The weather is already heating up and summer will soon be in full swing. If you’re blasting the AC to keep cool, there’s one safety tip you can’t afford to ignore: Never plug your air conditioner into an extension cord or power strip.
It might seem like a harmless shortcut, especially if outlets are limited, but doing so creates a safety hazard, according to Paul Martinez, owner of Electrified NYC in Brooklyn.
“A lot of people don’t have knowledge of extension cords,” says Martinez. “If extension cords are 14-gauge and you’re running an appliance with a heating element, (like) a toaster oven, microwave or dishwasher, a 14-gauge will not hold the amperage and can burn up the extension cord. And that’s what causes fires in New York City.”
Extension cords should never be plugged in to each other.
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4. Space heaters
Electric space heaters have long been known to be a major cause of fires. The Consumer Product Safety Commission 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.
“Let’s say you connect (an extension cord) to a floor heater,” Martinez says, “the plug melts and it starts a fire. That’s why you can’t use extension cords and/or power strips for any appliances, because they should be used for electronics only.”
Although toasters are smaller kitchen appliances, they use a lot of energy and can also 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.
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6. Refrigerators
While refrigerators use less power — about 300 to 800 watts — than some other kitchen appliances, they’re still not recommended for extension cord use because they are constantly running. Even if an extension cord doesn’t cause a fire when attached to a fridge, there’s a possibility the connection could cause the fridge to malfunction.
It is important to determine what size air conditioner unit you need based on the size of the area you are trying to cool off.
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The bottom line on extension cords
Martinez says the number one thing to keep in mind regarding extension cords is to never use them with any “appliances whatsoever.” He says you should also remember to only pair power strips with electronics and that your average home extension cords shouldn’t be used for anything above 15 amps (1,800 watts), regardless of where or how the device operates.
