HELPFUL HOUSEHOLD HINTS
I'll post items as I remember
them, run across new ones, or am forwarded items of interest: - D
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Microwaving Water Caution
I feel that the following is information that anyone who uses a
microwave oven to heat water should be made aware of. About five
days ago my 26-year old son decided to have a cup of instant coffee.
He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up
(something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure
how long he set the timer for but he told me he wanted to bring the
water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup
from the oven. As he looked into the cup he noted that the
water was not boiling but instantly the water in the cup "blew
up" into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of
his hand but all the water had flew out into his face due to the buildup
of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd
degree burns to his face which may leave scarring. He also may
have lost partial sight in his left eye.
While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that
this a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated
in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something
should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir
stick, tea bag, etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil the
water in a tea kettle. Please pass this information on to friends
and family. (Mike J Tucker, Safety/Security Officer)
________
This sounds like an urban legend but it isn't. The issue is that a very
clean cup has no nucleation points to initiate the boiling, and the
water can become superheated beyond the usual boiling point. If
mechanically disturbed in this state, like inserting a spoon or adding
your cocoa mix, all of the stored energy can be released all at once.
Not all the water turns to steam, only a small fraction, but it can
throw the remaining hot water a significant distance.
Meredith Brown
ESH Lessons Learned Program Manager
Los Alamos National Laboratory
505 667 0604
505 665 6977 (fax)
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