[Mungrel]

So the other night I get home about 8:30ish and as I walk down the hallway to the kitchen I hear a loud "click". I thought nothing of it until I get to kitchen and can smell a strong burning electrical smell and see some light smoke lightly wafting up from the back of the electrical / gas oven and stove top.
Putting two and two together I realised the loud click was in fact the circuit breakers popping thus cutting power to the oven.
I watched the smoke for a bit but couldn't see any flame or heat, but as the oven hadn't been used for the entire day, and I was home by myself that night in a house built largely of flammable materials, I wasn't gonna take any chances and doused the back of the oven with the fire extinguisher from my car.

The good news: The smoke stopped and the house (nor I) burned down that night.
The bad news: Sparky has been out, couldn't find anything wrong with the oven or the wiring leading to it, and the oven is fully operational again.

Is it irrational of me to be pissed off at using my fire extinguisher for what seems like no problem at all? lol Gotta get that **** refilled now!

 

[Sparkys]

We had a situation like that and it was a mouse that had shorted out a connection and fried himself.
He'd been electrocuted then fallen behind the stove.
Couldn't work out what it was until he started smelling really bad a few days later. Just a thought.

 

[Trav]

hell no mate. i'd have emptied my extinguisher on it too. when it comes to your castle mate it isnt worth taking a chance. we all know how quick a fire spreads.
hell even when im welding at work i have an extinguisher sitting on the welder at the ready.. maybe that's paranoid tho lol

 

[Franky73]

Cleaning up the extinguisher powder is the worse thing.

 

[Batt's]

Hope you have a good smoke alarm if it happens again while your asleep personally I'd be getting the circuit breakers replaced or buy a new stove I wouldn't sleep at night but I've have had a few scares over the yrs which may make me a bit more cautious.

 

[Batt's]

hell no mate. i'd have emptied my extinguisher on it too. when it comes to your castle mate it isnt worth taking a chance. we all know how quick a fire spreads.
hell even when im welding at work i have an extinguisher sitting on the welder at the ready.. maybe that's paranoid tho lol

Good idea to have one nearby but don't take it the wrong way it's no good sitting an extinguisher on the welder if it's on fire you won't be able to get to it if there's flames leaping up the sides usually best kept near at hand so you can approach the item that's burning with your extinguished in hand at the ready.

 

[Mungrel]

Cleaning up the extinguisher powder is the worse thing.

Ain't that the truth! that stuff went everywhere down the back and the floor lol.

I agree with everyones comments, and if confronted with it again, I'd empty another extinguisher on it. Better safe than sorry as they say eh?
Growing up we almost lost our house in Greenough due to a bushfire, got within 50m of the house. So nope, not taking chances

 

[Dazz09]

Your going to be more pissed when you realise that it costs more to recharge your extinguisher than straight out replacing it.

 

[62woollybugger]

You'll probably need to replace the stove anyway. The powder will work its way into the wiring & eat the copper away. It reacts with the moisture in the air & turns corrosive. My old man has had to replace the complete wiring harness on a couple of tractors when guys have used an extinguisher in the cab.

 

[Squalo]

^ This, I was going to say that letting a fire extinguisher loose is a total PITA for exactly the reasons 62 states. I've twice dealt with engine bay fires using wet towels rather than the fire extinguisher I've had on hand, for this very reason. As well as ****ing up wiring harnesses it also kicks off rapid corrosion in whatever bare metal it contacts... I'll only ever use a fire extinguisher in a worst case scenario.

 

[Mungrel]

So you're saying i need to WD40 the stove now to slow down the rusting process? lol (I'm kidding by the way, I realise this would make the food taste funny :lol: )

 

[geeyoutoo]

Mate you do what you need to do when circumstances call for action, you may have been lucky, it could have gotten nasty.

Refilling the fire extinguisher and cleaning up is a small price to pay for peace of mind .

At least you know it can't be fixed with duct tape or a hammer .

 

[Mungrel]

At least you know it can't be fixed with duct tape or a hammer .

haha, can't argue with the logic.

 

[james008]

At least you know it can't be fixed with duct tape or a hammer .

I am unfamiliar with this concept.

 

[62woollybugger]

I wouldn't trust it not to catch fire again, that powder works its way inside the insulation of the wires. If you get a corroded wire & a hot spot you could get another fire. If it's only a cheapie, just chuck it & get a new one, but if it's an expensive one, try to claim on insurance.:cheers: