A few people on Orchid have mentioned installing an electric cut-off switch by the door to their shop so they can turn everything off at the end of the day. I can’t do that, and I’ve left the pickle pot on overnight (or longer) one time too many, so I looked for another solution.
A 24 hour timer might work, but I don’t necessarily need the pickle pot to be hot every day. I looked into a countdown timer and found this:
Oh my gosh, what happens if your pickle pot runs dry overnight. There could be a horrendous fire, who would be responsible? Your insurance wouldn’t cover you!
That pickle-pot that has a “timed, switch-off” is a fantastic idea.
Buy two, why? One for your (1) Steam-machine and the other is for your
(2) Pickle-pot. Never leave home or your office without any safety shut-off mechanism. Be safe with these machines.
Gerry Lewy!
Another good option is to cut the cord off the pickle pot. Using room temperature pickle actually works fine.
I stopped using the plug-in timer when someone on a Facebook group said that her neighbor’s house burned down and the fire department determined that it was started by a plug-in timer.
I have all hot plates, pickle pots etc on toggle switches and turned off by four each day. You see the orange light and that means turn off. Or a timer. Nothing is hands free. I mean you light be on holiday and then forget about the timer.
I ran a 60 amp sub-panel to my shop a couple years ago and the entire shop is on that panel, so I can shut it all off with one main switch. Inside my shop, I have a switch next to where I sit that will shut of all the lights in my soldering area. I like to anneal and sometimes solder in the dark. I can easily make this happen with the one switch. Now if I could figure out how to shut off all the gas with one valve I could stop doing my one last check every night before I go to bed…Rob
My workshop other than my overhead light is switched off by two mains switches. One for each side of the shop. Both have lights on them one side has my pickle pot and my heated ultrasonic on so it’s obvious they are on if the lights are. Also I live above my workshop and if the light are on down stairs it lights up the area below our lounge window. I did this as I did once leave the pickle on. When my workshop was away from my house I turned the mains switch off which and it cut everything but excluded the outside lights and alarm.
Low Tech Solution I use:
Outlet strip that has only 2 things plugged into it - a night light & the pickle pot.
So when I leave the room there’s a visible light on if I forget to turn it out.
I found the small light that the outlet strip has not a big enough visible reminder.
Been using these things for years ever since one of my Pickle Pots ran dry. The other thing I do is put a portable light (which is set to be alway “on”) onto the powerbar that is running anything that needs to be shut off at the end of the day. It acts as a good reminder to shut the power bar off which shuts off the light and everything else.
Neil, thanks for the recommendation on this timer. Based on your post, I bought one and really like it. It’s more sophisticated than it looks and is really easy to use.
I leave the pickle pot on more often than I care to think about so this is a great idea for me. I just ordered one. Now, I’ll have one less thing to worry about each time I go out to my studio to work. Thanks Neil!
Other than lights, a lot of my shop is controlled by a single switch. As long as I remember to turn off the switch, I don’t worry about the pickle pot…Rob
GHome Smart Power Strip, 3 USB Ports and 3 Individually Controlled Smart Outlets, WiFi Surge Protector Works with Alexa Google Home, Home Office Cruise Ship Travel Multi-Plug Extender Flat Plug, UL https://a.co/d/brWoAMk
I can control and ch3ck everthing from my phone, turn off and on and use alexa commands