Hot water bottle failure

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Rikkitic

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#315673 5-Aug-2024 12:19

I narrowly escaped scalding from a just-filled hot water bottle that abruptly failed while I was holding it against me. It suddenly just came apart, starting with a hole from which water was spurting that quickly became a separation down the side. This was not on a seam. It was more of a structural failure as the rubber just disintegrated and came apart.

Naturally I am now very wary of having something like this happen again. I managed to avoid serious burn injury but the water was very hot as the bottle had just been filled. At the same time, the hot water bottle has been helping me get through some very cold nights. Does anyone know if there is any kind of quality standard for these, or any way to know how robust they are. I miss the warmth but I don’t want something like this to happen again. I had a lucky escape and it could have been much worse.

Nearly everything seems to be made in China these days. How can I be sure something like this is high quality and not cheap mass product? Suggestions and recommendations welcome.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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#3268311 5-Aug-2024 12:41

Just checking, you aren't filling it up with boiling water right?

Rikkitic

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#3268317 5-Aug-2024 12:48

No but it is close.

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Bung

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#3268318 5-Aug-2024 12:48

We've just bought a couple of Korbond hotties from New World to replace >6yr old 1 of which has just pinholed. Bag claims "Meets Australian and British safety standards" and advisable to replace yearly.

johno1234

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#3268322 5-Aug-2024 13:06

I was interested to know the amount of energy required to heat water for a hot water bottle vs running an electric blanket.

A kettle is typically 2KW and you could run that for about 4 min to heat up 1.5L of water to hot but not boiling. 2000W * 4/60 = 167 Wh. A single electric blanket say 45W so 167 Wh/45W gets you nearly 4 hours of blanket for the same energy. The bottle warms just the spot it is in, whereas the blanket warms the whole body.

Given the above, I would ditch the hottie and just run an electric blanket as it is more convenient and safer and less energy assuming you only run it for less than 4 hours. Almost all electric blankets have an off timer too, so you don't wake up sweating and baked to a crisp.

Rikkitic

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#3268324 5-Aug-2024 13:16

Thanks for the suggestion. I did have an electric hot pad (same as blanket but goes under instead of over) last year. Removed it because cat peed on bed. I also like the hot water bottle because it is portable and I use it on the couch as well as in bed. Or at least I did.

I have since learned that all hot water bottles in NZ have to meet British safety standards so not sure what to do. I guess I will start checking them carefully, let the water cool for longer, and make sure they are wrapped in towels. The one that failed served me well for a long time but it still could have done some real damage. I will never again be able to trust them as I once did.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

eracode

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#3268326 5-Aug-2024 13:20

How old was it?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

networkn

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#3268328 5-Aug-2024 13:24

As kids we used to fill the old super thick ones with boiling water. I don't know how we never got seriously hurt.

I wasn't even aware they were a thing any more, but I wouldn't keep one longer than a year.

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wellygary

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#3268330 5-Aug-2024 13:36

Rikkitic:

Thanks for the suggestion. I did have an electric hot pad (same as blanket but goes under instead of over) last year. Removed it because cat peed on bed. I also like the hot water bottle because it is portable and I use it on the couch as well as in bed. Or at least I did.

I have since learned that all hot water bottles in NZ have to meet British safety standards so not sure what to do. I guess I will start checking them carefully, let the water cool for longer, and make sure they are wrapped in towels. The one that failed served me well for a long time but it still could have done some real damage. I will never again be able to trust them as I once did.

There is modern version that heats itself with the water is a permanently sealed bladder presumably it has the water at a lower temperature too.

This is a C/Warehouse link, but they seem to pop up on pretty much every chemist website...

https://www.chemistwarehouse.co.nz/buy/83204/hotpod-electric-heat-pack

Eva888

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#3268334 5-Aug-2024 13:44

For around $7 each, maybe easier to get a new hottie each year. The nice thing about hotties is you can place them on your cold parts and keep them moving to the next cold bit until you warm up. How about finding a heavy plastic or silicone bag to put the hottie into as a second layer of protection.

There are also rice or wheat bags but they get a bit damp when you heat with water in the micro so you’d need to put them in a waterproof cover. Definitely not as warm as a hottie.

Maybe an electric blanket with one of those special under blankets over the top, that are waterproof and washable to save it from the cat.

Really cold nights now so get something quick especially if you feel the cold a lot. One thing that is often forgotten is that if you don’t drink enough you feel colder, so make sure you have a hot drink at night. One of those packet noodles is spot on for instantly feeling warmer.

Rikkitic

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#3268338 5-Aug-2024 13:51

eracode:

How old was it?

Don't know. Probably at least a few years.

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Rikkitic

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#3268339 5-Aug-2024 13:54

networkn:

As kids we used to fill the old super thick ones with boiling water. I don't know how we never got seriously hurt.

I wasn't even aware they were a thing any more, but I wouldn't keep one longer than a year.

How can I find one of those super thick ones? That would give me a little more confidence. The one that failed simply disintegrated along one side. Not a seam, just the rubber crumbling.

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neb

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#3268344 5-Aug-2024 14:29

johno1234: A kettle is typically 2KW and you could run that for about 4 min to heat up 1.5L of water to hot but not boiling. 2000W * 4/60 = 167 Wh. A single electric blanket say 45W

It's probably a lot less than that, see my post in the room-heater thread, I measured a single at 15W on medium setting.

An important point to remember with electric blankets and hot water bottles is to replace them regularly. If you look at the NZ Fire Service data for electric blankets, ninety-something percent of ones that fail, causing a fire, are over ten years old. I get $19.95 Warehouse cheapies and replace them every five years.

qwertee

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#3268345 5-Aug-2024 14:34

I found a wheat bag much easier . Just heat it up in the microwave for about 3 minutes.
Caution: as the wheat bag has no moisture, heat alongside with a cup of water

johno1234

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#3268352 5-Aug-2024 14:49

My demented mum smoke damaged her kitchen and ruined her microwave by running the wheatbag for x minutes instead of seconds. I guess a cup of water would have helped until it perhaps boiled away but may in itself have turned in to a scalding hazard.

johno1234

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#3268353 5-Aug-2024 14:50

neb:

johno1234: A kettle is typically 2KW and you could run that for about 4 min to heat up 1.5L of water to hot but not boiling. 2000W * 4/60 = 167 Wh. A single electric blanket say 45W

It's probably a lot less than that, see my post in the room-heater thread, I measured a single at 15W on medium setting.

An important point to remember with electric blankets and hot water bottles is to replace them regularly. If you look at the NZ Fire Service data for electric blankets, ninety-something percent of ones that fail, causing a fire, are over ten years old. I get $19.95 Warehouse cheapies and replace them every five years.

Yeah I just took those numbers off the label for both items - probably have a worst case plus margin built in.

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