An explosion of vape and a flaming gyro scooter: what dangers are hidden by familiar electrical appliances and gadgets

Explosions of smartphone batteries and short circuits in sockets no longer become a sensation, but few people know that the danger of household appliances and gadgets is not limited to these troubles. Let's figure out what other risks are fraught with familiar electrical appliances designed to make life comfortable and pleasant.

It turns out that we underestimate the danger posed by household appliances, gadgets and even toys. The more devices powered by electricity in our homes and offices, the higher the risk of a dangerous situation. Emergencies occur regularly and you should not have any illusions about the fact that someone is insured against such a disaster.

The number of owners of individual electric vehicles has increased in recent years in Russia several times. Along with this, the number of fires associated with these electrical devices has also increased. A lithium battery is a dangerous element of gyroscuters and electric scooters from the point of view of ignition. Batteries of this type can catch fire due to a short circuit or too long charging.

A gyro scooter that caught fire while charging

In addition, power sources that have received mechanical damage during use are dangerous. In order not to become a victim of a fire, experts recommend carefully following the instructions for the operation and maintenance of batteries and not leaving the devices connected to the mains after charging is completed. It should also be remembered that cheap products produced by little-known brands are in a special risk group.

You can learn about the explosions of electronic cigarettes in different places of the planet from the news almost daily. As a rule, this An emergency leads to serious injuries to the face and hands, but there are also fatal cases. In January 2019, a 24-year-old Texan was killed by a vape explosion, whose carotid artery was damaged by a fragment of the device.

Parts of a vape that exploded when using it

As in the case of gyroscuters, vaping explosions are caused by lithium batteries. It is precisely because of the danger of such power sources that there is a ban on putting electronic cigarettes in luggage during air travel all over the world. Chairman of the professional Alliance of participants of the Russian market of electronic nicotine systems (POWERRANS) Maxim Korolev said that cases of spontaneous ignition of vape batteries in luggage compartments and hand luggage have happened repeatedly.

Many people have water heaters at home and almost no one thinks that they can pose a danger. Most often, problems with boilers are the result of their incorrect installation or errors during operation. Of the latest cases, we can recall the explosion of a water heater that occurred in July of this year in one of the apartments of the city of Ruza near Moscow.

The explosion of the boiler located in the bathroom was so strong that it destroyed the partition separating the bathroom from the kitchen and knocked out the window. By a happy coincidence, there was no one in the rooms affected by the explosion, so there were no victims.

The consequences of the explosion of a 100-liter boiler in the kitchen of the apartment

The director of the test laboratory of household electrical engineering "TESTBET" Oleg Dranitsky in an interview with journalists of the AIF publication briefly spoke about the causes of such explosions:

Despite the fact that microwave ovens have firmly taken a place in our homes and offices, many people still doubt the safety of these household appliances. However, most often, we are not talking about explosions and fires, but about radiation that can harm human health.

This microwave oven burned down with lunch, almost taking the lives of an entire family

But do not think that a microwave oven will not be able to cause you and your property direct harm. In May 2019, a fire alarm went off in one of the offices of Stavropol. Firefighters who arrived on the call found out that the system worked because one of the employees tried to warm up dried bread in a microwave oven. The cracker suddenly caught fire for everyone and thick smoke poured out of the oven. Fortunately, everything ended with damage to the device and the evacuation of employees from the smoke-filled rooms.

Oleg Dranitsky told the press representatives. The expert also stressed that, like any other electric appliance, a microwave oven can catch fire during use. Theoretically, a fire can cause contamination of the internal parts of the stove, for example, due to the ingress of food particles or insects there.

The refrigerator is one of the few household appliances that almost never turns off. That is why this device needs particularly strict control. In May 2016, a refrigerator caused a severe fire in the very center of Moscow. The owner of the apartment was at home and heard a strong bang before the fire. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but the kitchen, where there was a household appliance, was completely burned out.

This refrigerator miraculously did not cause a big fire

Oleg Dranitsky comments on the problems with refrigerators as follows:

The specialist believes that troubles with this home equipment can be easily prevented by showing elementary vigilance. The smell of hot insulation appearing in the room and crackling behind the back panel of the device are a signal to immediately disconnect it from the network and call the service center wizard.

Working washing machines are often left to work, leaving the house for a long time. In this case, as a rule, they are only afraid of damage to pipes and connections with subsequent flooding of neighbors. It may be unpleasant news for you that washing machines are also a frequent cause of fires.

There is no guarantee that the washing machine will not break just at the moment when no one will be at home. There is an opinion that household cars catch fire because of the fabric fibers accumulated inside, but this is not so. Oleg Dranitsky explains the situation:

Based on his experience, the specialist claims that breakdowns that cause a fire usually occur in the upper part of the washing machine, where the electronic control components are located.

This washing machine caught fire and ruined its owner

But most often, household appliances burn not because of a defect made by manufacturers, but because of errors made during the installation of electrical appliances. Oleg Dranitsky called the connection of copper and aluminum wires with the creation of a so-called "galvanic pair", which gets very hot during operation, one of the reasons for the fires.

In addition, dangerous heating of the wiring can cause insufficient tightening of the screws securing the conductors. The specialist also called the connection of several electrical appliances with high power to one outlet a classic example of dangerous negligence.

Reflecting on the dangers of this or that home electrical equipment, few people take into account such devices as coffee grinders, blenders, food processors. Oleg Dranitsky warns housewives against violations of the operating conditions of such household appliances that can disable it and cause a fire.

This kitchen in Smolensk burned down due to a faulty blender

At the same time, the expert clarifies that the probability of a serious emergency with small household appliances is quite small, since they mostly work under the close supervision of the owner or even are held in his hands. It is very easy to prevent trouble with kitchen appliances — the smell of burnt wiring or excessive heat generation during operation is an accurate signal that the device should be immediately disconnected from the network and taken to a service center for diagnosis and repair.

In order for an explosion and a fire to occur, the participation of electrical appliances is not at all necessary. No less dangerous are aerosol cans with fresheners, lacquers and deodorants. Even cans with medicinal sprays are at risk, since their contents are also under pressure.

The consequences of the explosion of deodorant in the car

Aerosol cans are afraid of heating and in no case should they be left near heating devices, sources of open fire and under direct sunlight. It may seem strange, but when an explosion occurs, the most ordinary balloon with an air freshener has a great destructive force.

In February 2019, an explosion occurred in one of the apartments located in a high-rise building in the Russian city of Berdsk. The shock wave knocked out the bathroom door and the front door. The cause of the emergency was an ordinary aerosol air freshener, which accidentally turned out to be near a burning scented candle. The owner of the apartment miraculously survived — before the explosion, she came out of the bathroom into the room.

But the explosion of a balloon with an air freshener, which occurred in 2013 in St. Petersburg, ended tragically. One of the teenagers began to spray aerosol in the car, and the second at this time used a lighter. As a result of the explosion, one person was killed and two were seriously injured.