It is difficult to find a person today who does not have one or another gadget. Even pensioners are mastering smartphones or using e-readers, and children generally cannot imagine their lives without mobile phones. All this technology is constantly with us - at home, at work, on vacation. And phones have long been transformed from a communication tool into a multimedia and entertainment combine. Smartphones help in both work and study. But active use of such devices leads to their discharge.
♥ ON TOPIC: Thank you, owner! How to teach iPhone to speak when connected to charger?
Electricity costs
A good charger from a powerful smartphone can deliver 10-15 kW while the phone is charging. In addition, it belongs to pulsed devices - it will consume electricity until the owner disconnects the power supply from the network. However, there is no need to worry about energy costs.
@Kai Hendry
As long as a smartphone is not connected to the charger, its actual electricity consumption is critically low. It accounts for literally a hundredth of a kilowatt. Considering the total energy consumption in the house - TV, computer, household appliances - this is nothing.
So I hasten to reassure all thrifty users - you won’t have to pay more for light because of a bad habit. Scientists have also asked this question. As a result of a small experiment, they found out that seven chargers continuously in the outlet will generate only about 2 kW in a year. Moreover, fewer chargers were simply not taken into account by the meter.
Will we pay more for energy consumption?
The charger connected to the network constantly consumes electricity even when the phone is not charging. In passive mode, it consumes a minimal amount of electricity, so your monthly bill will be replenished with mere pennies. If you calculate for a year, then consumption will not exceed 1/3 kW.
This amount clearly will not improve your family budget. But if you are a principled person and are used to being careful with your money, then you will never forget to turn off the device after charging the phone.
Wear and tear of the device
Another popular myth is that people who leave their charger in a socket simply break it. And indeed: each device has a declared period of active operation. When the power supply is connected to the electrical network, its mechanism gradually wears out. But is this so critical?
Manufacturers assure that the charging service life is from 50 to 100 thousand hours. In fact, this number can be reduced, since most devices have rather weak capacitors. On average, it lasts three to four years.
During this time, most users manage to buy a new smartphone and charger for it. Today technology does not stand still. Phones become obsolete very quickly, and every few years another coveted new product with breakthrough innovations appears on the market.
When the charger gets hot, is it dangerous?
Heating of the device when powered by electricity is normal, Borisov believes. There is no need to be afraid of this. If the charger is still hot, then there is a problem and it is better to unplug it from the outlet. This usually happens in rural areas, where the electrical networks are quite dilapidated and safety requirements for their installation are not met.
Basically, chargers that a priori had some kind of defect overheat. It is better not to leave such devices for a long time; it is even better to replace them with new ones. The same applies to cheap unknown copies.
Fire or explosion
Many users are afraid that the charger may catch fire or even explode. Let me start with the fact that an explosion definitely cannot happen: the consumption is too low, and therefore the accumulation of electricity. In addition, if the device is working properly, a fire will not happen either. Most modern chargers are designed specifically for the habit of people leaving them in the socket.
@Tony Webster
But there is still a small probability. Fire occurs among owners of old electrical wiring or a faulty power supply. Tragedy can also occur in the event of a sharp surge in electricity. You should never forget about accidents, even if their probability is critically low.
Is there a risk of fire?
Special sockets provide USB ports. In appearance, these are ordinary sockets with round connectors, but just below you can see rectangular-shaped ports, exactly the same as on the chargers. In addition, the insides of the socket are stuffed with the same stuffing as chargers. If you open the cover, you can see the wiring system and diagram.
This means only one thing: we have a stationary power supply mounted into the wall. It is constantly powered from the mains, nothing can cause it to ignite, so you should not be afraid of a fire in the house from it.
Some factors can still lead to a fire in the house and among them:
- faulty or old wiring;
- automatic protection against overloads and short circuits is not installed.
In these cases, nothing is safe from fire. A short circuit can occur anywhere in the circuit, regardless of whether the charger is turned on or not. In apartments with such wiring, you need to carefully monitor the operation of other household appliances (TV, refrigerator). But it’s even better to completely change the wiring and install an automatic machine so as not to worry again.
It is advisable to turn off charging and all household appliances during a thunderstorm. This is a standard fire safety rule that should be followed. If the charging unit is faulty, then it should not be left in the outlet. If you accidentally use it, you can damage the phone itself.
So to be or not to be?
Despite all the myths I have listed, I would not recommend leaving the charger in the outlet. There are several reasons:
- Animals and small children can reach the cord. The current in the charger is small, but the shock will be noticeable. In addition, pets can chew through wires, leaving the user without the ability to charge the phone. This can happen at the most unexpected and crucial moment.
- Possibility of fire. As I said, it is always present. Problems may arise with poor-quality charging, whose case gets very hot during use.
If you can’t get rid of this bad habit, I recommend at least “turning off” it when you need to leave the house.
Subscribe to our Social networks
Leaving a charger in a socket is unsafe
Many people argue that leaving the charger on is strictly prohibited. Allegedly, due to power surges, it can explode and lead to a fire. In fact, a high-quality charger is designed and assembled in such a way as to eliminate all possible voltage surges and surges. It is equipped with good fuses and is in no way capable of exploding.
However, do not forget that currently there are a huge number of cheap Chinese analogues. The price of such chargers is much lower, but the quality of the materials from which they are made also leaves much to be desired.
Try a little experiment. Plug your charger into a power outlet and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Look, it's warmed up too. If yes, then your charger is faulty or made of low-quality materials. It is better to turn off such charging from the network.
In addition, it is also better to unplug the charger during a thunderstorm. However, with equal probability, lightning can strike a switched-on TV, refrigerator or washing machine.
What's the result?
It turns out that the power adapter consumes pennies of energy, but at this time it wears out and can cause a fire or simply fail.
In any case, it is up to you to decide whether to unplug the charger after using it or not. Everyone's opinion on this matter is interesting, from the most paranoid to the most indifferent.
(
35 votes, overall rating: 4.46 out of 5)
