You were going about your day and just received a message that your Wemo® Mini Smart Plug, F7C063 has overheated and turned off the power. While this sounds bad, your Wemo Switch Mini is fine. Your Wemo Switch Mini will turn off to enter a cool down period before it will be able to turn back on. This feature is designed to keep you safe and prevent any risk to the Wemo Switch Mini or any other devices when certain circumstances cause the devices heat to rise abnormally.
What is this Overheat Protection all about?
The Wemo Switch Mini was designed with safety in mind. Overheat Protection was added to make sure that should something cause your Wemo Switch Mini or what you have plugged into it to begin to overheat that the Wemo Switch Mini will turn off power to its outlet and the device plugged into it, allowing both to cool back down to safe operating temperatures.
The message you received on your phone or tablet was to let you know that this happened so you can investigate the cause of the issue. Your Wemo Switch Mini is designed to turn off before it becomes too hot and damages itself, the outlet it is plugged into or whatever you have plugged into it.
Why did I receive this message? What caused it to overheat?
We can't really give you an exact answer to that since every case is different. We can however give you information to help lead you down the right path, a basic understanding of what could have happened and what steps to take next.
Okay, so what can I check for?
Dirty, worn/corroded plugs or outlet contacts
A tight clean connection is the best that you can have for power to flow from your outlet to your Wemo, and from your Wemo to the device plugged into it. If either the outlet is worn, old and dirty or the plug on the device plugged into the Wemo is old and dirty, resistance will build up causing an increase in heat. Check your outlets for dirt, dust or other build up. If the outlets look extremely dirty or old, consider replacing them.
Loose outlets
No matter how clean your outlets are if they are loose you are in trouble. Loose outlets can cause poor connections between the Wemo and the outlet leading to a build up in resistance due to air gaps. Air is a great insulator but electricity can still cross it. When it does it is called arcing, and arcing creates heat.
Insufficient wiring
This is a little more difficult. You can easily check the wire of the device plugged into your Wemo but checking the wiring of the outlet might require an electrician depending upon your comfort level.
The power needs of the device you have plugged into the Wemo will help determine what type of electrical cord it should have. A low power draw item like a lamp will have a thinner more flexible cord. A higher power draw item like a heater or air conditioner will have a thicker cord. Thicker power cords generally have more copper wiring in them allowing for an easier flow of electricity. A thinner cord means less wiring and can cause resistance, leading to the wire heating up and transferring to the Wemo.
Is there any troubleshooting I can do?
Yes there is. We have included a few things you can try below.
Check the outlet
Check the outlet for dirt and dust build up. Check to make sure the outlet is not loose, corroded or worn. Your Wemo should be held tightly in the outlet, plugged in completely so no metal is showing and be parallel to the wall.
Move the Wemo to another outlet
Try moving the Wemo to another outlet. This will help isolate if it is an issue with the outlet where the Wemo is plugged into.
Check the location of the Wemo
The Wemo should have at least 1 inch of clearance between it and any furniture. This will allow for proper air flow and ventilation and will prevent the heat rise from becoming excessive.
Check the power usage specifications
Check the power specifications of the device you have plugged into the Wemo. The Wemo Switch Mini has the following power specs:
| Maximum Input Wattage | 1800 W |
| Maximum Output Wattage | 1800 W |
| Maximum Input Voltage | 120 V US |
| Maximum Output Voltage | 120 V US |
| Input Power Cycle (Hz) | 60 Hz |
| Maximum Input Amperage | 15 A |
| Maximum Output Amperage | 15 A |
| Maximum Supported Motor Size | ½ Horsepower |
If any of these specifications don't match, discontinue usage of the Wemo or device plugged into it immediately.
If you have a power tap or surge protector plugged into the Wemo Switch Mini (which generally is not recommended) you will need to add the power usage of all the devices plugged into that power strip together to get the maximum power usage. If you exceed any of these specifications please remove devices from the power tap or surge protector until you are lower than the maximum specifications.
Change what is plugged into it
Try plugging something else into the Wemo. This can help isolate if it is an issue of the device plugged into the Wemo or not.
Related Articles:
Meet the Wemo® Mini Smart Plug
How to reset or restore my Wemo® device to factory defaults
