We had a minor fire in our kitchen when my son forgot he had a pan containing cooking oil on a burner. The oil ignited, I picked up the pan, set it down in the sink, and doused the fire with a fire extinguisher. There is not about a
3 inch scorch mark in the sink and my wife wants it removed.Any ideas will be appreciated.
Dick
What kind of sink? Stainless steel, enameled steel, other?
nate
if its a stainless sink a rotating wire brush on a driil can probably clean it up, although you may have to go over the entire sink, to make it match.
if its porcelin you will need a new sink.
Just a friendly reminder to all that might have similar experience...you should not have picked up the pan, as you risked spilling it or having it explode all over you. Good on you for having the fire extinguisher handy.
snipped-for-privacy@panix.com (Dick Adams) wrote in news:i88lq3$2bt$1 @reader1.panix.com:
Not many people have a fire blanket I don't think. If they do it's probably tucked away some place.
My first thought...from personal experience decades ago...slide a the lid on...from the side and not the top.
If the fire isn't under control in a minute or two, get everyone out of the house, and call the fire department.
As to the scorch mark. I'd try Simple Green, and a nylon scrubbie. If that doesn't help, I'd try oven cleaner.
I had a couple cousins with the similar problem. One of the boys (thinking quickly, but not completely). Threw on a glass of water. Flaming cooking oil every where. Lucky, no one was injured. And the fire was mostly just down the side of the stove.
Oven cleaner? Stainless sink? I'd try mineral spirits first, in case the black mark is just soot. If not soot, then a fine abrasive (not knowing what sink is made of and risking further damage to finish).
Smitty Two wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
It would have been nice if the OP had mentioned what sort of sink finish he scorched. Porcelain? epoxy over fiberglass? It may not be doable to remove it. Might have to replace the sink(cheaper than having it stripped and reglazed),or try an epoxy tub-style repaint.(with all it's problems...)
And, very important, leave lid on until cool.
When I was in kindergarten, the teacher had us make candles. She melted paraffin wax directly on a hot plate, no double boiler. The wax caught fire. She put a lid on but did not turn off the hot plate. After a minute she lifted the lid to check that the fire was out. A pillar of flame hit the ceiling and spread out. The entire class scattered out the door onto the playground -- luckily a case where the fear response caused the proper action.
Nothing else caught fire and no one was hurt, but the scorch mark stayed on the ceiling for a long time ... this was, oh, 56 years ago and I don't remember how long, but I do remember going back to that room after I had moved on to first or second grade and seeing the mark still there. Perhaps the school administration wanted to make sure the teacher remembered the lesson she learned that day.
Obviously the explanation for the effect is that before the fire is covered, the gaseous wax or oil is burning as it evaporates. When you put on the lid, you block the oxygen supply and a large amount of oil/wax vapor builds up, and its temperature is still above the flash point. Resupply oxygen, flash.
Edward
Technically, this is sort of a mini-flashover. Wish I had heard this story when I was still doing fire training (g).
Is it safe to assume that you will never let your son drive a car?
Here's a tip from an old retired firefighter - Have a lid handy that fits over the top of the pan. If the oil ignites, place the lid over it and turn off the burner. This will extinguish the flames unless the oil has boiled over. Under no circumstances try to carry a burning pan. Too many house fire and severe burn injuries occur from people trying to move a burning pan to the sink or out of the house. And yes, have a fire extinguisher as a back up, and know how to use it properly. Never, ever pour water on it. Doing so will cause the oil to explode all over the place due to the water being instantaneously turned to steam.
As a follow up - If you have a fire extinguisher, when was the last time you had it checked. They should be inspected at least yearly and given a visual check at least monthly to ensure it has not lost its pressure. Even a slight pressure drop is reason to have it recharged or replaced.
What we need is not having a limey telling us what we need. You have a habit of that.
A 20 pound turkey won't fit in that puny thing...
We do drive on the correct side of the road, though!
You English are bloody %@$!@#&$ ;-)
(OP)
Nothing about the type of sink finish, asked by others here.
That will get a better answer, Dick!
Meh.
Like firearms, "need" is not the criterium. "Want" is the only thing that counts.
I had to go back and look. Sure enough, the OP didn't say what kind of sink surface. Your technique may very well be far superior.
Well.... long as the fire stays in the container. Always good to have a backup plan.
We separated from England. Account of "taxation without representation". Fortunately we no longer have that any more. Which reminds me. Obama forgot to ask me before he spent a couple trillion. Must have got lost in the mail.
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