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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteUnplug nonessential small appliances and electronics before leaving for a holiday, especially countertop cooking appliances and heat-producing devices. The National Park Service specifically names a desktop computer, coffee pot, blow dryer, toaster, space heater and television; this practical checklist adds a kettle and toaster oven named in other fire-safety guidance. It is not an official, universal list of exactly eight, and it does not mean you should unplug every appliance: keep the refrigerator and any equipment needed for safety or another essential function powered as directed.
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At a glance: what should you unplug?
| Item | Before you leave | Why it belongs on the checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop computer | Shut it down and disconnect it if it is not needed while you are away. | Named by the National Park Service as an example of electronics to disconnect before a trip. |
| Coffee maker or coffee pot | Turn it off and unplug it. | Named by the National Park Service and included in small-appliance fire-safety guidance. |
| Blow dryer | Switch it off and unplug it. | Named by the National Park Service as an electronic appliance to disconnect. |
| Toaster | Turn it off and unplug it. | Named in National Park Service and other fire-safety guidance. |
| Space heater | Switch it off and disconnect it if it is not required while you are away. | Named by the National Park Service; it is a heating device rather than an appliance to leave running unattended by default. |
| Television | Turn it off and unplug it if it is not needed. | Named by the National Park Service as an example of electronics to disconnect. |
| Kettle | Switch it off and unplug it. | Named as a small-appliance example in fire-safety guidance. |
| Toaster oven | Turn it off and unplug it. | Named as a small-appliance example in fire-safety guidance. |
This checklist combines the National Park Service’s travel advice with examples from other fire-safety authorities. The National Park Service’s fire-safe travel guidance says to disconnect power to electronics such as a desktop computer, coffee pot, blow dryer, toaster, space heater and television. The U.S. Fire Administration advises unplugging small appliances when they are not in use; other authorities also name kettles and toaster ovens. None of these sources establishes a canonical list of exactly eight things every household must unplug.
Why unplug these items before a holiday?
The core advice is a simple precaution: disconnect small appliances and nonessential electronics when they will not be used. That is particularly straightforward for appliances used for cooking or producing heat. Turning an item off is important, but the National Park Service’s wording goes further for its examples: disconnect their power before a trip.
The agencies provide general fire-safety guidance, not a prediction about what will happen in a particular home. The U.S. Fire Administration reports estimates of 24,200 residential building electrical fires, 295 deaths, 900 injuries and more than $1.2 billion in property loss in 2021. Those figures describe residential electrical fires overall; they are not counts of fires caused by the eight items here and do not quantify how many fires unplugging any one item prevents.
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Which eight things should you unplug?
Use the list as a practical reminder, not as a rule that overrides appliance instructions or a device’s necessary function. If an item needs to stay powered for a specific reason while the home is empty, do not disconnect it without checking the relevant instructions.
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Desktop computer
If no one needs the computer while you are away, shut it down and unplug it. The National Park Service specifically includes desktop computers among the electronics it recommends disconnecting before a trip. This checklist concerns a desktop that can be left unused; it is not a reason to switch off a system that must remain powered for an essential function.
-
Coffee maker or coffee pot
Turn the coffee maker off and unplug it before leaving. Coffee pots appear in the National Park Service’s travel examples, and coffee makers are among the small appliances named in broader fire-safety advice. Check the machine’s own instructions if its setup has a particular power requirement.
-
Blow dryer
Switch the blow dryer off and unplug it. It is one of the National Park Service’s named examples. It is easy to overlook a bathroom appliance during a last-minute departure, so include it in the room-by-room check rather than relying on memory.
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Toaster
Turn off and unplug the toaster. It appears in the National Park Service’s list and in small-appliance fire-safety guidance. Do not treat the switch alone as a substitute for the disconnect-before-travel advice.
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Space heater
Switch off and unplug a space heater if it is not needed while you are away. The National Park Service names space heaters among electronics to disconnect before a trip. If a heating device serves a required purpose, follow its manufacturer instructions and local fire-safety guidance rather than applying a blanket rule.
