What happens when you leave an electric stove on?

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What can happen if you leave an electric stove on

Have you ever wondered what happens when you leave an electric stove on?

It is possible that you intentionally or accidentally leave the electric stove on for a long time. But what are the consequences? Is the electric stove damaged or on fire? Well, I hope to answer all of the above questions in this article.

Generally, if an electric stove is left on, the heating element will heat up and this can start a fire if there are any flammable materials nearby. In the worst case, the oven may catch fire and explode. On the other hand, this will lead to a loss of energy. However, some electric stoves are equipped with automatic safety switches. After a few hours, the switch will automatically turn off the stove.

I will go into more detail in the article below.

What can happen if you leave an electric stove on

An electric stove is an essential part of your kitchen. Using an electric stove is much better than using a gas stove. You don't have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning because electric stoves don't emit carbon monoxide while they work.

But what happens if you accidentally leave an electric stove on?

Several different consequences can hurt you financially or harm you. With that in mind, here are the results of using an electric stove for a long time.

Quick-Tip: Gas stoves use gas while electric stoves use electricity.

It might start a fire

In such a situation, an electrical fire is possible. The heating element becomes dangerously hot when the electric stove is turned on for a long time. And the element can ignite any flammable materials nearby.

Quick-Tip: A small electrical fire can quickly turn into a large house fire. Therefore, it will be better if you put out the fire as soon as possible.

What to do if the electric stove catches fire?

As you understood from the section above, an electric stove can catch fire if left on for a long time. Here are a few steps to take in such a situation.

First, immediately turn off the power to the electric stove. You may need to turn off the main switch or specific circuit breaker.
If the fire is small, use a fire extinguisher. Don't try to put out the fire with water; it can electrocute you.
However, if the fire is severe, call the emergency services immediately.
After you have successfully extinguished the fire, inspect the damage and have any damaged electronics or components replaced by a qualified technician.

Electric stove may explode

Although the chances are low, it is also possible. If the coils are heated for a long time without any operation, the oven may explode. As I said, this is a rare occurrence. But this can happen if you leave the electric stove on for a long time.

waste of energy

Most often, an electric stove eats up a lot of electricity. Therefore, if left on for 5 or 6 hours without operation, a lot of energy will be wasted. At a time when the world is in an energy crisis, this is not the best approach.

You will also receive a huge electricity bill at the end of the month.

Do electric cookers come with safety switches?

Modern electric stoves are equipped with a safety switch to avoid consequences such as electric fire and loss of energy. This safety feature is capable of automatically shutting down the oven. But this switch is activated only after 12 hours.

So technically you can leave an electric stove on for 12 hours. But don't take that risk without a good reason. For example, if you need to keep the stove on, make sure you're around to check.

important: The emergency stop function is only available for electric cookers manufactured after 1995. Hence, be sure to check the year of manufacture before purchasing an electric stove.

How does an electric stove work?

Understanding how an electric stove works will give you a good idea of why you shouldn't leave an electric stove on. So, this is how electric stoves work.

Electric stoves heat a metal serpentine with electricity. This coil is known as the heating element.

The coil then sends energy to the surface of the hob. Finally, the hob heats the pans and pots. This process is known as infrared energy transfer.

From here you can understand what happens when the coil overheats. For example, all other components that are connected to the coil heat up accordingly. This is potentially dangerous.

It is necessary to follow the safety tips for the electric stove

Whether you use an electric stove with or without a safety switch, there are a few safety rules you should follow to keep your home safe. Here are the points.

Push button lock and door lock mechanism

In addition to the automatic safety function, modern electric stoves have a push-button lock and a door lock mechanism.

The button lock is a handy feature that's great for keeping your kids safe. For example, your children may accidentally turn on the stove while playing. The button lock prevents this and keeps your children safe. And the door lock mechanism prevents children from opening the oven door. So, keep the lock button and the door lock mechanism active.

Use the iGuardStove device

iGuardStove is a handy device that can turn off an electric stove when you are not near the stove. It has a motion detector and is able to detect your movement. If you are away from the stove for more than five minutes, iGuardStove will put your electric stove into standby mode. So, if you are using a stove without an automatic safety switch, the best solution is to use iGuardStove.

Quick-Tip: If you have a gas stove instead of an electric one, don't worry about it. iGuardStove has a model for gas stoves.

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