Do you leave charger plugged into outlet when not in use?

[ineedhelp]

If I AM correct:

- Leaving charger plugged into outlet when you're not using it (when you're not charging your tablet)
|+ wastes electricity.
|+ shortens the charger's lifespan.

If I am NOT correct,
- then one or all of the information above is incorrect.

[Hajile]

Here's with the tablet plugged and unplugged. Not sure about wear, but there is no vampire load. Same applies to cellphone chargers.

[jmullan99]

Older style wall adapters were extremely wasteful. But the new fangled switch mode power supplies in most chargers these days are what I would call "intelligent". They only fire up if there is a load attached, and shut down if there is too much load.

Be more concerned with older style transformer/linear power supply adapters.

Cheers.

[MikeM]

The stock one trips the thermal breaker even when nothing is plugged in, so I always unplug it.

I leave the after market one plugged in all the time.

[janner43]

A charger that is not charging does not "consume" electricity. However, the alternating cycle wave form of mains electricity will cause earlier component failure within the charger itself. And additionally, leaving any electrical device connected to a live source unnecessarily is also an additional fire risk.

Is it really that hard to turn the switch off when not in use????

But perhaps not all USA sockets have switches?
Electrical code requirements in the UK now mandate switched sockets everywhere & on retro fits & new installs, all circuits must now be covered by both a MCB & a RCD.

[Rydian]

But perhaps not all USA sockets have switches?

Born and raised in the US, and I've never seen a switch on a socket.

I do sometimes see light switches on one side of a room that will control a socket on the other side, but this is rare and usually meant for remotely turning lights on and off.

[Hammers763]

A charger that is not charging does not "consume" electricity. However, the alternating cycle wave form of mains electricity will cause earlier component failure within the charger itself. And additionally, leaving any electrical device connected to a live source unnecessarily is also an additional fire risk.

Is it really that hard to turn the switch off when not in use????

But perhaps not all USA sockets have switches?
Electrical code requirements in the UK now mandate switched sockets everywhere & on retro fits & new installs, all circuits must now be covered by both a MCB & a RCD.

Yes it is difficult to turn off a switch when its using a power surge protector with no switch and the origin is behind a giant set of draws

[janner43]

Yes it is difficult to turn off a switch when its using a power surge protector with no switch and the origin is behind a giant set of draws

Well in that case, I'd leave it on too