At one point or the other, people forget things. It is a normal behavior amongst humans. Even the ones who appear to be the most perfect aren’t perfect after all; we all are liable to forget something. In fact, there are some sets of people who forget to eat. Sounds weird? Of course, we are all humans.
When we forget things, there are consequences, and in some cases, there are no consequences. When it comes to electrical appliances or anything that has to do with electricity in your home or office, please try your best not to forget anything, as there could be consequences.
After using electrical appliances, it is mandatory that you shut them off and, if possible, unplug them from the source of power as well; this is general preventive maintenance for all electrical appliances. Regular maintenance of your device ensures it remains in good condition for a long time.
Enough of the general talk; let’s come right down to laminators. Laminators are electrical appliances that, in fact, involve heat energy, so you need to be very cautious while using them. Basically, it should take you a short while to laminate, especially if you are just working with a few items.
As soon as you are done with laminating, you should turn off your laminator immediately. However, you might want to know what happens when you do not turn off your laminating machine when it is no longer in use.
As I mentioned earlier, there are consequences to leaving electrical appliances, including laminators, switched on for an extended period when they are not in use. I will advise that you pay enough attention while laminating, so you do not forget to turn the machine off when you are done.
Let’s find out some things that happen when you leave your laminator on overnight or for a long time.
What happens if you forget to turn off your laminator?
Firstly, when you leave a laminating machine on for too long, the motor might get damaged. The motor is a device equipped in every laminator that controls the movement of the laminating rollers which heat the machine.
When a laminator is left on for longer than necessary, the motor will begin to get weak and can get damaged over time. Once it gets damaged, your laminator will no longer be able to heat up. You might switch on your laminator and see that it is taking forever to heat up.
Once you make the mistake of leaving your laminator on for longer than necessary and the motor gets damaged, you will have to call a professional to change the motor. Laminator motors are not usually expensive and can quickly be changed.
Another thing that can happen when you leave your laminator on for too long is that the heating element might also get damaged. The heating element, also known as the fuse, controls the heating mechanism of many laminators. The fuse is also present in pressing irons and helps regulate the amount of heat it generates.
Sometimes, the heating element is referred to as the heat generator. They are different names but refer to the same thing. Just like the motor, when the heat generator gets damaged, you must replace it with a new one. However, the heating elements cost more than laminator motors.
Many laminators do not come with insulating bodies, so as they get hot, the external surfaces also get hot. Touching these laminators when they get too hot will surely burn your hand. As soon as you notice that you have turned on your laminator for too long, switch it off before doing anything else.
Well, the most significant damage that this can cause might be fatal. When you leave your laminator on for too long without attending to it, trust me, it will cause a fire. When the laminator gets too hot, the plastic body might begin to melt.
As it melts, it transfers the heat to other parts. When this extreme heat reaches some parts of your machine, it will result in a spark that can cause a fire. Of course, you know what happens when there is a fire outbreak.
Do Laminators Automatically Shut Off?
Many laminators come with auto shut-off features, while a few do not. For most laminators, when left on and not in use for a certain period, the automatic shut-off will be activated, and the machine will turn off immediately.
The time taken for most machines to automatically turn off is within thirty to sixty minutes. However, the specific automatic shut-off time is mentioned in the user’s manual of your laminator. To know this, kindly refer to your machine user’s manual.
As I said earlier, not all laminators have this automatic shut-off feature. So, when buying a laminator, you should check if the machine has the feature before leaving it on for a long time to turn itself off.
In most cases, I will even advise you to ensure you turn off your machine by yourself when you are no longer using it. Do not rely on the automatic shut-off. I am not implying that the feature is bound to fail, but when you turn it off yourself, you become more assured instead of leaving the job to a machine.
So, for any laminator that you purchase or already have, make it a habit to turn it off as soon as you are done laminating. If possible, you should unplug the machine from the switch; this will even increase your level of assurance.
Conclusion
Sometimes, your laminator might get too hot that it could hurt you if you place your hand on it. When you notice this, you should allow the machine to cool down for some time. It could be that it has been on for a very long time.
Some laminators come with excellent features that can help them cool down to keep running smoothly if they get hot. For most laminating machines, it takes about fifteen minutes to cool down. If you don’t want to turn off your device, you can simply reduce the operating temperature, so it returns to normal.
You should also not laminate in a laminator that is too hot. You will surely end up with wrinkled items or prints with orange peels. Another way to know if your laminator is too hot is the smell of smoke. It would help if you watched out for all of these.