That $25 smart plug burned out after 3 months because I plugged my space heater into it

I thought I was saving on electricity by scheduling it to turn off the heater at night, but it melted the outlet and now I'm out the plug plus the cost of rewiring that socket, has anyone else had a smart home shortcut backfire this badly?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.morgan15d ago

And that's exactly why those cheap smart plugs have a warning about heaters built right into the manual, most of them are only rated for 10 or 15 amps and a space heater can easily pull 12 to 15 amps all by itself. The real issue is the relays inside those budget plugs just can't handle the sustained load and constant switching, they're designed for a lamp or a fan not high-draw appliances. I learned the hard way that any heating appliance needs a dedicated heavy-duty smart switch or a thermostat rated for the full 15 amps, the $25 gamble isn't worth a melted socket.

noahcampbell15d ago

Yeah @wells.morgan nailed it, the constant on-off cycling is what kills those relays since they arc and weld shut over time. I've seen the same thing happen with cheap outdoor timers on holiday lights where the contacts just fuse together after a few weeks of switching a heavy load.