Electro Kindling

It’s bad enough that a faulty electrical connection overheats inside a small appliance or device. What might even be worse is the fact that the wiring is surrounded by flammable materials, often plastic casings that have replaced the metal casings from years ago. Dr. Jesse Aronstein (of aluminum wire repute) came up with the term “electro kindling” to describe the material that ignites and burns after the failure of an electrical connection. A plastic toaster will be only too happy to burn if there’s a wiring problem, while a metal one will just hang tight until you unplug it or until the wiring fries to a crisp. There have even been reports of multiple-outlet strips, icemakers, and plastic thermostats failing and subsequently igniting. Such is the price of a society that embraces plastic in all its forms. The possibility of electro kindling should reinforce the practice of unplugging your small appliances when they’re not in use.