Is it ok to leave my laptops ac adapter plugged in the wall outlet all the time?

[Geek-9pm]

This article is in layman terms and lacks accuracy.Still, it does provide some insight into the spark problem here in the USA.

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/why-does-my-electrical-outlet-spark.htm

Water damage is a common problem.  Even so, a brand new electrical output can and does spark here in the USA. It will spark when you plug in an appliance that is already in the on position. The plug congregants have no provision of spark suppression during insertion. This provides a very low-cost electrical connector.  Basically, they are not intended for 'hot' insertion. As mentioned earlier, they are dangerous in an environment whee flammable gas is present.

However, spark suppression does not appear to be a concern in most home and office environments. Even with very well made connectors, a spark may or may not occur. The spark may no be any indication of a defect in the electrical plugs. They simply were not made for insertion while a device has a switch already in the on position. Th poser packs  used  in portable computer designs just do not have inrush current limiting.
I can not find a text that puts it into those words. Those of you who are EE guys already know about this. Here is a PDF about some devices GE makes for those who have concern for this. You could modify a power pack to have one of these little things inside and that will reduce sparking by an order of magnitude.
These are not the same as voltage clamps. These are current limiters.

NTC Inrush Current Limiter. - GE
They are well suited for consumer devices and medium power industrial devices.

 arfe EE

[patio]

That might be a bit easier than filling his closet with Nitrogen gas...

But using AngiesList as a source ? ?...

[Salmon Trout]

Sulfur (or 'sulphur' as I still call it) hexafluoride gas is a pretty good insulator.

[Geek-9pm]

He can just accept the fact that that  a standard electrical wall outlet in the USA can display a spark when you plug in a power pack used on a PD or laptop. The spare can even show on a low-poser device like a cell phone charger.
A simple solution is to buy a power strip just for the power pack and few other things he might want to turn off. Use the switch on the power strip and there will be no visible spark. The power strip will prevent sparks if you use it to power on and off stuff. Any sparking will be inside the switch and the switch is rating for thousands of make and break cycles. And even if the switch were to catch fire, it has a housing that contains the flame.

[BC_Programmer]

He can just accept the fact that that  a standard electrical wall outlet in the USA can display a spark when you plug in a power pack used on a PD or laptop.

I see arcing so seldom that when it does happen it is noteworthy, so I don't think it is inherent to either the NEMA 1-15 or the NEMA 5-15 plugs.

[Salmon Trout]

I see arcing so seldom that when it does happen it is noteworthy

Maybe it was my father's influence (he was an electrical engineer specialising in distribution) but my view is arcing in switchgear or connections is to be avoided. If I notice it, I do something about it. Arcing can be detected by an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). In the US, The NFPA 70 National Electric Code, 1999 Edition, an electrical standard used by most municipalities for electrical wiring, requires that AFCI's be used for receptacle outlets in bedrooms, effective January 1, 2002. The areas to be protected were expanded in 2008 (where that national Code has been adopted locally) to most rooms of the home. The areas left out of the requirement were garage, bathroom, kitchen, and laundry; these were already required to have ground-fault protection for receptacles.

[Geek-9pm]

An AFCI distinguishes between a harmless arc that occurs incidental to normal operation of switches, plugs, and brushed motors, and an undesirable arc that can occur, for example, in a lamp cord which has a broken conductor.

[Salmon Trout]

In my view any apparent arcing at an outlet is undesirable.

[yologirl00001]

I dont have a surge protector, will a cord kinda do the job with protecting adapter from sparks. I connect the adapter to the cord and plug in the cord into the wall outlet. When I use a cord i dont hear or see any sparks occuring with my adapter only between the wall outlet and the cord

[Geek-9pm]

I dont have a surge protector, will a cord kinda do the job with protecting adapter from sparks. I connect the adapter to the cord and plug in the cord into the wall outlet. When I use a cord i dont hear or see any sparks occuring with my adapter only between the wall outlet and the cord

As i mentioned, here in the USA this issue is mostly ignored until somebody gets hurt. Devices to stop excessive sparking are available, but they are seldom used. Here in the USA over 40,000 fires a year are said to be caused by bad electrical wiring. Actually, it is not the wires, but the connections to the wires, such as outlets
If the spark is transitory, then is no need to get concerned. But never get your face close to an electrical outlet when you plug anything in.

http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statistics-and-reports/fire-statistics/fires-in-the-us/overall-fire-problem/fire-loss-in-the-united-states

[patio]

Another topic spiraling outta control...
2 days ago i stated it was likely bad wiring...that's likely still the issue....

[Geek-9pm]

Another topic spiraling outta control...
2 days ago i stated it was likely bad wiring...that's likely still the issue....

We need real-time video of the sparks. We need to measure rte length, duration and estimate the joules dissipated. Otherwise everything is supposition. Bad wiring is the least likely cause.

[patio]

We can't. It's too dark in the Nitrogen loaded closet for a good photo.

[Geek-9pm]

We can't. It's too dark in the Nitrogen loaded closet for a good photo.

OK. We had a chuckle Looking around it seems this is a common thing for many users. Now here is my very sober reply to the transitory spark phenomenon..

In the case where visible spark is seen at the instant the plug is inserted into the wall outlet, it may indicate a poor design of the power brick. Devices over 50 watts made for sale in the USA ought to have some method of reducing the sparking.

References:
http://superuser.com/questions/338263/is-it-normal-for-the-laptop-charger-to-spark-when-plugging-in

http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/32881/why-does-my-laptop-charger-make-a-spark-when-plugged-in

http://ask-the-electrician.com/why-an-outlet-may-spark-when-plugged-into/

Even Apple?
http://ask-the-electrician.com/why-an-outlet-may-spark-when-plugged-into/ bad link
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5722954?tstart=0
(Again they blame the electrical outlet as if the outlet was  defective.)

The general thought is that it is not a problem. However, the CH community has yet to rule on this critical issue.