SerpApi.Org
Glance behind a TV stand or under your desk, and you’re likely to see the familiar red light glowing from a power strip. In most corners of the home, a red light means something requires attention—a tripped outlet, a dead smoke alarm battery, or a dishwasher error mid-cycle.
So, what exactly does the little red switch on power strips really indicate? As it turns out, this particular red light signals good news, says Dan DiClerico, director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab.
That said, while you don’t have to worry about the red switch specifically, there are a few key things to keep in mind to make sure you’re using a power strip safely.
What does the red light actually tell you?
That everything is working. The red light is typically found on power strips with built-in surge protection and indicates it’s working as advertised—providing proper surge protection for your devices, says DiClerico.
The color choice can throw people. "It's a little counterintuitive, since you might think it means something isn't working—like the red light on a GFCI [Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter] outlet, which tells you that it's tripped a circuit and needs to be reset or replaced,” he says. “In the case of the surge protector, the red light means all is well."
What's the biggest mistake people make with power strips?
Pushing their power limits to an unsafe level. "The biggest mistake we see is people plugging high-wattage electronics into a power strip," says DiClerico. "Overloading the power strip is a major fire risk. A space heater is probably the most common example [of what to never plug into a power strip]. They should always be plugged directly into the wall."
In fact, this is a warning repeated by fire-safety groups every winter. The Electrical Safety Foundation International specifically cautions against running space heaters off power strips or extension cords, as this can cause them to overheat and ignite.
There's a related habit to break, too. "Daisy-chaining power strips will also overload the circuit, increasing the risk of fire in your home," says DiClerico. One strip per outlet—never a strip plugged into another strip.
Never plug this into a power strip
As an overall rule, never plug anything that gets hot—meaning, devices that draw a lot of electricity—into a power strip, says DiClerico. "That includes anything that generates heat, like a hair dryer or toaster oven,” he says. The same logic covers other heat-producing appliances—air fryers, coffee makers, irons—all of which should be plugged into a wall outlet.
The bottom line
A glowing red switch means your surge protection is on the job, so let it glow. Save the power strip for low-wattage electronics like lamps, chargers, and items in the entertainment center, and give anything that heats up its own wall outlet.
