WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) –  Appliances, including your air conditioner, could cause a house fire.

Big appliances use a lot of power that some common power sources can’t handle. If you have an air conditioner unit in your house, it’s best to plug it into the wall.

Using an extension cord or a surge protector would increase your risk of a fire.

“I mean there’s really no way for a person to know that doesn’t have training is that receptacle a 20 amp or a 30 amp and is your air conditioner a 20 amp or 30 amp,” said Springfield Fire Spokesman, Dennis Leger.

Your safest bet is plugging the unit into a wall because it can support the power.

If a cord from an air conditioner unit is plugged into an extension cord or power strip that doesn’t match the power level of the air conditioner, the cord will heat up and could burst into flames.You should inspect the cords on any home appliance regularly.

“What you should look for are cords that are frayed,” said Brian Zippin, Owner of Contractors Home Appliances. “If you have one of the three prongs or four prongs that is dented or bent whether it’s on a stove or an air conditioner- anything you plug in- the cord should be changed.”

The shelf life of any appliance is 8 to 10 years, but an air conditioner unit may last longer because it’s not used year round.

Zippin said a good trick for checking your appliance cords is to check every time you change your clocks for daylight savings.