Electric coil stove glitches

[rooftop1000]

I'm just wondering if anyone knows if there is some kind of regulator for each coil, other than the knob... 

This morning I noticed I overcooked my eggs a little bit, not that unusual. Tonight I was heating up a good stainless steal pan with a nice thick base to make a few burgers. I looked back at the stove and there was smoke pouring out from under the pan. In one of my brighter moments I turned on the fan turned down the heat and tossed the burgers in, at this point I realize there are flames under the coil and I'm surprised the burgers aren't on the ceiling. Ceiling fan, window fan, doors open....I may need oven cleaner for that pan and I think I'm down to one properly functioning burner.

 

 

tracey

 

who won't again ask her mother how she set the kitchen on fire with an electric stove

[pastrygirl]

Flames under the coil of an electric burner suggest a dirty stove top.  It's obviously not a gas leak so there must have been some accumulated crumbs or oils that caught fire.

[blbst36]

2 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

Flames under the coil of an electric burner suggest a dirty stove top.  It's obviously not a gas leak so there must have been some accumulated crumbs or oils that caught fire.

 

Can confirm.  If you lift the pan, you can usually see the fire.  The stove pan can either be scrubbed or tossed and a new one bought (I think they are relatively cheap). 

 

Another thing to watch for is smoking coming straight from the coil.  This will happen if you cook something splattery like bacon or spill something.  If it hits a coil, it will burn the next time you use it.  Personally, I either wipe it off, or let it burn away (if it's not a chunk of stuff).  It's never been enough to start a fire in my experience.

 

ETU - qualify which pan I mean when I say toss and bought.  Definitely not the cooking pan!!

Edited February 6, 2018 by blbst36 (log)

[dcarch]

I agree with the above comments, but I would add the following:

In general, electric heating elements are nichrome resistance wire protected inside ceramic insulation, which is inside a metal tubing. When the heating wire burns out, you will not see anything. 

Just in case, very unusual, if somehow there is a ground short someplace, smoke, fire, sparks can happen. You may want to have it checked out just to be safe, if you can't do it yourself. 

 

dcarch