What do YOU leave on when you leave the house?

[AndreaDM]

I wouldn't even HAVE a crockpot if not to use while I'm gone at work all day. If I'm at home, I may as well just cook using the stove/oven, the crockpot is a definite time saver while I'm at work! We don't run washer/dryer when not at home, when I was in first grade our house caught fire because of the dryer, but luckily my mom was right there and got it out before it spread. A few years ago my washer was smoking and making a horrible noise, turns out DH had left a screw in his pocket that got lodged under the agitator thing, glad we caught it in time!

I don't however unplug any appliances that we use on a regular basis, even the toaster oven. I used to, but then we'd end up putting bread or something in it, turn it on and when it dinged we'd find out it had been unplugged. Also, it's a total PITA to unplug anything that needs to be reprogrammed, the cable boxes are the worst so that stuff stays plugged in no matter how long we're gone. I'll take my chances.

 

[MEM]

I am paranoid about fire (and floods) too, but will leave the following plugged in if not at home: crockpot, bread machine, Keurig. I never leave the oven on and I unplug the toaster right after using it and make sure its not touching anything that could catch on fire. We do run a sanitary cycle in the washer at night and during my middle of the night potty call, I'll transfer the clean laundry to the dryer.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

We put the dishwasher going at night before we go to bed. I do laundry mostly during the day when I'm home. Other things are plugged in all the time. When we go on vaca, we do unplug everything we can think of and we turn off the water main.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I'm very paranoid about fire and try hard not to leave anything on when we are asleep or not home (with the exception of the crock pot occasionally). On this past Christmas morning, I was baking breakfast dishes in my double ovens and an element completely burned through to the point that it broke in half in one spot and sparks were flying everywhere. I keep thinking "what if that had happened when I wasn't around to see it and immediately shut off power?" My appliances are only 5 years old, so I was shocked that it happened in a relatively newer oven.

My dh's best friend had two different houses catch on fire when he was a kid and they both involved Whirlpool appliances that weren't even in operation at the time (a microwave and a dishwasher). Needless to say, that family never owned another Whirlpool again!

 

[Friendly Frog]

We leave too many things on.

Toaster, hair dryers, coffee pots, ( yes potS) everything electrical we have... is plugged in all the time.

We have a large bird in a small office and we have a box fan with a filter running 24/7 to clear out the cockatoo dust. ( Works better and cheaper than air purification systems.) as well as his full spectrum lighting system which is on about 10 hrs a day. We also have a radio playing in the room for the bird. The fan has run for years non-stop, so I plan on at least turning it off now when I leave.

I am home most of the time every day, but at least one TV stays on for house noise even if we are gone. My mom is low vision so we have nightlights placed all through out the house for her that we leave on 24/7. We found that if we turn them off the bulbs always burn out, so we just leave them on.

We also leave many things on during the night, but mom is normally up most of the night.

Still, some things I will never leave running when I am gone. The dryer scares me due to lint fires. The washer can get out of balance easily and the dishwasher can have things drop down and melt or get stuck in the washing wand too easily. I will never leave home with those items in operation.

 

[Kae]

My dishwasher has a timer setting so it either starts while we are sleeping or I start it after I get out of the shower in the morning. I had the washer running when I left for work this morning-whites I super soak them. Dryer sometimes, celing fan in each bedroom on. My keurig is unplugged-it's a B70 & works better if I unplug it at least twice a week-dumb machine And this morning I am pretty sure DH's toothbrush & razor are charging.

Kae

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't leave anything on. I never leave the washer or dryer running, and I won't run the dishwasher either. I'm too afraid there would be a fire, and my 2 doggies would be trapped inside.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We don't have much to leave running when we go out...no washer/dryer or dishwasher. I'll go downstairs to the laundry room with something cooking in oven or crockpot. I sometimes leave one of the air conditioners running on low on those super hot days for the cat. I do unplug the toaster and my hair dryer just in case.

 

[Evi]

I feel like Im going to get flames but the tv stays on when I go out. I leave it on for my dog. The sound keeps him calm and every so often he actually sits up and watches tv. and I leave everything plugged in unless we are going on vacation. I run the dishwasher at night. But only washer and dryer if I'm home.

Funny thing I'm afraid of the crock pot. It freaks me out to think of leaving it on when I'm not home.

