8 things you should never do with power boards

There are a few rules you’re probably breaking when it comes to power board use.

Our entire lives run on electricity, and if we’re being honest here, no one’s house has enough power outlets to keep everything running and charged. That’s why we rely so heavily on power boards to turn one plug into six or more, stretching the capabilities of our home’s electrical system. But, there are a few rules you’re probably breaking when it comes to power board use. Here are 8 things you should never do with power boards.

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If your power boards don’t reach quite far enough or you need some extra plugs, it’s tempting to string multiple boards together, daisy-chaining them by plugging one into the next. In a word – don’t. It can cause one or more of the boards to fail or even catch fire.

While there are power boards that are designed for outdoor applications, unless your board’s packaging specifically says it’s suited for outdoor use, it’s not designed to stand up to weather and water. Keep it inside and find one you can use safely out in the elements.

Every power board has a load capacity, which means it can only move so much power through its circuits at any given time. Overloading the board can create a fire hazard, melting the plastic and damaging your home or business as well as any surrounding equipment. If you’re worried about overloading a power board, take the time to determine the amperage requirements of everything you’re going to plug into it.

As electricity moves, the electrons can generate heat. Normally, this isn’t a problem, but if you put your power board under a rug or in a tightly enclosed space, it can create a fire hazard. In addition, if you step on it or any attached power cables you can damage them, which can create a shock and/or a fire hazard.

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Hairdryers, curling irons, straighteners and other beauty tools all create heat and draw quite a bit of amperage to generate that heat. Power boards aren’t designed to generate that kind of consistent high amperage, so these beauty tools should be plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet.

How many times have you looked at a power board, seen one burned-out outlet, then just plugged your device into the next socket that seemed okay? Don’t do that. If one socket is burned, chances are high that there is internal damage inside the power board. That’s a fire hazard.

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This should be common sense, but it happens often enough that it bears repeating. Electricity and water do not mix. Don’t get your power board wet, or you risk frying yourself and everything that’s plugged into the board.

Here are the things you should never do during a power outage.

A quick Google search will show you plenty of horror stories about kids putting fingers, toys and forks into outlets and power boards. Don’t assume that they know better. Teach them to stay away from outlets, install outlet plugs in ALL wall and power-board outlets, and don’t leave power boards in places where young children might think they’re something to play with.

Create a safe environment and check your home for potential dangers with this list of common electrical mistakes found in home inspections.

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Source: RD.com