I've always debated the gf on this point, and I'd imagine it's a subject of debate elsewhere too. Whats your policy on leaving the following appliances running while gone. I'd imagine most people will say yes to all, but there's probably some no's out there too, and I'm interested in where they come from and what causes them to be no's...

Oven
Stovetop Burner
Slow Cooker
Washer
Dryer
Dishwasher
...

12/27/2009 3:29:49 PM

Oven - I wouldn't (potential fire hazard).
Stovetop Burner - I wouldn't (same reason).
Slow Cooker - Yes, there's not much that can go wrong, if anything.
Washer - I wouldn't, because I would want to be there in the event of a flood. Also, I don't like my clothes getting that moldy smell.
Dryer - I leave this on, but I probably shouldn't.
Dishwasher - I do leave this on, in spite of the flood potential, but I've never had a dishwasher flood.

12/27/2009 3:40:38 PM

Oven--Definitely no, unless I'm running literally across the street and will be back in five minutes or less.
Stovetop Burner--Never have, probably never will. My sister does and she has a gas stove, which boggles me.
Slow Cooker--Definitely yes.
Washer--Sure. Don't want moldy clothes like ^ said though, so usually only if I'll be back within an hour or two.
Dryer--Try not to.
Dishwasher--Sure, no problem with this.

12/27/2009 4:37:24 PM

i'd leave the oven on if i had to run somewhere quick and knew i'd be back in plenty of time

stovetop, no fucking way

slow cooker, dont use one i guess i would since they're meant to be left on for hours and usually unattended

washer & dryer? yeah all the time, especially while i sleep which is the same as being gone

dishwasher is same as above

however i usually like to do all my laundry at once and rarely leave the house with it on, but given the circumstance i would do it

12/27/2009 6:25:06 PM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - hell no
Slow Cooker - yes, I did that last night/today
Washer - no, I hate having wet clothes linger in there
Dryer - yes
Dishwasher - yes

12/27/2009 6:28:15 PM

Old School?

12/27/2009 6:57:47 PM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - hell no
Slow Cooker - don't know; don't have one
Washer - yes
Dryer - yes
Dishwasher - yes

12/27/2009 10:12:31 PM

^^ Only us old folks are interested in talking about appliances.

Oven - Nope
Stovetop Burner - No way
Slow Cooker - Indeed
Washer - Um, sure
Dryer - See Washer
Dishwasher - Indeed

12/27/2009 10:23:58 PM

Oven - In certain circumstances, but usually no
Stovetop Burner - people do this? WTF. hell no.
Slow Cooker - do this all the time
Washer - do this all the time
Dryer - do this all the time
Dishwasher - do this all the time

12/28/2009 12:02:11 AM

^

except that i don't think i'd ever leave with the oven on

12/28/2009 1:27:30 AM

Oven - No way.
Stovetop Burner - No way.
Slow Cooker - Perfectly fine. Do it regularly.
Washer - I do but only if I expect to be back within a couple of hours after it finishes.
Dryer - I do it all the time. New appliance and new construction so no worries.
Dishwasher - I do it all the time. New appliance and new construction so no worries.

12/28/2009 1:40:06 AM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - hell no
Slow Cooker - yes
Washer - no
Dryer - yes
Dishwasher - yes

Please tell me your girlfriend isn't stupid enough to think leaving the stove on is okay.

12/28/2009 7:57:17 AM

Quote :

"Please tell me your girlfriend isn't stupid enough to think leaving the stove on is okay"

No she turns EVERYTHING off before leaving the house. Dishwasher/Washer could flood, Dryer could catch fire etc.

12/28/2009 8:13:13 AM

I mean, if my washer/dryer/dishwasher was very old, then I'd probably not let it run if I wasn't home. But if they were at a point where that was a concern, it'd be time to buy new appliances.

You're way more likely to have a hot water heater or pipes burst, or small electronics cause a fire than a washer, dryer, or dishwasher, but nobody's going to shut off their hot water heater or shut off power to the house every time they leave.

but stove and oven, I definitely agree with not leaving when they are running.

12/28/2009 9:20:56 AM

I have a gas oven/stove, so definitely not leaving those on unattended.

12/28/2009 9:34:45 AM

I'll let the dishwasher or dryer finish if they're >1/2 way done and I need to leave. Other than that it's a no to all.

