Is it safe to leave Kemper on for extended periods of time?

nervewar · April 5, 2020 at 11:53 PM

Hey everybody, pretty new Kemper owner here, just got mine right before all this quarantine madness started. I'm curious, since I've been locked inside, is it safe for me to have my Kemper on for say...18 hours a day for several weeks at a time? I have the power rack version, though I currently have the poweramp disabled in the preferences.

It's nice to just have it on and ready to pick up and play since I don't have much else to do. But, obviously I don't want it to melt within a month or something.

I tried searching around and reading through the manual and couldn't find anything on this, so just thought I'd go ahead and ask here. Thanks!

Sollazzon · April 6, 2020 at 12:17 AM

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

I wish I had got all this free time when I bought my Kemper to explore it carefully ..

To answer Your question I can say that sometimes it happened to me to forgot it on, even for long period (more than one day) But I haven't got any issue with that.

So I'd say it's not dangerous for the machine itself, maybe not so 'safe' for the wasted elctrical consuption.

I mean, it's like when I fall asleep on my couch and the TV goes on all night long.

nervewar · April 6, 2020 at 12:31 AM

Quote from Sollazzon

Hi and welcome to the Forum!

I wish I had got all this free time when I bought my Kemper to explore it carefully ..

To answer Your question I can say that sometimes it happened to me to forgot it on, even for long period (more than one day) But I haven't got any issue with that.

So I'd say it's not dangerous for the machine itself, maybe not so 'safe' for the wasted elctrical consuption.

I mean, it's like when I fall asleep on my couch and the TV goes on all night long.

Thanks for the welcome! Hahaha yeah, I had already accidentally left it on all night once. Hope I don't do that again! Ok, good to know that it's not dangerous for the Kemper itself. If I know I'm not gonna play it at all for a few hours I'll probably go ahead and shut it off, but it is nice to have it just ready to go when I wanna just immediately pick up and play or record some ideas. Cheers!

deadman42 · April 6, 2020 at 12:45 AM

Welcome, have fun here in the forum and with your Kemper

Same here, I can not shutdown this machine... so happy to have this incredible tool for creativity on all the time during these times.

nervewar · April 6, 2020 at 12:51 AM

Quote from deadman42

Welcome, have fun here in the forum and with your Kemper

Same here, I can not shutdown this machine... so happy to have this incredible tool for creativity on all the time during these times.

Hey thanks! How long have you had yours, have you left it on consistently for a long time now, or just recently?

Maurizio70 · April 6, 2020 at 1:06 AM

Mine is ON for several hours per day, even when not in direct use, and from many years ... not a problem!!!!

deadman42 · April 6, 2020 at 1:13 AM

Quote from nervewar

have you left it on consistently for a long time now, or just recently?

Unfortunately there is no hours-of-operation counter available in the machine. Would be fun I'd say. So I can't really tell. I leave it on for several hours each day and even longer on the weekends. Should be no problem.

nervewar · April 6, 2020 at 1:26 AM

Quote from Maurizio70

Mine is ON for several hours per day, even when not in direct use, and from many years ... not a problem!!!!

Quote from deadman42

Unfortunately there is no hours-of-operation counter available in the machine. Would be fun I'd say. So I can't really tell. I leave it on for several hours each day and even longer on the weekends. Should be no problem.

Ok thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it! Gonna roll with just leaving it on most of the time while we all ride this thing out...cheers!

CelticGibson · April 6, 2020 at 1:33 AM

It's probably more damaging to keep turning it on and then off frequently...

paults · April 6, 2020 at 2:23 AM

It isn't unusual for me to leave mine on for days at a time.

nervewar · April 6, 2020 at 2:34 AM

Quote from CelticGibson

It's probably more damaging to keep turning it on and then off frequently...

Yeah that's kinda where my head was initially going, but wasn't sure.

Quote from paults

It isn't unusual for me to leave mine on for days at a time.

Wow, ok!

Guitarded · April 6, 2020 at 4:03 AM

I can't say I personally recommend it... but mine rarely gets turned off unless I'm going to be gone for more than a day.

nervewar · April 6, 2020 at 4:10 AM

Quote from Guitarded

I can't say I personally recommend it... but mine rarely gets turned off unless I'm going to be gone for more than a day.

Hahaha, ok good to know.

JedMckenna · April 6, 2020 at 4:50 AM

I've also been leaving mine on all day, most days for about 3 years. Just turn off the power amp if you have a powered version.

jjborsa · April 6, 2020 at 6:00 AM

I rarely turn mine off. Like a computer I figure.

SineKemp · April 7, 2020 at 1:45 PM

Allways on when I am at home.

Crookster · April 11, 2020 at 12:52 PM

I remember to turn off the KPA, its the Fr speaker I constantly forget about.

citadel777 · January 7, 2023 at 9:40 AM

I assume that turning the power amp off though would be beneficial.

whippinpost91850 · January 9, 2023 at 9:55 PM

Same here , Crookster

RosboneMako · January 10, 2023 at 6:40 AM

Most electronic devices follow the pattern of the more it is on the hotter it gets and the sooner it will fail. Heat tends to age components. So much so that companies will do HALT/HASS tests by heating the units to speed up when they fail.

For a densely packed unit like the Kemper I would guess its temperature would gradually increase and max out around 4-6 hours. Meaning, it will get as hot as it is probably going to get at 4-6 hours.

I would try to not run it much past 3 hours at a time. But if you are like the rest of us, it is on all day long no matter what.

If the unit is designed to last 50-100 years and you cooking it means it will only last 25 years, then what is the harm. By then we will all have Kemper 2s