Safety Tips for Power Adapters

First, power adapters get hot. The AC adapter takes the voltage from an electrical outlet and pushes it into the gadget's batteries. Anyone who has ever accidentally stuck a finger into a light socket knows that an outlet has more power than a little battery. The adapter absorbs most of that energy and trickles it into the batteries for a refill. This extra energy makes power adapters very hot, sometimes hot enough to scorch clothing. Users must ensure that no paper or cloth sits near the adapter during operation.

The user should always unplug an AC adapter after use. Once the gadget finishes charging, the user is done with it, but a plugged adapter still saps juice from the wall. If a piece of metal comes into contact with the nub of the adapter, it can arc dangerously. Finally, AC users should never interchange adapters. A mismatch can create a dangerous arc or short circuit, leading to a fire.

A little caution goes a long way with AC adapters. Since they come with virtually every electronic gadget and gaming system in existence, all users should learn to treat them properly.