Electric thermal pots, like refrigerators, are plugged to the electricity and switched on at all times.
Their safety is naturally a matter of concern and importance.
A safety test, conducted by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department in collaboration with the Consumer Council, has detected 3 out of 10 samples of electric thermal pots to be less than entirely satisfactory.
2 of the models had their internal current conducting parts found to be too close to the plastic materials of the enclosures. A glow-wire test was conducted on the materials and the result showed both samples to fail in this test.
In another sample, internal wiring was found to be not properly tied, hence dislocation of the wiring could affect the overall insulation integrity of the thermal pot.
Besides these deficiencies found for the 3 samples, consumers should pay heed to potential scalding hazards. Watch out for long loose power cord which should be tied-up, and where the pot is placed, to avoid toppling or easy access by children.
And avoid putting fluids other than water into electric thermal pots.
Users are also advised to (a) cleanse the pot using commercially-available citric acid powder according to the instructions and (b) pour out the remaining hot water regularly to avoid boiling the water repeatedly over a long period of time.
Lastly, give it some thought before dashing out to buy an electric thermal pot - taking into account the number of family member(s) and need for hot water. So, are you still really in need of an electric thermal pot?
For low usage, an electric kettle may be a better alternative. It saves the stand-by heat loss of the bulk of hot water in the thermal pot.
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