Micro waved water - a MUST read
A 26-year old decided to have a cup of 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 flown out into his face due to the build up 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 is 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 teakettle.
General Electric's (GE) response:
Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that
you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always
bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get
superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up
out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag
is put into it. To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not
heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the
cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding
anything into it.
If you pass this on ... you could very well save someone from a lot of
pain and suffering.
ProfPTS
http://profpts.googlepages.com
http://www.biochemistryonline.4t.com
A 26-year old decided to have a cup of 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 flown out into his face due to the build up 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 is 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 teakettle.
General Electric's (GE) response:
Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that
you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always
bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get
superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up
out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag
is put into it. To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not
heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the
cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding
anything into it.
If you pass this on ... you could very well save someone from a lot of
pain and suffering.
ProfPTS
http://profpts.googlepages.com
http://www.biochemistryonline.4t.com