16 Common Appliances You Should Never Plug Into The Same Electrical Outlet

Life would be so much more inconvenient without the appliances we use everyday, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to have everything plugged in at once. While some common appliances and electrical devices are safe to use together, others can cause huge problems. The main issue is how much power each appliance uses. Outlets and circuits can only handle so much at a time. Plugging multiple high-wattage appliances like washing machines and refrigerators into the same outlet can overload it, causing tripped breakers, overheated outlets, and potentially even start fires.

How many appliances one outlet can safely power at a time depends on the circuit that outlet is on and how powerful the appliances are. In general, most home circuits will have eight to ten outlets on each one. A single outlet may be able to handle between 1,400 and nearly 2,000 watts, depending on how powerful the circuit is, but that power has to be distributed across all the outlets on that circuit. Looking at the wattage on your appliances is a good starting point for determining where you can plug them in. Some appliances require so much electricity that it isn’t recommended to plug them into an outlet on the same circuit as other appliances, even if the specific outlet they’re plugged into doesn’t have anything else plugged into it. Many high-powered appliances are found in the kitchen, including refrigerators, microwaves, and crockpots. You may want to do a deep dive into kitchen electrical circuits to learn more about how they work.

How much energy your dryer uses depends on the model, but most fall between 1,500 and 5,000 watts. That’s enough to overload your outlets if it’s supporting multiple appliances and enough to warrant its own circuit. Since you aren’t using your dryer constantly, you may be tempted to skip that and simply unplug the dryer when it isn’t in use, but all it takes is one mistake to cause problems. If you aren’t able to give your electric dryer its own outlet and circuit, you may want to consider if a gas dryer would be better.

Similarly, your washing machine should have its own outlet. They generally use fewer watts than an electric dryer, typically falling between 400 and 1,400 watts on average. On its own, that’s generally low enough for an outlet to handle, but consider the other appliances in use nearby. You won’t be able to plug your washing machine into the same outlet as your electric dryer, or any other large appliances. If you have a high-powered washer, you may not even be able to plug it into the same outlet as a smaller or less powerful appliance or device.

You may not think of a coffee maker as a powerful appliance, but they can actually use more watts than washing machines! Depending on the size and model of your coffee maker, it may be using anywhere from 500 watts to a whopping 1,500 watts. If you have a more powerful model then it should have its own outlet. Even if your coffee maker is low-wattage, you’ll want to be careful about plugging anything in with it. Never plug your coffee maker into the same outlet as a higher-wattage appliance, as it could easily overload the outlet.

Hair dryer wattage depends on both the model and how you use it. Using your hair dryer on an unheated or cool air setting takes far less energy, sometimes under 100 watts. However, most people using a hair dryer opt for hot air settings. These can range from 800 watts on the lower end all the way up to 2,000 watts. You’ll certainly want to check the wattage on your hair dryer before plugging anything else in with it. When in doubt, just give it its own outlet or switch to towel or air drying your hair.

Microwaves are another common appliance that you shouldn’t have plugged into the same outlet as another appliance. On average, they use between 600 and 1,200 watts, which is low enough that you generally don’t need to worry about it overloading an outlet on its own. However, adding that to the watts used by another appliance could push it over the edge. You shouldn’t plug your microwave into a shared outlet without checking the wattage of both appliances first.

If you use a space heater to stay warm during the winter, you should be careful when choosing what outlet you plug it into. Space heaters can use up to 1,500 watts, although smaller or more energy efficient heaters can use closer to 750 watts. Plus, they have to be left running in order to heat your home, meaning they can’t exactly take turns with another appliance on the same outlet. For safety, unplug anything else that’s using that same outlet and move it elsewhere. It may be inconvenient, but it’ll save you from bigger problems later.

Toaster ovens need a surprising amount of power to heat up your bagels, making them another common appliance that shouldn’t share an outlet. They take between 1,200 and 1,800 watts to work, depending on the model you have. Combining that with even a relatively low wattage appliance could be enough to overload your outlet, although that’s just one of the dangers of toaster ovens. Luckily, toaster ovens don’t need to be plugged in all the time. If your kitchen is short on outlets, just keep your toaster oven unplugged and stowed away until you need it.

