Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Any armchair stove experts in the house?

 

I was heating up a pan of water last night -- well actually I was browsing cc.com and thinking to myself just how worthless the discussion around here has been lately while the pan was on the stove a -- and a big pop/flash comes from the kitchen. I figured maybe a baked potato blew up in the oven, but no: there had been some kind of arcing event on the stove top and a small hole was burned through the bottom of the pan of water and into the burner element it sat on, the two were fused, the fuse blown, and water now leaking out of the pan. WTF?

 

If we're in for a new stove, has anybody here tried one of those new induction stoves?

  • Replies 22
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted

We had something similar happen that was due to a static electricity buildup. At our old apartment we stacked a bunch of stainless steal pots/pans on top of the refrigerator which was right next to stove. Mrs. Selkirk was in the kitchen one day herd a big pop and suddenly a breaker had popped. Reset it and didn't think anything about it until it happened again a few weeks later. It turns out the fan in the stove hood was poorly gounded, and would build up a charge in the stove hood. Then one one of the pans got bumped close enough it would arc into the pans handle, and discharge into the refrigerator.

 

It didn't burn a hole but it certainly left a couple of melted/burned spots.

Posted

i burned out an oven element before.. same sort of arcing that left the element broken and covered w/ white powder. i think it's just something that happens to old elements.

 

induction looks cool, just you may have to buy some new pots/pans, depending on what you've been cooking on?

Posted

I can boil water on my old MSR XGK, but otherwise it is the barbeque grill for us until we decide what to do. I'm guessing that ignoring the problem and putting new fuses in the fusebox is a poor idea at this point.

Posted

actually if it was just the burner that blew, then it might suffice to replace that burner element, if you can find it...

 

but it might be that your stove had fuses on it too... sounds like an excuse to buy a fancy new stove

 

Posted

You blew your calrod homes:

 

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/archive/index.php/t-2024.html

 

"Calrod sealed element: This encloses a fine coiled NiChrome wires in a ceramic filler-binder inside a tough metal overcoat in the form of a shaped rod with thick wire leads or screw or plug-in terminals.

 

These are found in toaster oven/broilers, hot plates, coffee makers, crock pots and slow cookers, electric range surface elements, conventional and convection ovens and broilers.

 

Testing: When these fail, it is often spectacular as there is a good chance that the internal NiChrome element will short to the outer casing, short out, and melt. If there is no visible damage but the element does not work, a quick check with an ohmmeter should reveal an open element or one that is shorted to the outer casing."

 

If you have a sentimental attachment to the stove, or a visit by a repairman will cost less than replacing the stove, they should be able to inspect the circuit, make sure that nothing else got fried, and that it's safe to use. You can probably save some money by picking up a new burner at a local outfit instead of having the repair guy bring one out to your house.

Posted

Microwaving metal pans? Nope, but I think I've already posted my party trick with the light bulb on here. If not, try this:

 

put light bulb in microwave.

turn the unit on.

when bulb starts flashing, turn unit off.

 

Amaze your friends!

Posted

I used to have an induction stove at a place I rented. Way cool stuff. It worked just as well as a regular electric, but it cooled off very quickly.

 

One downside was the surface. It can be scratched so you have to be careful about your pans. No more cast iron. It also requires pans with flat bottoms. No more woks and you will have to toss those old beat up pans left over from college.

Posted

I've got one of those induction stoves and it's weird. If you turn it on full blast the element goes on and off, keep the pan heated to a steady temperature. It's kinda annoying when trying to heat something up fast, especially on one of the smaller burners.

Posted

Gas > electricity for cooking.

 

Plus your electric stove is cooking's answer to the SUV and you are killing the Earth(!) five times more rapidly every time you cook up a batch of top-ramen.

 

"Gas stoves have considerably less environmental impact than electric stoves. With electric stoves pollution is almost five times greater for the greenhouse gas CO2 and up to 100 times greater for SO2, a pollutant that causes acid rain. Gas stoves are also more environmentally sound than electric stoves with regard to pollution with NOx (nitrogen oxides)."

 

http://envirotech.blogspot.com/2004/02/electric-stoves-pollute-considerably.html

 

 

 

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...