I've had a few plastic spatulas and things like that fall into the bottom of the dishwasher and get all melty during the drying phase. I really can't see it starting a fire, but you never know. "Where there's smoke there's fire" I guess.

12/28/2009 12:27:15 PM

Plus that toxic molten plastic smell is no fun.

12/28/2009 3:25:33 PM

Oven - maybe if I was going to be gone < 10 minutes. But even then only if I had a good reason/was in a big hurry.
Stovetop Burner - Hell No.
Slow Cooker - Of course, that's what it's for.
Washer - Yes, unless maybe it was really old. Even if it's off you can still have a flood--the hot water supply hose burst just before the water connector at an old apartment of mine and soaked a large area of carpet before I came in and caught it. Washer was off when it burst.
Dryer - Yes.
Dishwasher - See Washer.

[Edited on December 28, 2009 at 4:21 PM. Reason : d]

12/28/2009 4:21:00 PM

Quote :

" You're way more likely to have a hot water heater or pipes burst"

Truth. That's what happened to my parents.

12/28/2009 8:34:52 PM

Oven - doubtful
Stovetop Burner - haha no dumbas
Slow Cooker - if u didn't leave the house while this was on, why the hell did u buy it
Washer - yes
Dryer - yes
Dishwasher - yes

12/28/2009 10:12:23 PM

Oven - no (fire hazard)
Stovetop Burner - no (fire hazard and potentially burning my food and having to start over )
Slow Cooker - no (fire hazard)
Washer - yes
Dryer - usually no because it is a fire hazard but on occasion I have
Dishwasher - yes

12/29/2009 12:23:30 PM

know what else is a fire hazard?

your girlfriend's hot ass.

so don't leave her home alone.

12/29/2009 9:51:49 PM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - hell no
Slow Cooker - I'll leave it on overnight while sleeping, but switch it off when i leave in the morning
Washer - yes, never considered the flooding possibility, may have to rethink this
Dryer - no
Dishwasher - yes, never considered the flooding possibility, may have to rethink this too

12/29/2009 10:54:58 PM

I can't believe people don't leave their slow cooker on... WTF are you leaving it on overnight for? Slow cooked breakfast? LOL

the whole freaking point of slowcookers is to cook your damn dinner during the day when you're at work because you don't have time to do it

12/29/2009 10:56:52 PM

no, i'll cook a roast or something over night and throw it in the fridge in the morning. not the most efficient, i know.

12/29/2009 11:00:34 PM

Oven - No
Stovetop Burner - Hell no.
Slow Cooker - Hell yes. What the fuck else good is it to you?
Washer - Yes...I can time delay mine so it ends within a few minutes of my arrival back home.
Dryer - Yes.
Dishwasher - Yes

12/30/2009 12:03:21 AM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - no!
Slow Cooker - I'd do it, but never really used one.
Washer - no
Dryer - yes, but I try not to
Dishwasher - yes

1/2/2010 2:35:52 AM

we always turn the water off to the washing machine if we are leaving for more than a day. i leave the oven on with the cook timer set. everything else i will leave on and go somewhere.

1/2/2010 11:41:22 PM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - no
Slow Cooker - yes
Washer - yes - i suppose but only if i wasn't gone for a long time - maybe if i was just going out for a short time.
Dryer - yes, including when i sleep, like wolfy said. but typically i'm at home when i do laundry anyway sooo this is rarely an issue.
Dishwasher - yes

1/3/2010 1:06:39 AM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - no
Slow Cooker - yes
Washer - no. I hate wet clothes sitting for a long period of time.
Dryer - yes, but I don't use the periodic fluff. Most of the time I air dry important stuff so it's not a big deal for undershirts and boxers to dry overnight or sit for awhile.
Dishwasher - yes. usually overnight.

1/3/2010 1:52:50 AM

I'm willing to leave it all on, just not all at once depending on circumstances. The only one in question is the stove-top, which I will only ever leave on low. I have no pets and none of my appliances have ever malfunctioned in a way demanding human attention before. I can imagine a thermostat getting stuck and one appliance or another overheating, but I have no knowledge of how common that could be, since I have never heard of it happening, or even if it would start a fire if it did.

