EEVblog #873 - World's Most Dangerous Consumer Product!

[EEVblog]

Dave looks at possibly the world's most dangerous consumer product, a portable electrode boiler based water heater available on ebay.
Marketed as "safe", it is nothing less than a death trap!

EDIT: Holy crap! They sell this as a baby bath heater!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-220v-2500w-Bathtub-Baby-Swimming-Pool-Water-Quick-Heater-Heating-Tube-/331669347074?hash=item4d39089b02:g:TaYAAOSw9r1WDGQx

[T3sl4co1l]

Since this is a safety topic, I thought I'd copy my YT comment here as well:


Chemistry:

Chlorine in tapwater is either dissolved chlorine gas (which is in equilibrium with similar forms, like hypochlorite, depending on the pH), or chloramine (the nasty stuff you get if you clean a toilet (urea, ammonia) with chlorine based disinfectant -- don't do it!).

In either case, heat decomposes both of them into harmless chloride (e.g., salt), and either free oxygen, or chlorate (which is a beefier version of chloride -- not particularly healthy but less toxic than hypochlorite).

These devices are remarkably effective, and chemically safe:

Line frequency oscillates fast enough that any electrolysis reaction is quickly reversed, so there is little if any erosion of the electrodes (which would break down the stainless steel electrodes, releasing iron, chromium and nickel), nor generation of gas.

The gas bubbles observed should be almost entirely from dissolved gasses (mostly CO2 and oxygen), with a very small amount of liberated hydrogen and oxygen.

The obvious drawback: the average potential in your mug of water is half the mains voltage, and for you blokes that's worth a full jolt of US mains!

There's also  the complete lack of power control, which still might be fine if you just need to warm some water for washing up (or maybe making tea, but I still wouldn't recommend drinking it), but just isn't wise for anything dissolved in there.  (Anyway, even with the AC input, I wouldn't count on your cup of hot chocolate escaping without a distinctly metallic taste.)

Tim

[Fungus]

Won't the tea taste funny?

Who knows what kind of cheap nasty metal will end up dissolved in your tea?

[lapm]

Now im nearly speachless about this device... Even from chinese that has t be some sort of record about most dangerous crap sold..

[mikeselectricstuff]

BigClive's contributions to the subject :

[Ivan7enych]

I remember, when I was a student (in 90th), some students in our campus (far from home, no money at all, too big brains, no fear for life...) made those dangerous heaters from 2 stainless raizor blades, 2 wood matches (as a spacers), 2 wires and a thread. Moreover, when there was no wall electricity plug in a room, they attach wires to a lamp... They knew what they were doing, how dangerous it was, so nobody was killed, but sometimes the electricity shut down on the whole floor of the building due to overcurrent...

I thought these days have passed long time ago.

[Fungus]

I remember, when I was a student (in 90th), some students in our campus (far from home, no money at all, too big brains, no fear for life...) made those dangerous heaters from 2 stainless raizor blades, 2 wood matches (as a spacers), 2 wires and a thread.

Information has been stored in "McGyver" category.

[rolycat]

There is an even more dangerous device being sold on ebay:



Yes, those exposed electrodes are live at (rectified) mains voltage.

Big Clive has also reviewed this on his YouTube channel (look for "Deadly quack water tester"). He has a hilariously unhealthy fascination with stupidly lethal bits of apparatus.

Other gems include the 'suicide shower' and the Turkish 'stinger' kettle which both connect mains voltages directly into water.

[LazyJack]

What I've seen EE student doing to get a grilled sausage, is to stick two forks at both ends, and connect mains on it. More high tech guys actually put an amp meter in the circuit. The fun part is that this setup has a say negative feedback. That is when the sausage is getting roasted, it will loose water and it's conductivity will decrease. So once you see the dip in the amp meter, your meal is ready.

[coppice]

What I've seen EE student doing to get a grilled sausage, is to stick two forks at both ends, and connect mains on it. More high tech guys actually put an amp meter in the circuit. The fun part is that this setup has a say negative feedback. That is when the sausage is getting roasted, it will loose water and it's conductivity will decrease. So once you see the dip in the amp meter, your meal is ready.

Here is the commercial version  

[dentaku]

People are starting to send Big Clive inspired item to Dave now.

[MatthewMorgan]

There is an even more dangerous device being sold on ebay:



Yes, those exposed electrodes are live at (rectified) mains voltage.

Big Clive has also reviewed this on his YouTube channel (look for "Deadly quack water tester"). He has a hilariously unhealthy fascination with stupidly lethal bits of apparatus.

Other gems include the 'suicide shower' and the Turkish 'stinger' kettle which both connect mains voltages directly into water.

Estimated delivery Wednesday, 11. May. 2016 - Tuesday, 24. May. 2016

Hope this item gets to dave.

