stovetop eye

[Elliot]

Good morning,

I accidently left a plastic bread bag on a warm stovetop eye. How can I get the melted plastic off the 'eye"?

Thanks

[Edwin Pawlowski]

By "eye" do you mean the electric burner? If so, scrape off what you can and turn the sucker on high. Be prepared for a little smell as it burns off, but it will clean right up.

[m Ransley]

An old stove with pilot lite in the middle? Maybe a new razor blade if the surrounding is ceramic. maybe getting it real warm will help. Or is it on a burner.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Hi, You could try warming up the mess with a hair dryer and have a scraper or razer blade handy/ready to scrap off what you can when the bag gets soft.

Failing scrapping it off, might need to replace the element.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Why? Most plastics melt at about 190 degrees. It will burn off with a little smoke and odor and then be as good as new.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Not all elements have a smooth surface, older ones may be rough on the surface and many times ALL of the plastic will not "burn" off...and some plastics are toxic when burnt!

When is doubt, though it out and replace the element.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It was a bread bag. Very thin, not much material, nothing toxic when it burns. You'll get a little odor, but probably less than when a pot of soup boils over a little. You'll bet more smoke than when you self clean an oven and it will all be over in two minutes, tops. To discard an element for such a minor thing is just plain wasteful, silly, and unneeded. Sorry, bit I'm not going to agree on this.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Sorry, bit

Hi,

We will agree to disagree!

Read on....

Just some info on the subject.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

No, this is really not on the subject, apples and oranges. They mention PVC here, not the polyethylene of a bread bag. Part of my job for the past 35 years is to do burn tests on some plastics. I have learned a little about it.

The ecological impact of tossing a perfectly good heating element and wasting the resources to make a new one are far more detrimental than just burning of a fraction of a gram of PE.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Polyethylene has some hazards...

Part of my job for the last 25 years and present has been to help some people with plastic, kettle bottoms, purses, coats, pots melted to an element. I have learned a lot about this ;)

This comming from a group that seems to tell every other microwave poster to "throw out there old one and buy a new one"!?!?

The manufacturing and disposal of one element vrs the manufacturing and disposal of an microwave don't compare....apples and oranges maybe, but people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Yes, so does water.

It is just not very practical to repair most older microwaves or any small appliance for that matter. I would not spend $30 to fix a $9 toaster even though it is not ecologically sound. Nor would I buy a $40 stove element because it has a gram of plastic stuck to it. There will be far less chemical reaction than burning candles on the dinner table.

[m Ransley]

Well, paying 75$ to fix a 350$ microvave when new ones go for under 50 is not worth it. I just paid 35 instead of repairing at 100$ Repair shops labor is high. If it can burn off as Ed says, burn it. It doesnt sound like a big issue, it isnt a melted pound of glob from a cutting board or tupperware.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Back peddling now are we....first there was NO toxic reaction and now there is a little!!??!!

Any repairs over approx 50% of the cost to replace of a new microwave is possibly not worth it....but my point was most things that I read are people are not even told to check it out because a new counter top one at Wally world is $49.97 so throw it out....that theory will get us land fills full of microwaves/toasters/kettles/etc which may be even more toxic than the element burning is.

Sorry, the wool may be pulled over others but not here. Your theory and ?proof? is non existant.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Harry K]

Right it is in total a very small amount. If the paranoid are really worried about the fumes, leave the house until it is done. Yes, burning plastic produces bad things. In this case, the bad things produced are too little to be concerned with.

Harry K

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Problems with reading comprehension?

Nothing toxic and less chemical reaction do not mean the same thing. Eating an egg causes a chemcial reaction in your body. Opening a bottle of soda causes a chemical reaction inside the bottle. I suggest you read a dictionary.

Pulling the wool over the eyes suggests that the eyes are available, and not on a head stuck elsewhere.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

None. Your posts contradict one another and when others try to help or have an differen opinion to yours you object....tough and too bad!

Apples and oranges....your words and not mine!

LOL...good try at humour.

One for you...

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Still have that comprehension problem, I see. There is nothing contradictory about them. I said it would not be toxic, but any time you burn anything, you will have chemical reaction. Burning is a chemical reaction. It is a rapid form of oxidation. Anything that burns gives off some sort of chemical, often soot, carbon dioxide, and water. In excess, any of the three is not good for you health, but in tiny amounts will not kill you. The soot given of by the bag residue is going to be less than the candle buring on the dinner table.

Only if I'm right and they are wrong. I respect that others have different solutions to problems as there are often many ways to solve a problem. But if the other opinion is just plain wrong, I will point that out as a public service to those that may othewise follow the erroneous advice. .

My words, but it was your incorrect interpretation. I still stand by my original comments. Ed

[Appliance Repair Aid]

**It was a bread bag. Very thin, not much material, nothing toxic when it burns**

chemical

And *I* have that comprehension problem?!?!

problem.

Sorry, too many variables here to be right or wrong....element style (solid, coil, coil under glass, electric, gas, etc)...amount being burned, etc....an opinion or suggestion is open to interpretation and leaving out details ( minor or not ) is a form of lying.

LOL!! What a crock!!

Again...agree to disagree :)

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Boy, you sure do. The most benign compounds like oxygen and water, will kill you in excess. A tiny amount of soot is not toxic. You breath it most every day if you are in the downstream of a powerplant oil heated house, camp fire, etc. We are not talking phosgene here. The fact that a chemical reaction takes place is not a bad thing. Digesting your food is a chemical reaction. Cures from medications are chemical reactions. The same medication that cures you, wrongly applied or in excessive amounts, will kill you. I'm sure you will not comprehend the logic of this so I will not bother the rest of the group here and just let you go on if you'd like.

Hey, that is one of my best qualities! Now you hurt my sensitive feelings.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Since *I* understand and *you* do not, I will let this go :D

Didn't mean to point out any faults or hurt any feelings!

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid