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Here are seven high-risk examples in your home that you should never connect to an extension cord.
1. Air fryer
Air fryers are great for quickly cooking and warming food, including full meals and side dishes, but it’s not a good idea to attach them to an extension cord or power strip. Although they range in wattage based on size, large air fryers can draw up to 2,000 watts, making them a major fire hazard if they’re attached to an extension cord. So if you don’t have counter space to keep your air fryer out full time, it’s best to pull it out when needed and plug it into a dedicated wall outlet.
2. Microwave
While the dream is to move into a home with a built-in microwave, we’re all not that lucky. If you have to find a place to connect yours in your kitchen, this is another heavy-duty appliance that should live on its own dedicated circuit due to high wattage.
3. Refrigerator
Although refrigerators use less wattage than some other kitchen appliances, they’re still not recommended for extension cord use as they are constantly running. Even if the extension cord doesn’t cause a fire when attached to a fridge, there’s a possibility it could cause the fridge to malfunction.
4. Toaster and toaster oven
Although toasters are on the smaller side when it comes to kitchen appliances, they use a lot of energy and pose a fire threat if connected to an extension cord. Toaster ovens need even more power to operate with wattage ranging from 1,200 to 1,400 watts.
5. Extension cords
Plugging extension cords into other extension cords is another huge “no!” in the electrician world. When this is done, it’s known as “daisy chaining.” It can lead to the circuit overheating, which would cause the cords to overheat.
6. Space heaters
Electric heaters have long been known to be a major cause of fires. The Consumer Product Safety Commission previously estimated that between 2017 and 2019, portable space heaters were involved in 1,700 fires per year, with some of those fires resulting in deaths.
7. AC unit
AC units use too much power for an extension cord or power strip, so they need to be attached to a wall outlet as well.
