Not a week goes by that there isn't some story about some bit of tech kit exploding into flames. Given that I have a lot of tech -- most of which is high quality kit made to high standards, but some comes from shady, dubious sources -- I am always wary of fire.
The nose is a good sensor, as it touch (although around electricals that can give you a nasty shock… no pun intended). A thermal imaging camera is also handy, but not everyone has one.
The other day I came across a very simple and relatively cheap product that could help give advanced warning of electricals going rogue.
Safe Connect Hot Plug Indicator Dots[1].
These self-adhesive pads are primarily aimed at the UK market to attach to our electrical plugs. These dots permanently change color (from a pale pink to a red) when the temperature exceeds 52°C/125°F.
Must read: Does Apple's iOS 14 'nuclear' battery fix work?[2]
Safe Connect Hot Plug Indicator Dots[3] SEE FULL GALLERY[4]
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NEXT [5] PREV [6]The UK has quite stringent electrical regulations, and that applies to the plug. However, with the huge increase in gadgets coming from abroad -- especially those coming in via places like eBay or Amazon -- the quality of some of the plugs leaves something to be desired.
Basically, there are three things that can cause plugs/outlets to overheat -- poor quality plugs, poor quality fuses, and poor quality cables. One of these can cause serious problems, pile two or three together and things can go bad very quickly.
Note: You folks in the US don't have fuses in your plugs, but I've seen plenty of poor plugs