Element of Surprise

The great thing about blogging is that I learn from so many other blogs. In turn, I'd like to pass on some hard won knowledge.

I was unaware that some manufacturers state to not put aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven but why? Gather around and I’ll tell you a story about one reason why.

Yesterday, I was cooking corn bread at a ridiculously high heat when….

…a zapping sound and bright light emitted from the oven. The light wasn’t the oven light... as that had conked out long ago. I opened the oven door to see a geyser of sparks shooting up from the element and a billow of smoke wafting out of the oven. I yelled for my hubby as I shut off the oven, turned on the exhaust fan and prayed that nothing would catch fire forcing me to use the extinguisher.

(An extinguisher used on an oven renders it completely unusable. There is nothing you can do but replace the oven. A small price to pay for not burning down the house but I prefer to avoid the whole scenario. How do I know this? I have a good friend with experience in this area and I benefit from her experience.)

We looked at each other with eyes as round as saucers. Holy moly, that was scary. Then I asked my husband, Is it dead? Will it spark again if I try to use it?

My husband, being of a curious scientific nature said, Let’s see. The worse that can happen is that the circuit breaker will trip or the oven fuse will blow.

We turned the oven back on and it was dead.

Now I know that if tinfoil in the bottom of the oven touches the element, it can cause a short. A short can cause a fire and ruin your food, your oven and your whole day.

On the bright side, my hubby replaced the element right away and even put in a working oven light.

I’m back in business.

Scary.

Sparky the Electric Element