[tchicago]

Hi, Dave,

this is a derivative of the old well known Soviet DYI things. There was a deficit if pretty much all consumer products in Soviet Union, including water heaters/boilers. Check out how this thing looks in its most canonical form, very short video, no need to understand Russian: https://youtu.be/0trSKfP3OQ4?t=86

[k4rlhp]

As with everything, there is a tube video.

Look at this guy
https://youtu.be/dcrY59nGxBg

Is it really the most dangerous appliance?
 

[jitter]

I wasn't as surprised as Dave by seeing a device like that. I used to have an air moisturizer with just the same kind of heating element, but it was in a fully enclosed plastic housing and couldn't be operated with the lid off.

But people shower under so called "suicide shower" heads in large parts of the world. It was topic of a thread on this forum here.

[Nerull]

The danger with high voltage in water is being between the two potentials. I'd you were in contact with a ground and came near the live electrode, you would become the shortest path to ground,since the human body is more conductive than water that hasn't had a pound of salt dumped in it. This is how people get electrocuted when appliances fall in the water, or how swimmers get electrocuted near boats with poor wiring when they are hooked to shore power.

[rfeecs]

What I've seen EE student doing to get a grilled sausage, is to stick two forks at both ends, and connect mains on it. More high tech guys actually put an amp meter in the circuit. The fun part is that this setup has a say negative feedback. That is when the sausage is getting roasted, it will loose water and it's conductivity will decrease. So once you see the dip in the amp meter, your meal is ready.

Here's Mr. Wizard doing it:
https://youtu.be/ScwbimMBklA
He gives lots of warnings:  This is dangerous.  Don't touch it.
Then at one point he snaps off the switch and grabs the forks one in each hand.  Yikes.

[edy]

As with everything, there is a tube video.

Look at this guy
https://youtu.be/dcrY59nGxBg

Is it really the most dangerous appliance?
 

"Always carry an LED with you and test the water first...."        

Actually, this guy (ElectroBOOM) is actually quite funny. His channel trailer almost made me spit out my coffee... especially when he starts singing. 

[ion]

What I've seen EE student doing to get a grilled sausage, is to stick two forks at both ends, and connect mains on it. More high tech guys actually put an amp meter in the circuit. The fun part is that this setup has a say negative feedback. That is when the sausage is getting roasted, it will loose water and it's conductivity will decrease. So once you see the dip in the amp meter, your meal is ready.

Seems that method isn't limited to sausages:

[rrinker]

 That Mr. Wizard segment reminds me of a project that was in a book I borrowed from the library as a kid The project consisted of one lamp cord with plug, 2 nails, and 1 piece of wood. You drove the mails through the bard, spaced a hot dog length apart, and wrapped the end of one of the wires from the cord around each nail. Stick on a hot dog, and plug it in.

 Safety last!

 Maybe even more scary? For a while there actually was a commercial appliance sold that was effectively just that, some points you stuck hot dogs on and then plugged it in. At least the commercial product had a cover - doubt it had an interlock switch though. The cover was more to prevent the hot dog grease from spattering all over, as opposed to protecting you from the live points inside.

Edit: Coppice has the video of it posted above - the Presto Hotdogger!

[k4rlhp]

Actually, this guy (ElectroBOOM) is actually quite funny. His channel trailer almost made me spit out my coffee... especially when he starts singing. 

Yes Sir!
U dont get 650k subscribers for nothing, I guess.
I like that the vids aren't just about fooling around but the guy seems to have a grasp on EE as well and actually tries to explain things as he goes.

[larrybl]

I had to comment on this. I think there was a commercial (US) product that was called the "Night Crawler" or something like that. Basically a 2' probe that you stuck in the ground and plugged into mains. The hot main was fed into the ground and anything in the ground (including fishing worms) came up. I made my own (as a kid) from a tire iron and extension cord. Very effective, but the worms didn't live long as I remembered.

[wolf32d]

As with everything, there is a tube video.

Look at this guy
https://youtu.be/dcrY59nGxBg

Is it really the most dangerous appliance?
 

I just wanted to post this LOL
An LED + crappy heater followup is needed

[David97]

I first saw these on bigclivedotcom. Also found out about these really safe shower heads there aswell

[apis]

I was about to post the suicide shower video from bigclive as well. I can't believe this is legal to sell/install anywhere.

I used to have an air moisturizer with just the same kind of heating element, but it was in a fully enclosed plastic housing and couldn't be operated with the lid off.

That sounds somewhat more sensible though, if it runs out of water it would turn itself off automatically. A unit with a heater could start a fire if it malfunctions.

Is it really the most dangerous appliance?
 

Just don't forget to wear your plastic slippers!