Can I leave pedals plugged in?

[BklynKen]

I have some pedals on a board using a Godlyke AC adapter, no batteries in the pedals. Should I unplug the AC adapter when not using them or can I leave them plugged in with no problems?

Thanks.

 

[caeman]

I have left my pedal board plugged in for weeks on end with no noticeable problems.

 

[bongomania]

All good, no problems.

 

[caeman]

About the only problem I can foresee is if you get a lightning strike or a big surge that could travel through to anything currently plugged in. But, if that happens, your pedal board is the least of your concerns in your house.

 

[BklynKen]

Hah, thanks. It's plugged into a UPS.

 

[MSUsousaphone]

I always feel ok with most of them....but I just can't leave my MicroThumpinator plugged in....since it's always on. I start to leave the room and that pretty blue light just begs me to go unplug it. I can't resist.

 

[Collider]

If there's power going to your pedal-board's supply then you are using some electricity all the time it's plugged in which is a possible downside, financially and environmentally.

Can't help thinking that this is putting more wear and tear on the components but I have no evidence to support that hypothesis.

 

[BklynKen]

Mine are just a Boss TU-2 tuner and Boss overdrive.

 

[ksandvik]

Well, there's no direct harm with the exception of burning up unnecessary electricity, surges happening through badly wired households and maybe having a trickle current always on the pedal will shorten it's lifetime 10% or so.

PS: My studio is all wired through a power filter/regulator so when I leave the place for the night I just flip the switch and no current goes through any of the electronics in the studio.

 

[jeffbrown]

+1 for an intermediary device. My pedals are plugged into a surge-protecting power strip. When I'm done playing, I just turn it off, thereby turning all the pedals off. No sweat, no problems. Of course, YMMV, but this seems like a pretty good economical and environmentally friendly solution.

 

[bongomania]

That's what I do, too. Simple power strip with on/off switch.

 

[Vlad5]

yep, me too. Powerstrip with on/off switch. This way the Thumpinator and Timeline (both always on) can be disconnected.

But yeah, leaving em all on all the time shouldn't hurt em. But wasting electricity is a social (rolling blackouts due to overusage)/financial (um, it costs money)/environmental (most powerplants use fossel fuel to operate) issue best avoided.

 

[BklynKen]

Thanks for all the comments. So would leaving the pedals plugged in but turned off be the same power usage as leaving the amp plugged in and turned off?

 

[bongomania]

Depends how you mean "turned off". If the power switch is off on an amp, that switch cuts the power connection so the amp is drawing zero power. If the power switch on an outlet strip is off, then the things plugged into that strip are drawing zero power. If you are talking about the footswitch on the pedals, that switch just bypasses your signal around the effect, but doesn't cut the power connection to the circuit.

 

[BklynKen]

Depends how you mean "turned off". If the power switch is off on an amp, that switch cuts the power connection so the amp is drawing zero power. If the power switch on an outlet strip is off, then the things plugged into that strip are drawing zero power. If you are talking about the footswitch on the pedals, that switch just bypasses your signal around the effect, but doesn't cut the power connection to the circuit.

Thank you. That's what I was wondering. I wasn't sure if the Boss effect pedals were actual power switches. I'll unplug the AC adapter from the TU-2 when I'm done playing. No big deal.