Does Your Thai Wife Unplug The Microwave Oven?

[corkscrew]

My wife is very savy, tech wise. But she always unplugs the microwave oven after using it. Her mother does the same thing. Is this common?

[george]

Yes, they believe the little ON lamp is a heavy energy consumer.

[mrbojangles]

Yes, they believe the little ON lamp is a heavy energy consumer.

And they are quite right. Manufacturers are now being persuaded to get rid of the "Stand By" modes on TV's, DVD players etc.

[jumnien]

Yes, they believe the little ON lamp is a heavy energy consumer.

My Thai wife's first reply was that it was too save electricity. Then, when I said it doesn't use electricity when it's not on, she replied that Thai people are afraid that heavy electrical appliances have caused many fires in wooden houses and they are just afraid and sleep better with the plug out.

[JacknDanny]

My wife is very savy, tech wise. But she always unplugs the microwave oven after using it. Her mother does the same thing. Is this common?

Problem is when she is doing the ironing and the phone rings.......ouch

[lingling]

My Thai wife's first reply was that it was too save electricity. Then, when I said it doesn't use electricity when it's not on, she replied that Thai people are afraid that heavy electrical appliances have caused many fires in wooden houses and they are just afraid and sleep better with the plug out.

Most household fires in the west are caused by household appliances; fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, TVs, microwaves and coffee brewers so it would make sense if they are behind a lot of fires here too. Especially with the screwed up wiring, humid climate etc.

http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001001-d0011...53/d001053.html

Edited December 5, 2006 by lingling

[dave111223]

Yes, and it does annoy me as everytime i have to reset the ###### clock.

[Boo]

Power surges are also more common in thailand than in the west and a lot of houses are made of wood so it is a sensible precaution. My husband used to go around our old wood house in samui checking all plugs were unplugged & appliances off before we went out. Drives me mad but I know why he does it.

Regarding the cost of standby power, there are adverts here in the UK telling consumers that leaving 1 television on standby for a year costs approx 40 pounds a year. We have 3 tv's in our house so thats 120 pounds a year. A lot of money for something that isn't being used!!!

[PeaceBlondie]

And we have to turn off the extension cords at night, or as my partner says, "Close the light." Another advantage: you're not likely to be running two high-wattage appliances at the same time, like a toaster and a microwave. He grew up in a bamboo house, and the dry seasons here last for six months.

[thaihome]

Yep, all electric appliances are unplugged when not in use. Power surge thing.

TH

[agsnowdon]

Yup she unplugs anything you can, I understand why but would never do it in england.

[adammike]

my sharp combi can be programmed so it has a power saver ,so no clock or standby mode.

I turn eveything off in my apartment

tv on standby

video on standby

computer on standby

microwave on standby

Its a lot of wasted energy/money each year.

[londonthai]

And they are quite right. Manufacturers are now being persuaded to get rid of the "Stand By" modes on TV's, DVD players etc.

different with microwaves - when they are not working it's only a control lamp and not a standby mode.

It's only some electrical stuff can cause a fire - those which make a lot of heat: heaters, hair dryers, toasters, cookers, irons etc but not the other ones. In the west it's probably cigarettes which cause the most of the household fires - and not fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, TVs. I have never heard about fires caused by them.

As to power surges they might happen - they can damage your computer but not any other home electrical equipment.

I would imagine that in thailand the main problem are faulty electrical installations - wrong cables, faulty wiring and wrong fuses.

[lingling]

It's only some electrical stuff can cause a fire - those which make a lot of heat: heaters, hair dryers, toasters, cookers, irons etc but not the other ones. In the west it's probably cigarettes which cause the most of the household fires - and not fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, TVs. I have never heard about fires caused by them.

"Two-thirds of all electrical fires begin in plugs or cords on fixed appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners or lamps. Frayed cords expose electrical wires that spark on contact with each other or anything that can ground the electrical current."

Source: the CDC link I posted above.

As to power surges they might happen - they can damage your computer but not any other home electrical equipment.

Microwaves, TVs - most household devices nowadays has enough electronics in them to get fried in the same way as computers.

[chownah]

No. She doesn't unplug anything, not the TV, not the cd player, not the fans not the lights, not the refer, not the tea water heater, not the everything.

Chownah

[Gary A]

YES, my wife always unplugs the microwave. It doesn't have a clock or a light BUT it always get unplugged. I have long ago given up asking questions. I only yell at her when she unplugs my computer UPS. It was a struggle to get her to leave the UPS plugged in.

[Matt1036]

Always nice to know that you are not suffering these things alone - yes the microwave (and everything else) gets at least turned off at the wall switch if not unplugged.

It takes me an average of two to three guesses to find the correct plug for whatever I want to use - toaster, mircowave, electric kettle etc - the kitchen light has probably been turned off by the time I get back from the bathroom anyway - it is her and the way she grew up - you tear your hair out whilst hoping she never changes - mai bpen lai.

[khunopie]

My wife unplugged the battery recharger for my pacemaker. I'm starting to wonder about her intentions

[November Rain]

My wife unplugged the battery recharger for my pacemaker. I'm starting to wonder about her intentions

I unplug the microwave after I use it & I'm farang! I live in a house with s**t wiring, though. Electric shocks all over & fuses blowing if you use 2 appliances at once!

[Rinrada]

NO...but then we dont live in wooden huts

[Ayutthaya]

I have also seen all the elders here walking araound and unpluggiong everything when they leave home.

Why haven't the thai invented TWO main power switches for every house. One for the fridge and the other one for everything else.

So everytime they leave home they just shut off Switch 1 for everything but the fridge.

[Tony Clifton]

In the car or truck, my wife insists on turning off the aircon, radio and headlights before swtiching off the ignition

Must be related to that Thai thing with using the headlights as late as possible after sunset.

[Jimjim]

I know a lot of people, even in the U.S., who say you should turn off your air-conditioning before turning off the car. Not sure why.

However, I've seen in energy saving pamphlets that appliances do use a small amount of electricity if they are plugged in. So, nothing wrong or stupid with unplugging the microwave after using it.

[Donz]

its not a thai thing, we had commercials in australia to turn them off, anything on standby turn off at th power point.

[corkscrew]

In the car or truck, my wife insists on turning off the aircon, radio and headlights before swtiching off the ignition

Must be related to that Thai thing with using the headlights as late as possible after sunset.

Yes, my wife does the same thing with the car's AC, radio and lights.

[bkkmadness]

its not a thai thing, we had commercials in australia to turn them off, anything on standby turn off at th power point.

Have they taught you not to play with the stingrays yet?

[richard10365]

I never unplug anything but the iron. For those that are in the habit of unplugging, it might be more practical to have an external switch that turns off the electricity to the appliance plug the same way a light switch turns off the electricity to a light.

[Neeranam]

My wife is very savy, tech wise. But she always unplugs the microwave oven after using it. Her mother does the same thing. Is this common?

Mine doesn't.

[taxi40]

Its their upbringing, waste not, want not, you cant blame them when every penny is important.

How would they feel if they had the same salary in LOS in the West/Aussie on seeing how many houses are lit up with Xmas lights etc for 2/3 weeks, which probably is a years electric bill to them. Just a thought.

Edited December 6, 2006 by taxi40

[Dakhar]

My family member will have a main switch, a power strip, turn off the main switch, unplug the power switch, and unplug all devices connected to the power strip.

Bothers me to no end..... but hey it is Thailand.

We have yard lights, around 7 fish tanks, and a yard pond with 2 circulation pumps on it. I hate to think of the electricity used for that. I could probably use the AC all day for the same amount of energy.