Damn! I dodged a big one--major fire hazard, FYI

[hlthe2b]

Denver turned extremely hot the past 4-5 days and my HOA refuses to turn on the AC until after Memorial Day (there is one extremely large unit for several condos and they are all operated centrally). Well, when one's home is >94 degrees nothing else matters.

So, along with most of Denver, I bought additional fans and what is known out west (to all my East Coast friends) as a portable "swamp cooler," a water evaporative cooler. The stores were empty of nearly all portable AC and swamp cooler units, as well as the better fans, so I felt lucky to find one remaining portable bionnaire unit, even though it was highly overpriced at $179.00 (I mean, it is just a plastic box with a water reservoir, a fan, and a water pump).

This morning I awoke to the smell of burning plastic and there was smoke throughout the bedroom. Seems after two days, the pump had already seized, the plastics had gotten very hot and spewing (likely toxic) smoke all over. I unplugged the sucker, let it cool down and it goes back for a refund (or ELSE) today.

FOrtunately, it the weather has cooled off a bit, but what if this had happened when I was gone?

I largely bought it because my dog was so uncomfortable and I couldn't stand the thought of her being so hot and miserable in the condo all day when I was at work. (She must have smelled the early fumes and left the bedroom sometime last night). God, now I am going to worry constantly about "what if?" Those of you who have to leave your precious dogs/cats/rabbits or other pets at home all day,I know will relate. Damn.....(going to hug my little "girl"):hug:

[unhappycamper]

1. We don't have that problem in MA

Went to Salem, MA yesterday & temp hit 40. Windchill was around 30.

[hlthe2b]

2. 40 degrees in Salem? Maybe I need some of that "witchcraft!"

just 'a kiddin, my wiccan friends!

[Shoeempress]

3. You were very lucky. You might want to check your smoke detector if it

didn't go off.

[hlthe2b]

4. yes.. that occurred to me. It was in the bedroom and I had

two fans going plus the windows open. The smoke detector is in the hallway, where I had another fan going (and the dog was sleeping). So, I don't think there was any concentration of smoke except where I was sleeping-- was really more stench of plastic burning than roiling smoke.