Vacations refresh your soul like nothing else.
And it’s great to know that you are heading on one. Have it suddenly comes to your mind: “is it safe to leave a lamp on for a week?”
The question is reasonable, considering the burglars that can invade your home when you are not there.
So, in this post, we’ll answer this question. You’d also know here what happens if you leave a lamp on for days.
Keep going and read till the end to know the alternative for turning on the lamp for a week when you are not home.
Is It Safe to Leave a Lamp on for a Week?
No, it is not safe to leave a lamp for a week. When you say a week, it means you are referring to 7 days of your absence. An accident can occur due to the lizards or the heavy winds that break into your home.
In case your lamp falls with the heavy wind on a paper, it can initiate fire. Ultimately, your home is under the fire threat if you leave it to turn on for a week to come.
What Happens if You Leave a Lamp on for Days?
Folks out there believe that alone fire hazard is the reason to prohibit turning on a lamp for long. There’s more to it why experts suggest turning off your lamp while you are not at home. Check them out below.
Increased Electricity Bill
You are definitely investing a few bucks on trips or vacations. Meanwhile, you’d never want to bear the extra costs. Turning bulbs on for a week adds a bill to the electricity you haven’t used.
Let’s talk with an example. An incandescent bulb costs you $0.14 daily. Now, if you will keep it on for a week which is 7 days, the cost will be $0.98. So, you are paying $0.98 for the electricity you haven’t used.
Note: the above calculation is for a 60 watts incandescent bulb running on $0.10 kWh.
Fire Hazard
After electricity, one of the reasons you are prohibited from keeping the lamps on in your absence is the fire hazard. Bulbs emit heat and are hot to touch – specifically incandescent bulbs.
If your lamp tip over with heavy wind, there’s a good chance of fire. When the lamp is turned on for long, it exceeds the maximum heat rating, resulting in fire. Not only bulbs, but if the cord on your lamp is low quality, a fire can start in your home.
Different parts of the lamp, from bulb to cord, are responsible for initiating fire. So, it’s better to drop the idea of leaving a lamp on behind you.
Decreased Lifetime
Do you know a bulb has a lifetime? Yes, it does. You decrease its life when you leave your lamp’s bulb on for a week. Every bulb has a different lifetime. Incandescent light bulbs are built to last for 1,000 hours.
On the contrary, LED bulbs usually have a lifetime of 25,000 hours, far more than incandescent bulbs. You cut the lifetime of your bulb to 168 hours since there are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.
There won’t be a significant difference in the life of LED bulbs as the life left would be 24,832 hours after 7 days of continuous use. However, you are reducing the lifetime of incandescent bulbs to 832 hours by leaving them on, which is quite a notable figure.
Dim Light
Along with the lifetime, LED bulbs also lose their brightness with time. They turn out dim hour-by-hour usage. So, if you leave your LED bulb lamp on for a week, expect its light to dim quickly.
Also Read: How to Keep Lamp from Tipping Over?
What Alternative Can You Use to Keep Your Home Safe?
Leaving your lamp turned on for home security is not vigilant. It can start a fire in your house, increase your electricity bills, decrease the lifetime of your bulb, and dim its light quickly.
To keep your home from burglar’s threat, experts suggest two things. Below we have discussed them.
Timers on Lamp
Someone will surely notice your absence if you keep your lamp on for 7 days a week. It will confirm to the burglars that no one is home and it’s the right time to invade. To prevent it, use a timer on your lamp.
A timer will turn your lamp on at specific hours of the day and shut it off automatically. This way, you will save your bills and protect your home at the same time.
Use Smart Cameras
While installing a timer on a lamp is a good option, it’s not reliable in the long run. One of the best alternatives to leaving the lamp on is mounting cameras. These cameras come with lights most of the time and have strong surveillance.
This way, your home will be safe while you are on a trip. While the burglars will be taped on the security cameras. However, make sure to pick the camera spots vigilantly and seek an expert’s help for it.
Conclusion
Now you don’t have to wonder if is it safe to leave a lamp on for a week when heading on a trip.
While you can do that with LED bulbs, it’s not suggestible in the long run.
Leaving a lamp on for a week causes a fire outbreak, increases your electricity bills, decreases one’s lifetime, and dims its light. It’s more often with incandescent bulbs.
Instead of doing it, you can install a timer on your lamp. This timer will turn on and off your lamp at a programmed time.
You can also mount security cameras if security is your foremost priority.
Now, make sure you turn off all the lights and lamps when leaving home for long days and enjoy the trip.
Also Read: Can You Have Two Floor Lamps in One Room?
Also Read: Best Floor Lamps for Low Ceilings Room