This Common Power Strip Habit Is a Serious Fire Hazard. Here's What to Do Instead
The power strip is one of those household items so ordinary that it stops registering as a potential hazard. It sits behind the furniture, everything plugged in and humming along, and nothing bad happens, until it does. Electrical fires caused by overloaded or improperly used power strips are more common than most homeowners realize, and the habits that lead to them are almost universally the same: daisy-chained extension cords, too many high-wattage devices on a single strip and the general assumption that if it fits in the outlet, it must be fine.
To better understand which common household items pose the greatest safety risks when left plugged in, we consulted an expert. Jerry Poon, a principal electrical engineer at Red Dog Engineering, revealed how some devices carry far higher risks than others.
"My rule of thumb: If it gets hot, pulls a lot of power or has a sketchy...
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