Rævyn Cigány
June 2nd, 2001, 02:50 AM
I received this from a very good friend of mine, and I know this happens because it happened to my uncle about five years ago...thank the Goddess he wasn't seriously hurt....
Boiling Water in Microwave
This is scary and I know most of you do this:
I feel that the following is information that anyone
who uses a microwave oven to heat water should be made
aware of.
My 26-year old son 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 he 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 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.
Here is what our local science teacher had to say on
the matter: "Thanks for the microwave warning. I have
seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon
known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is
heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that
the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small
amount of water (less than half a cup).
What happens is that the water heats faster than the
vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it
is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it
that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the
bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that
has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid
continues to heat up well past its boiling point. What
then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or
jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the
bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The
rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated
beverage spews when opened after having been shaken."
If you pass this on ... you could very well save
someone from a lot of pain and suffering.
General Electrics response:
Please include the following line in all replies.
Tracking number: AT20001114_0000000135
Thanks for contacting us, Mr. Williams. 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.
I hope this helps. Should you need any further
assistance, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Cook
GE Internet Response Team
Boiling Water in Microwave
This is scary and I know most of you do this:
I feel that the following is information that anyone
who uses a microwave oven to heat water should be made
aware of.
My 26-year old son 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 he 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 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.
Here is what our local science teacher had to say on
the matter: "Thanks for the microwave warning. I have
seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon
known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is
heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that
the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small
amount of water (less than half a cup).
What happens is that the water heats faster than the
vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it
is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it
that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the
bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that
has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid
continues to heat up well past its boiling point. What
then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or
jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the
bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The
rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated
beverage spews when opened after having been shaken."
If you pass this on ... you could very well save
someone from a lot of pain and suffering.
General Electrics response:
Please include the following line in all replies.
Tracking number: AT20001114_0000000135
Thanks for contacting us, Mr. Williams. 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.
I hope this helps. Should you need any further
assistance, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Cook
GE Internet Response Team