Safe Use of Power Strips and Surge Protectors

Power strips and surge protectors—staples of college dorms, offices, and in homes for decades—can juice up a lot of appliances at once.

But are they safe?

Generally, yes. But there are some appliances that should never be plugged into one of these devices because doing so presents a fire hazard and risk for burn injuries.

Are power strips and surge protectors the same?

No, they’re not. A power strip is an extension cord that has multiple outlets. It’s handy when you want to plug in several devices at the same time, but it doesn’t offer protection against a power surge. 

A surge protector also provides multiple outlets, but it protects electronics from a voltage spike or power surge by diverting excess voltage to the ground. This prevents damage to connected devices. 

If the device is a surge protector, it will have a joules rating on the package. This tells you how long a device can be protected if there’s a surge. 

So… a surge protector functions like a power strip, but not all power strips are surge protectors. 

Even though a surge protector has some safety features built in, there are some electronics that should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet, and never into either a surge protector or a power strip.

What should you never plug into a surge protector?

High-capacity electronics

This includes microwaves, space heaters, air conditioners, and electric motors. These items require a lot of power and can overload a surge protector, causing a fire. 

Large appliances 

Refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes dryers and washing machines are too large for a surge protector to handle. They should be plugged directly into the outlet and, ideally, on their own circuit breaker, as well. 

Vacuum cleaners

These can also draw a high current load and could cause overheating damage. 

Coffee maker 

This is a pretty commonplace appliance that doesn’t seem like it does much heavy lifting, energy-wise. But despite its being small and seemingly indestructible, a coffee maker requires quite a bit of power to heat and brew your joe.

Toaster

You know how your toaster coils become literally red hot? Toasters, waffle irons, and electric skillets take a lot of energy to create that much heat. If it’s enough to burn your toast, it’s enough to cause a power strip to overheat. It’s best to plug these appliances directly into an outlet.

Slow cooker

Slow cookers are all the rage right now—whether you’re grabbing slowcooker recipes on TikTok or using your grandma’s recipes from her cooking days, the slow cooker set-it-and-forget-it theme is efficient for people on the go… but that’s precisely what can make them dangerous. They require more energy over a longer period of time than most power strips can handle. Especially if you’re leaving the slow cooker to, uh, cook slowly while you’re sleeping or not at home, it’s important to plug it into a regular outlet. 

Hair care appliances

Hair dryer, curling iron, flat iron… some of us have a drawer full of electric hair gadgets. It’s not that these items overload a power strip, though. The reason for plugging these gadgets into a regular outlet (ideally a GFCI) is because of the danger of accidental water exposure, which is a common hazard in bathrooms. 

Sump pumps

Who would have thought the utilitarian sump pump in your basement has something in common with your curling iron? A sump pump is designed for wet conditions, but a power strip or surge protector is not. It should be plugged into a GFCI outlet that’s a few feet above the floor in case of flooding. 

Air compressors

A portable air compressor draws a ton of energy to start. A heavy-duty extension cord is a viable option for connecting to a power source, but a power strip isn’t a good idea. 

Blender

Your source of energy might be protein powder or yogurt or whatever goes into that smoothie in your blender. But it’s probably less (and definitely a different kind) than what your blender takes from its source. A blender—though small—is similar to a toaster or space heater, or even an air conditioner, with respect to the amount of wattage it uses. These small electronics have powerful motors. 

Power tools 

A power strip can be safe for your power tools, but it needs to be a 220-volt strip with grounded outlets. It should also have a 14-gauge wire between the strip and the plug, because this carries a heavier load without creating heat. This higher-rated power strip is especially important if you’re using a table saw, circular saw, or chop saw. 

Gaming equipment 

If you’ve ever been in a teenager’s bedroom, it would seem as though power strips were made for gaming systems. And while you can plug in your gaming system, itself, to a power strip, it’s important to be mindful of how many components or peripherals are also plugged into that same power strip. If there’s one thing gamers love, it’s their peripherals, right? 

But here’s how to do it safely: Check the sticker on each component and tally the wattage for each. Then check the capacity of the power strip. If the total wattage is lower than the power strip capacity, you’re good to go. Play all day. But if the total wattage is higher than what the power strip can handle, either use outlets for some components or get another power strip to handle the load. 

Other power strips 

Connecting multiple power strips is a technique known as “daisy-chaining.” There are three main reasons why this is not a good idea:

1. When you connect multiple power strips, the one closest to the wall outlet might be supplying more power to more outlets than it’s able to do. This could overload the circut and cause a fire. 
2. When power strips are connected with extension cords, the total resistance increases because of the length of the cords, and this generates heat. 
3. While not a hazard, per se, daisy-chaining power strips might void the warranty for a connected device.

Tips for using power strips safely

By following these safety precautions, you should be able to protect yourself from a burn injury and your belongings from damage.

If you do suffer a burn injury from a power strip or faulty device, you can contact a personal injury lawyer to see if you might have a defective product claim or burn injury lawsuit.