Thread Number: 77931
/ Tag: Refrigerators
exploding refrigerator? |
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Post# 1019566   12/31/2018 at 07:24 (1,914 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 1019567 , Reply# 1   12/31/2018 at 07:33 (1,914 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 1019601 , Reply# 4   12/31/2018 at 14:03 (1,914 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL)   |   | |
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I have seen an advertisement posted on my local CL warning about the danger of this. I've never paid a lot of attention to the posting - not really sure what good the ad is other than to serve as a warning. The photos included in the ad look similar to what's seen in this story. If I see the ad again I will include a link to it.
lawrence |
Post# 1019611 , Reply# 5   12/31/2018 at 15:31 (1,914 days old) by speedqueen (Metro-Detroit)   |   | |
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Post# 1019613 , Reply# 6   12/31/2018 at 15:47 (1,914 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Post# 1019619 , Reply# 7   12/31/2018 at 16:35 (1,914 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland )   |   | |
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First, I’m pretty sure Thats a r134 Unit. Second , if it was charged with r600 it would have perhaps 2-3 ounces tops. Butane is flammable, maybe it would push the doors open but definitely not explode like that. I suspect there is more to the story. |
Post# 1019624 , Reply# 8   12/31/2018 at 16:52 (1,914 days old) by speedqueen (Metro-Detroit)   |   | |
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Post# 1019640 , Reply# 10   12/31/2018 at 20:28 (1,913 days old) by joelippard (Hickory)   |   | |
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Post# 1019644 , Reply# 11   12/31/2018 at 20:40 (1,913 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland )   |   | |
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I wonder if the foam liner had anything to do with it. |
Post# 1019653 , Reply# 13   12/31/2018 at 22:28 (1,913 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)   |   | |
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I saw this on the news tonight. Surely this would still use R-134 would it not? I know we bought a fridge in 2016 (not WP but Haier made) and it still uses it. |
Post# 1019657 , Reply# 14   1/1/2019 at 00:13 (1,913 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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Post# 1019664 , Reply# 15   1/1/2019 at 03:31 (1,913 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)   |   | |
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Post# 1019678 , Reply# 16   1/1/2019 at 08:52 (1,913 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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Please don't tell me the fool put ether in the refrigerator. Our professor told us about someone taking out an entire science lab in college with that stunt. |
Post# 1019680 , Reply# 17   1/1/2019 at 08:58 (1,913 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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"Ether" that, or there had to be gasoline stored too close in proximity, even a propane tank, that it took one cycle of the compressor just initially kicking on, to set off...
I am not worried about this happening to my fridge, but as it is pushing a decade old (It's a 2009) what can I do to preserve its longevity given that I managed to neaten it up, but still it is filled to capacity...
I don't like to waste food, let alone an entire kitchen, not to mention even one life, that everyone should thank their lucky stars, something important like that had been spared...
-- Dave |
Post# 1019725 , Reply# 19   1/1/2019 at 15:08 (1,913 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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If the kid was home alone, he might have been eating take out so there was not much fresh food in the box. I just hope that drugs are not involved in any way because his parents' insurance would not cover the damage and his ass would be grass. |
Post# 1019798 , Reply# 20   1/2/2019 at 09:10 (1,912 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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For years I was performing fire-investigations on electronics and appliances and would attend various symposiums to keep my certifications.
During meetings, focus was drawn to the new phenomenon of exploding refrigerators. All of the case studies occurred outside of the USA. Bear in mind my data is over five years old, things have probably changed in the market. Turquoisedude was spot-on in that a Hotpoint "brand" refrigerator was the culprit in the London fire. However I do not immediately recall if it was a "gas" explosion or rather the lack of a fire-barrier around the compressor and electronics that resulted in that fire. Some inexpensive refrigerators, (IIRC, those refrigerators typically sold outside of the USA) have no barrier between the compressor and supporting electronics to stop small fires from spreading to the insulation. I have a good-quality apartment fridge in the basement and recall getting nervous at the meeting about whether mine had a metal barrier around the compressor. (It did). I have seen Fire Chiefs' Powerpoint presentations showing the damage to the kitchen after the doors got blown off a faulty refrigerator, and the damage was impressive. Recently I went to a closeout-style store that sells inexpensive refrigerators. I was shocked, but not really shocked to see big warning labels on the interior of small-to medium sized compact refrigerators warning of explosive refrigerant. Is this something we have to get used to? I'm not liking this. I've seen many an appliance / electronic fire and am naturally very attentive to product safety - whether mine or someone else's. My refrigerators and freezers are 10, 15, 20 and 65 years old respectively. Must I keep them running forever?? Me don't wanna buy a appliance with explosive refrigerant. Regarding pressure: In an unrelated fire-investigation, a mobile home owner had a can of aerosol under the kitchen sink. It rusted. The propellant from ONE CAN migrated to the range which had a pilot light. The resulting explosion blew the kitchen window over the adjacent mobile home. A little pressure goes a long way it seems. |
Post# 1019806 , Reply# 21   1/2/2019 at 10:28 (1,912 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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Both 'save the whales' refrigerants (134 & 410) are chock full of fluorine. Which doesn't eat ozone. But what it DOES do is trap heat a whole lot worse than CO2. That is the leverage against corporate and geo politics, why the euros are dabbling with explosive gases in refrigerators.
