Solve : AC Powered Speakers?

1.	Solve : AC Powered Speakers?
Answer» Just got new Amazon Basics A150's. Very nice for the price. Instructions did not say if it is ok to leave speakers on all of the time or if they should be turned off. I recall reading somewhere that they should be turned off. Doesn't seem like it would make much difference but thought I should ask. Thanks.I leave mine turned on all the time. I pull the AC plug out when I go on vacation or away for a few days. Mine are AC powered and are over 9 years old...no ill effects at all powered at all times. Made by Bose...Any home electronic device has the potential of causing a fire. But the odds and very low. So for most of us, a power strip with a switch should be enough protection. For what it is worth... Appliance fires pose a safety concern Quote The Consumer Product Safety Commission, using estimates from 2006 through 2008, says that major appliances caused more than 150,000 residential fires each year, resulting in 3,670 injuries, 150 deaths, and $547 million dollars in property damage Been using AC powered speakers for over 20 years and no problems. It seems like the people you use the volume control or power button on them have more problems with their failure due to physical wear on them. Additionally I have all my equipment powered behind a battery BACKUP that cleans the power to the computer equipment and keeps it smooth to avoid spikes and power outages to equipment when power is out for less than 20 minutes.The AC powered speakers often have an external power unit. These are often called "Wall Warts" because of how they look in a electrical outlet. Many , maybe most, of these are made in other countries. They have to pass some kind of testing before that can be sold. They gt a "U-L" SEAL of certification. Still, that does not mean they are absolutely fireproof. The greater danger is putting these devices in an area where there is limited VENTILATION and combustible materiel. Every year some fires are started by a "Wall Wart" AC adapter. In a few cases damage was huge. The link below indicates electrical fires were a significant part of home fires in recent years. But is does not identify specific devices. Most reported are bad use of cords and bad wiring. http://glowingconnection.com/faq.html But here is a very specific item. Apple adapter catches fire, on film Quote This is a known defect with Apple power adapters, I think - it's happened to me as well. The cable wears as it gets bent back and forth during use, and the wires inside break, and next thing... smoke. And, sometimes, flame. So, don't leave you iPhone overnight. I unplug mine when I go away because my household insurance demands that I unplug all "unncessary appliances" when away for more than 24 hours. Quote I unplug mine when I go away because my household insurance demands that I unplug all "unncessary appliances" when away for more than 24 hours. wow ... never heard of an insurance company specifying this verbally or even in fine writing. Is this DEMAND only because you have a very itemized liability listing that makes you claim to be just a small amount safer ( lower risk to them of having to make a claim ) than others such as in the USA you can itemize vs paying for a base insurance and claim your not a smoker etc and save based on that etc. Only problem with this route of itemization to save money is that if someone stopped by and was a smoker and set your home on fire the insurance company could say sorry its your problem. So if you forget to unplug the electronics for when away on vacation and something happens and investigation finds that you forgot to shut off answering machine that has a wall-wort they can say sorry charlie you violated the agreement and so your out of luck by a large amount of money that would cripple most people financially.Quote from: DaveLembke on November 02, 2015, 08:09:48 AM wow ... never heard of an insurance company specifying this verbally or even in fine writing. I asked my wife, who told me that, and who pays for the insurance, and she checked the documents. We found they actually don't say you have to unplug anything when away to stay covered. There was a leaflet of fire safety tips ALONG with the policy documents, and that suggested unplugging things while away in case of a surge or a lightning strike, but it's not mandatory.

Answer»

Just got new Amazon Basics A150's. Very nice for the price. Instructions did not say if it is ok to leave speakers on all of the time or if they should be turned off. I recall reading somewhere that they should be turned off. Doesn't seem like it would make much difference but thought I should ask. Thanks.I leave mine turned on all the time. I pull the AC plug out when I go on vacation or away for a few days.

Mine are AC powered and are over 9 years old...no ill effects at all powered at all times.

Made by Bose...Any home electronic device has the potential of causing a fire. But the odds and very low. So for most of us, a power strip with a switch should be enough protection.
For what it is worth...
Appliance fires pose a safety concern
Quote

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, using estimates from 2006 through 2008, says that major appliances caused more than 150,000 residential fires each year, resulting in 3,670 injuries, 150 deaths, and $547 million dollars in property damage

Been using AC powered speakers for over 20 years and no problems. It seems like the people you use the volume control or power button on them have more problems with their failure due to physical wear on them. Additionally I have all my equipment powered behind a battery BACKUP that cleans the power to the computer equipment and keeps it smooth to avoid spikes and power outages to equipment when power is out for less than 20 minutes.The AC powered speakers often have an external power unit. These are often called "Wall Warts" because of how they look in a electrical outlet. Many , maybe most, of these are made in other countries. They have to pass some kind of testing before that can be sold. They gt a "U-L" SEAL of certification. Still, that does not mean they are absolutely fireproof.

The greater danger is putting these devices in an area where there is limited VENTILATION and combustible materiel. Every year some fires are started by a "Wall Wart" AC adapter. In a few cases damage was huge.
The link below indicates electrical fires were a significant part of home fires in recent years. But is does not identify specific devices. Most reported are bad use of cords and bad wiring.
http://glowingconnection.com/faq.html

But here is a very specific item.
Apple adapter catches fire, on film
Quote

This is a known defect with Apple power adapters, I think - it's happened to me as well. The cable wears as it gets bent back and forth during use, and the wires inside break, and next thing... smoke. And, sometimes, flame.

So, don't leave you iPhone overnight.
I unplug mine when I go away because my household insurance demands that I unplug all "unncessary appliances" when away for more than 24 hours.

Quote

I unplug mine when I go away because my household insurance demands that I unplug all "unncessary appliances" when away for more than 24 hours.

wow ... never heard of an insurance company specifying this verbally or even in fine writing. Is this DEMAND only because you have a very itemized liability listing that makes you claim to be just a small amount safer ( lower risk to them of having to make a claim ) than others such as in the USA you can itemize vs paying for a base insurance and claim your not a smoker etc and save based on that etc. Only problem with this route of itemization to save money is that if someone stopped by and was a smoker and set your home on fire the insurance company could say sorry its your problem. So if you forget to unplug the electronics for when away on vacation and something happens and investigation finds that you forgot to shut off answering machine that has a wall-wort they can say sorry charlie you violated the agreement and so your out of luck by a large amount of money that would cripple most people financially.Quote from: DaveLembke on November 02, 2015, 08:09:48 AM

wow ... never heard of an insurance company specifying this verbally or even in fine writing.

I asked my wife, who told me that, and who pays for the insurance, and she checked the documents. We found they actually don't say you have to unplug anything when away to stay covered. There was a leaflet of fire safety tips ALONG with the policy documents, and that suggested unplugging things while away in case of a surge or a lightning strike, but it's not mandatory.

Solve : AC Powered Speakers?

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