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Health & Fitness

Never run an A/C off a power strip or extension cord!

This is from an actual call the Glen Cove Fire Dept recently responded to. An Air Conditioner and several other devices were plugged into this power strip that was located in the living room of an apartment. The A/C unit was on at the time of the incident which was around 3AM. The increased load from the A/C caused the power strip to overload and catch fire. A sleeping resident in the apartment was awakened by the sparking power strip and called 911. Thankfully the electrical fire was contained to the power strip itself which caused a minor smoke condition in the apartment. The A/C unit was also damaged and needed to be replaced.

It’s important to remember to never run an A/C off a power strip or extension cord! Always be on the safe side and plug the A/C unit directly into it’s own dedicated wall outlet.



               Power Strip Safety Tips

1. Make sure the power strip has an internal circuit breaker that will trip the breaker when overloaded to prevent overheating.

2. Power strips should have a cord of no more than 6 feet in length.

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3. Power strips vary in their capacity but should only be used for items that require light loads such as computers, printers and clocks. They are not made to handle refrigerators, coffee makers, heaters or air conditioner units.

4. Power strips are meant for temporary use and should be unplugged when not in use.

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5. If the power strip feels hot to the touch, unplug from wall outlet immediately. 

6. Do not connect one power strip to another power strip. Also known as “daisy chaining.”

7. Make sure the power strip has been tested by an independent testing agency such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or the Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL).



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