This thing is often seen on the dining table. Be careful of its "explosive" temper

Audit expert: Zhou Hongzhi

Senior Experimentalist, Master Supervisor, School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beijing University of Technology

Whether it is camping, picnics, restaurants, street stalls, or even family dining tables, it can be found here. It is a gas stove. As a portable small stove, it has become a favorite on the dining table due to its small size and fast heating speed.

Source: Qianku.com

What is a cassette furnace?

A cassette stove, also known as a magnetic stove, is a portable gas stove. It mainly uses bottled butane gas as its fuel source, and liquefied gas and other gases can also be used as its fuel. It can quickly provide high firepower, is easy to carry and easy to use. It is often used in camping, picnics, outdoor barbecues and other occasions, and is also used in some restaurants and homes.

Source: Qianku.com

Its working principle is that the liquefied butane is immediately vaporized after being sprayed out of the nozzle, and immediately ignites when encountering a spark, generating a flame to heat the pot. Compared with other cooking equipment, it is the first choice for most campers because of its portability. It can also be used as an emergency cooking tool when the gas or electricity at home is cut off.

How dangerous are gas stoves?

Although it looks harmless, it has a "hot" temper. Once it explodes, it will cause casualties and property losses. Its destructive power should not be underestimated. Recently, the founder of a certain brand posted a video on Weibo to explain the reason for his injury. In the video, he said that he was injured when he encountered an explosion while boiling water with a gas stove outdoors. He suggested buying a regular brand of gas stove in a regular place. This also caused widespread discussion among netizens.

Coincidentally, this is not the first time that the gas stove has "lost its temper".

A family in Quzhou, Zhejiang went to a restaurant to eat. The restaurant used a gas stove to heat the dishes. It exploded in less than two minutes, causing serious injuries to a woman. In Guilin, Guangxi, a gas stove suddenly exploded while customers were eating, and the tableware and other items on the table were blown away...

The cassette furnace after the explosion Source: Screenshot of the video of the Ministry of Emergency Management

The video released by the Ministry of Emergency Management shows that when the cooking utensils cover the gas cylinder compartment of the gas stove, the temperature around the gas cylinder rises significantly. During the continuous heating process, when this continuously rising temperature reaches a certain temperature, the gas stove will explode.

So, how should the cassette stove be used?

Safe use and storage of gas stoves

According to regulations, gas stoves must have overpressure and overheat protection devices, which can automatically shut down and eject the gas cylinder when the pressure is too high or the surrounding area of ​​the gas cylinder is overheated to reduce the risk of explosion. However, this protection is not absolutely reliable, because the protection device is a mechanical firmware, which may fail during use and needs to be checked regularly.

When using the gas stove on a daily basis, you should first read the instruction manual and strictly follow its instructions. Before use, you must check whether the gas cylinder is intact and ensure that there is no damage or leakage.

Since the body of the cassette stove gas cylinder is relatively thin, it is easy to be deformed due to squeezing or collision during transportation. Especially when it encounters excessive external pressure or collides with hard objects, it is easy to be damaged, resulting in gas leakage. If the leaked gas encounters an open flame, it may cause an explosion.

Source: Video screenshot from the Ministry of Emergency Management

When choosing a cooking utensil, make sure that its size matches the gas stove and avoid using a cooking utensil whose base diameter exceeds the range of the stove base, especially one that can cover the gas cylinder compartment.

The gas cylinder of the cassette furnace is a disposable product. The gas cylinder should be removed after use and cannot be discarded at will. It is strictly prohibited to refill it privately or reuse it.

The storage of the cassette stove also requires careful handling. The cassette stove and gas cylinder should be stored separately and in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and high temperature heat sources, and away from open flames.

Finally, when purchasing a cassette stove, you should go through formal channels and occasions, and check relevant information such as the manufacturer to avoid buying unqualified cassette stoves.

The following situations cannot be used for the gas stove

Never use a gas stove as a heating device or in a confined space.

Avoid use in strong wind or hot air conditions, as strong wind may extinguish the flame and hot air may increase gas pressure and cause an explosion.

Do not use the stove near flammable items.

Do not use the stove in direct sunlight or near open flames or other heat sources.

Improper handling, such as not keeping the cylinder away from heat sources or using inappropriate cooking utensils, may cause an explosion.