Merry, thank you for sharing this!!!
For the benefit of those with slower download speeds or the inability to view the video, I'd like to expand on this so that nobody panics into never using such a very useful dying tool ever again.
The cause of the fires were a result of oil either overheating or of the oil overspilling onto the burner. OPERATOR ERROR - not the result of faulty equipment. All those tests that the UL did is "what happens when don't follow the instructions." Which, frankly, doesn't make it a very fair test, in my opinion. Lets compare it to a spinning wheel: They're very dangerous because look at what happens if you stick your finger into the wheel while its moving: you can break your finger between the spokes! Or, look at what happens when you stick your finger into the moving flyer: those hooks just shred your skin! And lets not start about the big mess you'd be in if you didn't pull your long hair back and it finds its way into the delta.
We don't use oil when we dye fiber. I also never let the fiber boil for fear of felting it. So, the temps are never that high. That leads us to the UL's other concern about how easily they can tip over. So, again, common sense - flat, level ground, no pets or small children. Worse case scenario - I lose my dye pot of the "perfect color" and my concrete gets a new shade added to its existing stain. (We used a concrete stain over two years ago. So, instead of having plain gray concrete, its "Fire Clay" red. Looks beautiful!! A much better alternative than paint.)
Also, the UL is not a government agency which has its own standards for consumer products: the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They're the agency that issues recalls on products. They've issued a safety tip for the use of fryers at http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml04/04041.html
Again, this relates directly to the use of oil, not the use of the equipment.
Gabrielle
Was it this list where there was a discussion of using turkey fryers for dyeing? Anyhow, I'm sure some of you have heard of this or tried it. The Librarian's Index to the Internet just indexed this site warning about their use. Something new to worry about. ;^)
Product Safety Tips: Turkey Fryers ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Underwriters Laboratory uses this site to explain why it has not certified any deep-fat turkey fryers. A dramatic video demonstrates how easily fires are started by this equipment, and also shows how easily these units can be tipped over. Includes a list of other hazards associated with these fryers, and tips for "safer use" for those backyard cooks who "absolutely must use a turkey fryer."
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