-
Television
If it will not be used while you are gone, turn the television off and unplug it. The National Park Service includes televisions in its travel guidance. This is a nonessential-electronics decision: equipment that must stay powered for a necessary function is an exception, not an item to disconnect automatically.
-
Kettle
Turn off and unplug an electric kettle before leaving it unused. The U.S. Fire Administration and other authorities recommend unplugging small appliances when they are not in use, and fire-safety guidance identifies kettles as an example. This is a practical addition to the travel list, not one of the six examples specifically named by the National Park Service.
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Toaster oven
Turn off and unplug a toaster oven before your holiday. It is another countertop cooking appliance named in fire-safety guidance. As with other appliances, follow the manufacturer’s directions if they specify how the unit should be left when not in use.
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What should you leave on or check instead?
Do not turn “unplug what is unused” into “disconnect everything.” Some appliances and safety systems have a job to do while a home is empty, and the right choice depends on that function.
- Leave the refrigerator powered. The U.S. Fire Administration treats major appliances differently from small appliances: it says major appliances such as refrigerators should plug directly into a wall outlet and warns against using extension cords with major appliances. That guidance is not a recommendation to unplug a refrigerator before a trip.
- Keep the fire alarm set and on. The National Park Service advises keeping the fire alarm properly set and turned on while away. Do not disconnect a safety system as part of the appliance checklist.
- Check cooking appliances and other appliances are off. The National Park Service also advises checking that stoves and electrical appliances are off or disconnected. Make this a separate final check; the eight-item list does not replace it.
- Keep necessary equipment powered. If an item must operate to perform an essential function, preserve that function and follow its instructions. Nonessential standby use and required operation are different cases.
How do you do a quick unplugging check before leaving?
Work through the house once, prioritizing appliances used for cooking or heating, then check that essential appliances and safety systems are still operating as needed.
- Identify what must remain powered. Consider the refrigerator, fire alarm and any equipment whose function is needed while you are away. Follow manufacturer directions and local fire-safety guidance for unusual systems.
- Switch off cooking and heating appliances. Check the stove and electrical appliances as the National Park Service recommends. Include the toaster, toaster oven, kettle and space heater in this pass.
- Disconnect unused small appliances. Unplug the coffee maker and blow dryer, along with the other small appliances on the checklist that will not be used.
- Disconnect nonessential electronics. Shut down and unplug the desktop computer and television if they do not need to stay powered.
- Confirm safety systems are on. Check that the fire alarm is properly set and turned on before you go.
The distinction is more useful than a universal unplug-everything rule: disconnect unused small appliances and nonessential electronics, but preserve equipment that needs power and keep major appliances such as refrigerators on their intended direct wall connection.
What should you not assume about unplugging?
Unplugging is a precaution recommended by fire-safety authorities, not a guarantee against electrical fires or a quantified way to reduce risk. The sources do not assign a fire-prevention percentage to any one item, nor do they say that every device in every home must be unplugged for every trip.
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They also do not identify exactly eight universally required devices. The six items from the National Park Service form the clearest travel-specific core; the kettle and toaster oven make this a broader, practical eight-item checklist using examples from other fire-safety guidance. The sensible choice still depends on whether an appliance is small and unused, a major appliance with separate guidance, or equipment that must remain powered.
For unusual equipment or a situation where you are unsure whether disconnecting it is safe, use the manufacturer’s instructions and local fire-safety guidance. The checklist is meant to help with routine departure decisions, not replace those directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the 2021 electrical-fire figures specific to unplugging these appliances?
No. The U.S. Fire Administration’s numbers cover estimated residential building electrical fires overall, not fires attributed to this checklist’s devices. They also do not measure the effect of unplugging any particular appliance.
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Can I use an extension cord for a refrigerator while I’m away?
The U.S. Fire Administration says major appliances such as refrigerators should plug directly into a wall outlet and warns against using extension cords with major appliances. Follow the appliance instructions if your setup needs attention.
Should I unplug a device that has to run while I’m gone?
Not automatically. The practical distinction is whether the device is nonessential and unused or needs power to perform a necessary function; follow the manufacturer’s directions and local safety guidance for equipment that must operate.
Quick Recap
