Choosing an appliance the size of a refrigerator, oven or dishwasher usually takes time. The features, energy consumption or price are some of the aspects that are evaluated before buying it, but something that is also essential is not always taken into account: whether the place where we plan to place it has a free socket.
Because that is one of the dramas of the kitchen, that there are so many appliances that it brings together that sometimes there is no space to connect a new one. In these cases, the solution is usually to use a power strip, thief or extension cord, that device with several plug sockets that we sometimes clutter with gadgets. But using it this way can come with some risks.
This is stated by the Security and Emergencies Agency of the Community of Madrid through its Twitter account, where it has warned that high-power electrical appliances should be connected to the wall sockets.
The energy consumption of the connected appliances must not exceed what the power strip is capable of supporting, information that is usually printed on it (if not, it may not be very secure). Therefore, if we plug all the large kitchen appliances into it, it is most likely that we will subject it to an excessive load and that over time it will be damaged, potentially causing short circuits and even a fire.
The advice is, therefore, to connect appliances such as the refrigerator, oven or dishwasher to wall sockets, and leave other lower consumption ones for the power strip, such as a coffee maker, toaster or hand blender.
But overloading the thief is just one of the mistakes we can make that can increase the risk of fire. Connecting power strips with others in order to reach more devices is also a dangerous practice, like choosing the wrong place to place them.
The power strip, for example, is not prepared to operate in humid spaces. So placing it near the kitchen faucet would be another dangerous way to use it. It is also not a good idea for it to be near curtains or carpets, because if it generates a spark it could set them on fire. And, of course, it should not be within the reach of children.