1/3/2010 6:29:11 PM

absolutely not, ever:
oven - It bothers me to let something bake overnight, with a (sensitive ) smoke detector right there in the kitchen
stovetop burner

I try to run these when I'll be home*, but don't have a problem letting them run while I'm gone:
dishwasher
dryer
*: because I want to make sure they're off when peak energy rates kick back in (see 9/28/09 post message_topic.aspx?topic=572411&page=2 )

no problem running when I'm gone or asleep:
slow cooker
washer

Regarding the "moldy clothes" comments. Have yall not noticed that this doesn't happen
1) during the cooler months
2) on bleach loads
3) you're good for a business day (i.e., run them before going to work, and dry them when you come home), except during the very worst of summer, when you can still get away with ~4hrs?

Quote :

"I mean, if my washer/dryer/dishwasher was very old, then I'd probably not let it run if I wasn't home. But if they were at a point where that was a concern, it'd be time to buy new appliances. You're way more likely to have a hot water heater or pipes burst, or small electronics cause a fire than a washer, dryer, or dishwasher, but nobody's going to shut off their hot water heater or shut off power to the house every time they leave. but stove and oven, I definitely agree with not leaving when they are running."

What he said.

I do turn off our hot water heater some mornings, though (see the post I referenced. If I shower at 8am, during peak energy rates, and I know I'll be home at 1, when off-peak starts, I'll turn it off after I shower and then turn it on at 1. Aside from showers, though, I minimize hot water usage during peak hours.)

1/3/2010 7:58:06 PM

Oven: Hardly ever use it, but I would only leave it for 5-10 min max

Stove: Only for 5-10 min max (but hardly ever do it), and on low only AND only if there is water in the pot/pan

Slow cooker: Even after a million page thread in chit chat, and people on here raving about this contraption, I am still not 100% sure what exactly it is and have never seen one! (yeah I can guess and see from people's posts how it works, but haven't researched it yet myself)

Washer: Only for things which are OK if wrinkled (under clothing, pjs, linen, towels, etc)

Dryer: Again only for things which are OK if wrinkled

Dishwasher: Hardly ever use it, but yeah we have left it on a couple of times when we went outside

Water heater: On 24 hrs a day

1/4/2010 8:19:45 AM

oven - depends on what it is, only for short very scheduled predictable outings
stove top - no
slow cooker - yes
washer - yes
dryer - yes
dishwasher - yes

1/4/2010 9:40:39 AM

Quote :

"Washer: Only for things which are OK if wrinkled (under clothing, pjs, linen, towels, etc) "

...the fuck?

1/4/2010 10:23:00 AM

I guess if they dry too much in the washer the wrinkles won't come out?

Quote :

"I'd imagine most people will say yes to all"

1/4/2010 12:05:07 PM

oven: It's a long story, but I was locked out of my house once when I left the oven on to run to the store real quick b/c I forgot something. Never again.

stovetop: no fucking way

slow cooker, washer, dryer, dishwasher: all the time, even while I sleep.

1/4/2010 7:40:08 PM

Quote :

"...the fuck?"

Don't know about you, but I don't like my clothes (shirts, trousers, t/polo shirts, jeans) to be wrinkled, and so I never leave them to wash while I go out for hours. They have to be taken out immediately, tumble dried, and then also taken out immediately from the drier before they are completely dry and hung.

1/4/2010 8:19:36 PM

Oven: Yes -- I feel like its just as safe and maybe safer than a slow cooker (plus my mom used to leave it going sunday mornings while we were all gone to church for 2 hrs)
Stovetop Burner: hell no
Slow Cooker: yes
Washer: yes
Dryer: yes
Dishwasher: hmm, probably not

1/4/2010 8:39:30 PM

I will say this about the dishwasher. I have heard stories, specifically from my realtor, about things going wrong with heating elements and people's houses catching on fire. I pretty much dismissed them, but then I moved into a rental house last year who had just recently remodeled the kitchen and replaced all the appliances. We had been living there for about 6 months, when one day my wife opened the dishwasher and it everything in there was scalding. The plates and glasses couldn't be touched, and all the plastic cups, knife handles, etc were melted. As it turned out, something in the circuitry for the heating element had disabled it's ability to turn off and it just kept running and running. Who knows what would have happened had we not been home.

The stories my realtor told me were similar but worse and all involved the people not being home. One person's kitchen caught on fire, anothers counters were scorched, and these were all new appliances. I guess the moral of the story here is dishwashers may seem innocuous, but they can be dangerous and you should at the very least consider the possibility of running them only while at home.