 

[Eljay]

I never, never, never would consider leaving an appliance on that gets hot. The clothes dryer, oven, coffee maker, dishwasher or anything that could start a fire, is staying off, if I'm leaving the house. Not only am I worried about my pets and my home, I'm also concerned about my neighbors and the possibility that a fire at my house could spread to theirs.

 

[pediatric-rnp]

A family in our pediatric practice several years ago left their dryer on one night, and all went to bed. Woke to fire from dryer. All 4 apparently got out, but didn't have a gathering point outside, and mother thought one son was still in the house and ran back to find him. That son also ran back in to get mother when he found out she was inside looking for him. They were both found dead in the house. So very sad.

My uncle is an electrician, and has drilled it into my head to never, ever leave an appliance on when I leave the house. Just not worth it.

 

[PaulaSue]

2 lights on at the most when away. NOTHIGN else

 

[aprilgail2]

So..at Easter lunch my DN made a comment about throwing their clothes in the dryer before she went to bed. My MIL about freaked out. When I mentioned the ham cooked while we were at church she REALLY freaked. Reality is we leave the washer, dryer, or dishwasher on routinely when we leave or go to bed. We seldom leave food in the oven but our church is 5 minutes away and DH ran home between services to check on it. We do routinely leave the crock pot on but never the stove.

So how normal or abnormal are we? What appliances do you leave on when you leave the house or go to bed? No flaming, just sharing!

Heck I would never get laundry done if I didn't do it when I wasn't going to be staying in the house- I will throw a load in before work and go to work, stop home for my lunch hour and toss it into the dryer and its all done by the time I get home from work at the end of the day!
I leave the crock pot on, dishwasher on and the lamp in the living room and tv are on when we are not home too- my computers are on 24/7, never shut those things down!

 

[antmaril]

I have a friend whose husband is a retired firefighter. According to him, you should never leave any appliance running when you leave the house, especially the dryer. I have taken his advice.

 

[Sorsha]

IMHO - more paranoia run amok. I have insurance, and I am just not that concerned about it. As a PP posted, use reasonably-up-to-date appliances, keep them maintained, and live your life. I worry more about being wiped out by a crazy driver when I leave the house then I do about my toaster catching fire.

Things that are ALWAYS plugged in - computers, fishtank, toaster, coffeepot, chargers for electronics, DISH receiver/DVR boxes, TVs, gaming systems, etc.

Things that are hardwired and don't even hit my radar - hot water tank, heating system.

Things that I will gladly start and let run while we sleep or while we are gone out - washer, dryer, crockpot, breadmaker. The coffeepot is on a timer and goes on every morning at 5 AM so there is fresh coffee when we get up at 5:30.

I don't generally leave things cooking in the oven while I am gone, but that's more because I like to be able to keep an eye on the food and its state of doneness, baste it, add ingredients, etc. If something with a long cook time is cooking (the OP's ham, for instance) and I will only be gone a little while (to run a kid to practice, pick up something I forgot from the grocery store, etc) then I don't sweat it - it'll be fine.

I am so not a worrier, in any facet of my life, so I just don't even think about it. Nor will this thread cause me to do so.

 

[yesiamcrazy]

I've always heard you shouldn't leave those things running while gone/asleep, but we're a family of 8 with 2 working parents, 5 kids in school, and many, many kids activities. That means mounds of laundry and dishes and literally not enough time home and awake to get it all clean and dry. So yes washer, dryer, dishwasher, crockpot, all run when we are gone and asleep.

 

[bearloch]

oh all of you who worry about appliances who uses aplug in air freshner? thoses are dangerous!!

 

[Eljay]

I am surprised at the amount of people that ignore the advise of firefighters and electricians.

 

[fizbobunny]

The first time we used our new to us (read: hand me down) coffee pot we left it on all day. Our old one would turn itself off after 15 minutes and we didn't realize the new one didn't do that. Now I turn it off right after I make my cup.

If we couldn't leave the dryer on when we were sleeping I don't know how I would ever have enough time to do my laundry. Towels take for ev er to dry.

As for the hoses, we just changed our out cause they were 5 years old.

 

[DaleFan]

I am married to a fireman and I just asked him how many dryer fires he had been on. His answer was 1. He has been a fireman for about 10 yrs. He also said the majority of the fires he has been on start in the kitchen.

I run the dryer, washer, dishwasher, etc. when we are gone. I guess I just don't worry about that stuff.