Threat of fire from audio equipment

I'm raising my hand.

I never leave equipment on 24/7.  In my opinion, that is asking for something bad to happen.  The only equipment that is left on is a refrigerator and you really don't have a choice for that one.

I watched a tube blow in my Audio Research REF 250 Amp and it took out resistors (yes more than one), capacitors and traces.  it was spectacular and definitely was on fire.

I have a Krell KBX balanced electronic crossover for my speakers and it has a separate power supply and the entire unit is left on all the time because it doesn't have a power on/off switch.  Well, one day I smelled smoke and lo and behold the unit failed dramatically with out being used.  That is why I unplug it when I'm done listening. 

I turn off everything in my system. It is fine for people where this has never happened to offer their opinions, but really it make no sense to leave this stuff on all the time and I was fortunate.  I was home when the two incidents happened.  So, I turn everything on an hour or so before serious listening.  Hear no difference a more than an hour.  I have tried.

I turn everything off after listening.  I unplug everything when I leave for extended periods of time, say more than two days.

people that don't really understand electronics or power can talk all they want but, electricity will take the easiest path to ground and you, your kids, your wife/husband, pet, home may be the easiest path. 

I've been in the electronics and power industry for well over forty years and I can't tell you how many times a muti thousand dollar circuit or piece of equipment protected the five cents fuse by blowing first. 

Some times some of us have to walk into the wall before we acknowledge the wall is there.  They won't take anyone else's word for it.

I have friends that lost their homes and possessions in the recent fires in Malibu, California.  everything is gone.  I can't imagine coming home to find my home completely gone.  That is so bad.  If I can do some pro-active work to prevent it, well, I will. 

I'm trying to avoid the lazy years.  I know it is a pain to turn everything on and turn everything off, but like I said, I hear no marked difference in sound quality more than an hour warm up, and I have been burned twice.

So, nope, not again.

In the case of the Audio Research REF 250 amp, that was partially my fault. I decided to buy "matched" tube sets for the amp from a tube retailer (well known), instead of from Audio Research.  After inserting the tubes, letting them warm up to the specified time period, and biasing the amps, I walked away and one amp blew.  The repair shop told me specifically to never buy tubes from that retailer and always get Audio Research supplied tubed.  Well, yep, I'm buying my tubes from Audio Research from now on.  They will pay for any repairs to their equipment if the damage was caused by their supplied tubes. 

enjoy