You may not think twice about plugging in your vacuum to get some cleaning done, but watch where you put it! Corded vacuums, especially larger ones, can use a lot of power to run. A small, handheld vacuum might be able to share an outlet with another low-wattage appliance, as they typically need between 200 and 600 watts. Larger vacuums, however, will need an outlet all to themselves. They generally need between 600 and 1,400 watts, which is too high to share. It’s safer to unplug your other appliance and plug it back in once you’re done vacuuming.

Refrigerators actually use fewer watts than many of the other items on this list, but it’s still a good idea to plug them into their own outlet. Fridges generally only need 300 to 800 watts, although this can fluctuate throughout the day. However, it is recommended to plug them into their own outlet and even have them on their own circuit. This is because the risks associated with them losing power due to an overloaded outlet or circuit are higher than some appliances. And top o the list are all the meals and food items that could end up spoiling.

Much like your washing machine, dishwashers need a lot of electricity to ensure your dishes are cleaned and ready to use. Dishwashers tend to use between 1,200 and 2,400 watts, so even plugging a low-wattage device into the same outlet would be a bad idea. Smaller, more compact dishwashers designed for countertops or portable use aren’t exempt from this, unfortunately. They can use between 600 and 1,800 watts, depending on the exact model. To ensure your dishes get an uninterrupted clean, and to prevent hazards like overloaded outlets, keep your dishwasher plugged into its own outlet.

If you have a window AC unit or portable AC unit, you should avoid plugging it into the same outlet as other appliances. Both draw quite a bit of power in order to keep your home cool, and adding the wattage from other appliances could be too much for the outlet to handle. Window ACs typically need between 500 and 1,500 watts, while a portable AC draws between 700 and 1,500 watts. Some particularly efficient or low-wattage ACs might be able to play nice with other devices, but in general it isn’t wise to risk it.

Electric ovens and stoves draw so much power that it’s recommended to have your oven or stove on its own dedicated circuit as well as its own outlet. Stoves can draw as many as 3,000 watts, while ovens can reach a staggering 5,000 watts. Less powerful or more efficient ovens and stoves use less, but it’s still safest to separate them from the rest of your appliances. Never plug your oven or stove into the same outlet as anything else, and, if possible, separate them further by providing your oven with its own circuit.

You may not need to worry about your garbage disposal if it’s already hardwired into your electrical system. However, if you have a disposal that needs to be plugged in, you should ensure that it has its own outlet. Garbage disposals generally need between 500 and 1,500 watts, depending on the model. A powerful garbage disposal may benefit from having its own circuit as well, but even a less powerful or more efficient disposal should have its own outlet to be safe. The wattage can add up pretty fast between your garbage disposal and other kitchen appliances.

Air fryers became massively popular during the pandemic, and plenty of people still use them years later. When using them to cook dinner or make a snack, though, you should be sure to unplug any other appliances first. Air fryers can use up to 2,000 watts, although smaller models can use as few as 800 watts. This is certainly enough to overload an outlet when combined with other appliances, and may be enough to overload the circuit itself. You won’t want your air fryer to lose power or start a fire, so take care when plugging it in.

Although you may not think of them as appliances like your toaster oven or hair dryer, water heaters are generally considered appliances – and they take a lot of electricity to function. Some may be hardwired into your electrical system already, but others need to be plugged into an outlet to function. Depending on the type and size of your water heater, you can expect it to use thousands of watts at least, with tankless water heaters using several times more. Never plug other appliances or devices into the same outlet or circuit as your water heater.

A smaller dehumidifier typically only takes a few hundred watts, so it may be fine to plug into the same outlet as another small appliance. However, larger or more powerful dehumidifiers can take 800 to 1,400 watts, making it risky to plug into a shared outlet. If you have a smaller humidifier, you’ll still want to do some quick math to add the total wattage between it and whatever other appliances share the outlet, just to be safe. Double check the wattage on your dehumidifier as well, so you can be sure it isn’t too high.