Yes fluorine is horrendously greenhouse. But the volume used in refrigeration is a fart on a motorcycle compared to fluorine released by industrial processes. Every refrigerant is somebody's child and the usual slanted science, fear marketing, lobbying are behind it. Thus shall freon wars prosper going forward.
What exploded? Insufficient data for a conclusion. If the user caused it, s/he would have to have been very knowledgeable and cagey to avoid detection. |
Post# 1019808 , Reply# 22   1/2/2019 at 10:54 (1,912 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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Since we're talking about fires, I'll add this strange story.
I had left my last wash-in and was flying home. Depending on the flight pattern, you can see my house from the sky. As is the usual case with me, I found my house and said to myself, "Yay. All seems well at home!" I land, go home. Being hungry I sit at the island and have some lunch and remember all the fun I had. A few minutes later I hear sirens. I spend the next few hours on my lawn as they put out a fire in the house next door. It is rebuilt now but it took two years. Cause unknown to me. My house was undamaged. However I did get a chance to teach my neighbor's children about what all the firemen were doing (in shorts and stupid house-slippers). I am glad to have gotten home just in time though. |
Post# 1019813 , Reply# 23   1/2/2019 at 11:08 (1,912 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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"I am glad to have gotten home just in time though."
Well, yes, because if you had arrived later, the street would have been blocked by emergency vehicles and you would have been inconvenienced. |
Post# 1019828 , Reply# 24   1/2/2019 at 15:53 (1,912 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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I'm always inconvenienced, and it doesn't bother me anymore.
Rather, I was glad to have gotten home early as I could work WITH the firemen to ensure my home was OK internally and externally rather than find them taking license to break my door down to check without my being there. Cleaning glass out of my lawn WAS an inconvenience. I sure wish I had help with that task. |
Post# 1019830 , Reply# 25   1/2/2019 at 15:56 (1,912 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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Post# 1019833 , Reply# 26   1/2/2019 at 16:30 (1,912 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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Post# 1019888 , Reply# 27   1/2/2019 at 21:10 (1,911 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland )   |   | |
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An aerosol can will have 12+ oz of gas and refrigerators have like 3oz. I’m betting on the foam liner which is cyclopentane. Look it up, it’s nasty stuff. Or the kids blew it up and are trying to blame it on the fridge so they don’t get in trouble |
Post# 1019895 , Reply# 28   1/2/2019 at 21:40 (1,911 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Hi Paul, Eugene. It is certainly possible for the amount of refrigerant in a refrigerator to create quite and explosion, all that has to happen with the new butane refrigerants is for a spark to blow a hole in the paper thin aluminum evaporator during defrost in a closed freezer compartment to have a bomb in your kitchen.
Current refs usually have 5 Oz of gas in them [ very few aerosol cans would have that much flammable gas in them ], I am apposed to using flammable refrigerants in refrigeration systems whether in homes cars or commercial buildings.
I know that we have sold several smaller FD refs that had R-600 flammable butane refrigerant in them, and WP told us that they were going to start doing the same.
John L. |
Post# 1019934 , Reply# 30   1/3/2019 at 04:32 (1,911 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Post# 1019935 , Reply# 31   1/3/2019 at 04:35 (1,911 days old) by iej (.... )   |   | |
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Also seems EN/IEC 60335-2-24 regulations apply in Europe to any fridge using R600a or similar. Those tightened fire and explosion ratings. |
Post# 1021094 , Reply# 32   1/13/2019 at 23:31 (1,900 days old) by speedqueen (Metro-Detroit)   |   | |
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Post# 1021096 , Reply# 33   1/13/2019 at 23:49 (1,900 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 1021097 , Reply# 34   1/14/2019 at 00:09 (1,900 days old) by speedqueen (Metro-Detroit)   |   | |
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Jay pointed out the fact that they are now using R600A in cars as well, a serious point regarding safety. There are no solutions to offer, this video was more meant to just cover the story to Jay's subscribers, many of whom are appliance aficionados and aren't here on AW to have caught it. I just posted it here as it regarded the same subject. Jay is a friend of mine, I have talked to him for a while, and he is no nut case, he just uses strong words to express his opinions.
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Post# 1021103 , Reply# 36   1/14/2019 at 00:46 (1,900 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)   |   | |
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But a real piece of work.
That joker clearly demonstrates that he doesn't know much about anything he's ranting over. He just likes to hear himself talk. I loved how after ten minutes, he states, "I don't know what to say," then continues to ramble for another two. I was LOL over that line!
And he has subscribers? SMH. |
Post# 1021117 , Reply# 37   1/14/2019 at 07:48 (1,900 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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But A Real Piece Of Work,
Hi Ralph, Yes I think your review was a little better, I just would never waste another 10 minutes watching this guy to learn about nothing, LOL
When Jay starts railing against environmentalists it is obvious he is just a DF. Anyone who thinks the solutions to the worlds climate problems are just going back to the way things were done in the 1960s is simply not offering any real help.
John L. |