I'm looking for a replacement funnel to fill hot water bottles safely when you cannot see and most kettles have wide spouts these days. The current one is plastic and going brittle on its bottom. It is one of those with the indent to allow air out of the bottle, but most of the ones I've seen so far are just round which is rather dangerous as the hot air could push the funnel up and spill hot water onto the persone holding it, ie me!
There seem to be very few funnels around these days.
Brian
There are a plenty of various sizes on ebay, but the only ones I can see with the air vent up the side are tiny, expensive, stainless steel ones for use by baristas
Is 14cm large enough?
Colin Bignell
Why not get one of these microwavable thingys? Much safer and more convenient.
I should have added that the image is of a plastic funnel that appears to have moulded ribs along the spout to allow air to escape.
Colin Bignell
Not always
They are also reported to cool down faster.
Colin Bignell
Nasty an obvious risk when pointed out and the exothermic reaction above
225C is not good news.But as fire investigator Chris Clarke says in the article " 'Wheat bags aren't inherently dangerous if they're used correctly,' he added. 'You just need to be careful, as you would with a candle or a chip pan.' ".
Perhaps it's not a good idea to let the do lally use them unsupervised.
Well as water has one of the highest heat capacities out there that is not surprising.
On frosty mornings I sometimes use a microwave HWB to help defrost the car windscreen. Bung it on something on top of the dashboard. Helps a lot in reducing condensation on inside of glass.
But I would not want to use one in my bed. Too small. Takes quite a while to heat through safely at the size it is - a bigger one will obviously take longer. And the longer it takes, the more likely anyone is to leave it unattended for a short time.
If I felt the need, I would get an electric blanket of one sort or another.
I'd have though the raised surround around the stopper of the hot water bottle would have stopped the funnel getting that far down into the opening. Not to mention that it would have to be quite a large funnel for the spout to block the filler.
I don't think I've ever seen a plastic funnel with a indent on the spout. Plenty with small ribs between the spout and sides to stop the funnel settling right into an opening.
Certainly not many about in the mass market retail shops. They seem to be a "specialist" item these days.
Well I suppose anything you leave too long in the microwave can catch fire.
My fuel funnel has one. Probably available at most car shops, but probably too long and bendy for the job.
SteveW
I don't know how good they are, but there are plenty of sealed for life, electric, hot-water bottles. Plug them in for a while before you go to bed and then unplug and take it up with you.
SteveW
Steady on.
Family newsgroup and all that.
The ones I bought in lidl a few weeks ago don't contain wheat. They also appear to go through some sort of phase change as they get hot and then appear to cool a bit when microwaved more. They stay warm for quite a while.
The biggest problem is that you can't nuke them at full power so it takes a while to heat up.
I'd heartily recommend the wheat bag approach (John Lewis call them "wheat wraps").
My wife has used one (i.e. the same one) for at least a dozen years: gives it 2 mins in the microwave, and it suits her perfectly as a hot water bottle. Much safer, and *much* more convenient.
In contrast, a friend of mine was taken to hospital the other day because his HWB burst on his feet in the bed: he may need plastic surgery! God knows how hot he was heating the water, but certainly the bottle itself had had enough!
And as for the Daily Mail "set fire to bed" story in connection with a child's wheat bag: again, god knows what happened there, but I doubt if you, Brian, are in danger from such an accident.
Cheers John
p.s. Myself, I use an electric blanket from October through April, set to nuke-temperature. (But I switch it off before I get in!)
Actually answering my own question here. We were in Wilkinsons yesterday looking for a cheap jug, and hey presto, they had the funnels. Indeed a bundle of three for a pound. The big one exactly like the broken one. You need to pour slowly as the indent is not quite so big, but it works fine and does not topple.
Weird this as lots of other shops one might expect to have them just look puzzled when you mention the vent.
Brian
Most were lab funnels or jam funnels or some for other strange uses not on topic here I found.. grin.
Brian
Dizzy auld broad gasses herself - everyone to blame, says dopey daughter.
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