Your Fridge Could Explode And Destroy Your Kitchen
Consider this a cautionary tale. A woman in North Carolina is giving a heads-up to folks all across the country, after her relatively new refrigerator exploded and totally destroyed her kitchen! She said it sounded like an earthquake, or an explosion.
After what must have seemed like a sonic boom, Lenore Satterthwaite went into her kitchen where cabinet doors were on the floor and holes were in the walls where flying debris had hit. She called 911, and firefighters responded, finding no explanation as to what caused the explosion other than the refrigerator itself. The flying cabinet doors hit the walls and took out huge chunks – slabs – of drywall. The glass insert in the oven door was shattered. That’s right, glass that can withstand 500 degrees or more from the broiler was completely destroyed by the refrigerator explosion. Drawers blew open and their fronts were bent or destroyed. And all that was left of the fridge was a shell.
In a video you have to see, Satterthwaite says just days before the explosion, she complained about the refrigerator making a loud noise, but the Frigidaire repairman who was sent to her home said it was her problem, that she needed a new fan, which had to be ordered.
The fridge exploded before the new fan could be installed. Fortunately, homeowner’s insurance covered repairs for all the damage caused by the refrigerator, while Frigidaire continues to review Satterthwaite’s service records. As it stands though, the homeowner will be on the hook for higher insurance premiums for damage caused by a fairly new appliance.
This isn’t the first time an exploding refrigerator has threatened the lives of unassuming owners, as you can see in this report from West Palm Beach, where the culprit was a Whirlpool fridge. The moral of the story is that if your refrigerator sounds weirder than usual, get an expert set of eyes on it right away, and notify the manufacturer, so that an exploding fridge doesn’t ruin your kitchen, too!
5 Things You Should Have Before Hurricane Season Starts
Empty Sand Bags
Remember when everyone was scrambling all over Pinellas and Hillsborough counties looking for sand bags? Most pick-up locations were only allowing people to pick up 2-3 bags per person, which is probably not enough to surround your house/belongings.
BBGI
If you order these empty sandbags on Amazon now, you should have them by next week. It will make your life a lot easier to just drive to your nearest beach or causeway and fill the bags up that way.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Battery Powered Fan
We all know how crappy it is to lose power in the middle of a hurricane. In some cases, you may not know when it will be restored. Amazon has this really cool battery powered camping lantern with a fan for only $20. Reviews say that 1 set of D batteries lasted them over 10 hours.
Getty Royalty Free
Footwear
If you live in Florida and don’t have a decent pair of rain boots, now is your time to get a pair. If the thought of gross storm water touching your skin freaks you out, you should grab a pair of these knee high waterproof boots.
Getty Royalty Free
Honorary Mention: Board Games/Deck of Cards/Coloring Books
This one may seem obvious, which is why we made it an honorary mention in case it does slip your mind. Remember how bored you were when you lost power from Ian? Some board games, deck of cards, or coloring books should help you pass the time, without killing your phone battery.
Getty Royalty Free
