup 24 hours a day every day will give you a cost €1.38

jimgoose

Uriel. wrote: »

...Well worth the investment... About 18euro for a pack of three and I'm sure they'd be cheaper online

Mmm. At current per-unit prices each unit will pay for itself in about six months. I take the view that if your time is worth nothing, unplug away and knock yourself out. Personally I have better things to do.

jimgoose

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Watched a programme about the Fire Brigade on RTE and one of the chief fire putter outers said the main sources of fire starting in houses was tv's and mobile phone charges left plugged in

I would hazard an educated guess that these cases have more to do with faulty/poor connections within bockety old power outlets than the devices plugged into them, that and overloading.

eamonnq

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

chief fire putter outers

Excellent!!

Wossack

much like the scene from die hard 2 (die harder), I run a chainsaw through the bundle of wires at the back of my telly every evening

Macy0161

jiltloop wrote: »

Well of course you wouldn't plug out your fridge/freezer

Dishwasher and washing machines you don't need to plug out because they don't have a standby mode. They are either running/on or not/off.

I think we can restrict discussion to TVs/DVD players/Satelite receivers/Sky boxes/Chargers etc. Personally I would have a multi adapter with everything pugged into it except the sky box. I switch off the one switch on the wall for the multi adapter and leave the sky box plugged in. Simples.

Our dishwasher and washing machine do in effect go into standby. You have to push a button to turn then off at the end of a cycle. There's more in a fridge or freezer or fridge freezer to go wrong than there is on a TV or DVD player.

We have (multiple in our house) smoke/ fire alarms to protect us from the threat of fire. We have fused plugs, and a fuse board, to protect us from electrical faults.

jimgoose

Wossack wrote: »

much like the scene from die hard 2 (die harder), I run a chainsaw through the bundle of wires at the back of my telly every evening

Nice technique, but I prefer three rounds from a 1911 Colt ACP through the screen.

ironclaw

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

And all those people are wrong kneemos old pal. Why? Because an isolator is exactly what it says on the tin. Its for isolating power for maintenance. Not for switching appliances on and off. The knobs/switches on your oven/hob/boiler/shower are designed to switch the product on and off. The constant flipping of the isolator switch wears down/burns out the contacts inside the isolator over time. Especially when the switches on the appliance itself are constantly left on. That can cause fires.

If I had a euro for thr amount of shower/cooker isolators I've changed over the years because of peoples ignorance, I'd be able to pay for a week away in the sun (cheap last minute holiday mind you). Also, most modern cookers keep the fan going to cool down after you've switched them off at the knobs. A lot of people just skip that part and hit the big red button on the wall and assume all is good.

Respectfully disagree with that advice. If it was merely a maintenance switch, why bother having it in the kitchen? You could just mount it directly on the fuse board as your going to have it on a larger fuse anyway for the cooker ring circuit. Also, just checked my catalogue there, the average switch is good for 10,000 to 100,000 operations. Thats anywhere between 7 and 10+ years of 4 uses per day. Its not going to wear out all that quick and given the construction of an isolator switch, arcing and fires are unlikely.

Personally, I'd rather spend €50 replacing a switch (A 10 minute job) than repairing a burnt down house. Leave the cooker / hob on to cool down by fan but if its not being used its safer off. Its terrifyingly easy on some hobs / grills to knock them on to even a low heat and not noticed. Also if kids are in the house.

eamonnq

Wossack wrote: »

much like the scene from die hard 2 (die harder), I run a chainsaw through the bundle of wires at the back of my telly every evening

Hope it is not an electric chainsaw, think of the cost of doing that every night.

hardCopy

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

My housemate keeps flicking the cooker and heating off at the isolators on the wall straight after shes finished with them. She won't even turn off the knobs on the oven. Being an electrician by trade, I know this is not good despite me telling her.

I may have to kill her

This does my nut, my girlfriend and her flatmates used to do this and I had to set the time on the oven every time I turned it on, this was one of the first things we fought about when we moved in together.

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

For some bizarre reason, our kitchen is set up so that the kettle, the toaster and the steriliser (i.e. the three most-used appliances) are sharing the same two sockets. So almost every time you go to use one of them, it's plugged out. Drives me mad ... must really sort that out!

This pisses me off too, scabby developers fitting a house with half the number of sockets you actually need.

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

And all those people are wrong kneemos old pal. Why? Because an isolator is exactly what it says on the tin. Its for isolating power for maintenance. Not for switching appliances on and off. The knobs/switches on your oven/hob/boiler/shower are designed to switch the product on and off. The constant flipping of the isolator switch wears down/burns out the contacts inside the isolator over time. Especially when the switches on the appliance itself are constantly left on. That can cause fires.

If I had a euro for thr amount of shower/cooker isolators I've changed over the years because of peoples ignorance, I'd be able to pay for a week away in the sun (cheap last minute holiday mind you). Also, most modern cookers keep the fan going to cool down after you've switched them off at the knobs. A lot of people just skip that part and hit the big red button on the wall and assume all is good.

You'd want to charge more than a euro

danniemcq

eamonnq wrote: »

Hope it is not an electric chainsaw, think of the cost of doing that every night.

Last wire cut is the chainsaws