1/4/2010 9:15:03 PM

We leave "heat dry" disabled on our dish washer to save energy. But it is nice to see that it can also save our house.

1/4/2010 9:55:03 PM

Quote :

"We leave "heat dry" disabled on our dish washer to save energy. But it is nice to see that it can also save our house."

Same here. Such a waste of energy and $.

1/5/2010 10:36:35 AM

compared to your full energy bill, that has to be really trivial.

1/5/2010 12:14:41 PM

I suppose. My wife and I's bills are fairly low atm because we live in a newish apt complex with decent construction at about 1150sqft. Hard to compare to a house (since we know the bills will go up when we move to a house) but energy bills at my apt this past year usually ranged from about $20 to low $40s (spring/fall being cheapest, dead of winter being our most expensive). Fairly significantly reduced from the previous 2 years I lived here where bills ranged from mid $30s to upper $60s..or an average of $15-$20 less per month now. It has been a combination of a few things though:

-More open windows + fans in the summer/spring/fall with the thermostat set a good 5 degrees higher than I used to keep it.
-The thermostat in the winter is set about 5 degrees cooler than I used to keep it
-Never using the heated dry setting on the dishwasher (though we wash by hand a lot now anyways)
-Almost always washing clothes with cold water unless something is stained
-Keeping the dryer usage as minimal as possible
-unplugging appliances whenever they are not in use/switching off power strips

So I can't say which specific things have contributed the most, but our savings overall have been noticeable with little to no inconvenience added as a result.

[Edited on January 5, 2010 at 12:54 PM. Reason : ]

1/5/2010 12:53:12 PM

To each his own but I will definately disagree to the inconvenience thing. Five degrees either way is a pretty big deal, at least to me. I like to keep my house at whatever temperature my wife and I are most comfortable with. I am absolutely amazed that your "high end" is $40. We pay probably $100 a month on average for electricity and $250 a month on heating oil (granted we live in a really big farmhouse in upstate NY) but still, $20 a month on energy is insane.

1/5/2010 3:09:45 PM

well, remember like I said that I am living in a 1150 sqft apt, fairly new construction, I am on the ground floor with only the front wall and partials of two others exposed to weather, and I am in SC.

I am sure down when we buy and move into a house (probably/hopefully this spring if things work out well) our bills will get significantly larger. I am not looking forward to that portion of it

and as far as the temperature portion, yea I will definitely agree that it has to be to each person's comfort level. Its not worth saving $10 a month if you are miserably uncomfortable in your own house. However, what we found is that we had a lot of wiggle room.

Instead of keeping the apt at 72 in the summer, I could keep it at 77 with the fans on (and windows open if there was a breeze) and really be just about as comfortable as when we were pumping the AC. In the winter, instead of keeping it at 70 we switched to 65. We honestly noticed barely any difference. Instead of wearing shorts and a tshirt around the house even in winter, I just had to get used to wearing sleep pants/sweat pants and a tshirt and a thicker pair of socks and I don't even notice the difference in air temperature.

[Edited on January 5, 2010 at 3:22 PM. Reason : ]

1/5/2010 3:22:34 PM

for what its worth my house caught fire as a result of our dryer when i was in highschool. we went to the mall so that i could get new shoes and when we got back (about 45 minutes later) there were 4 firetrucks in front of our house. we were out of our house for almost a year as a result (incredibly slow contractor)

1/11/2010 12:13:37 AM

Oven - no
Stovetop Burner - hell no
Slow Cooker - yes
Washer - yes - only if i wasn't gone for a long time
Dryer - yes, including when i sleep
Dishwasher - yes

And Ill set a bread machine to start so that I wake up to that delicious smell

2/4/2010 9:18:45 PM

My wife is nuts about this shit b/c her parents are. I'd leave pretty much everything except for the stove on. I mean, it's technically possible for a fan to go out in my computer and for it to catch fire, but you don't see me turning those off either.

Also don't use heated dry because ours melts the plastic stuff that we put in there any way.

2/5/2010 2:59:51 PM

I would not run any of the above appliances including dishwashers while I am gone. I know of dishwashers flooding homes or catching fires.

2/6/2010 10:59:05 AM