Yikes - flirting with disaster.

Yikes - flirting with disaster.


After a swim lesson for my daughter we came home to make hot chocolate.  The pool’s heater was not fully functional, so a hot chocolate bribe was in order.  use my coffee maker’s steam wand to make hot chocolate as I have explained in previous posts because you can add less sugar and still get sweet hot chocolate as a result of the sweet microfoam milk you make.  More importantly it is just plain fun.


The hot chocolate making was just about the usual routine tasted the same worked the same etc.  I always make more than I give the kids at the start because you know they are going to want more so it helps to have some in reserve.  That was where I was less than clever.  The cart I am building for my machine is still not done and so the machine is sitting on top of a wire rack that works fine, but is not perfect.  


I grabbed the remains of the pitcher and as much as I would love to blame my kids for spilling it was all me, I knocked it over and the hot chocolate spilled right down on the lower shelves.  Unfortunately the grinder (and ironically the flood stop) were plugged into a surge protector that sat on one of the lower shelves.  The hot chocolate dropped right onto the surge protector.  I stared at it in indecision for one second too long as I wondered, “will that cause a problem – should I turn it off and unplug it?”  The answer was yes.


The day was saved because the surge protector was plugged into an outlet that was on a GFI so the switch popped turning off power for me before the liquid inspired short caused any major problems.


I waited a few minutes, unplugged everything and before plugging things back in I replaced the surge protector with another one I had sitting around and all seems to be well.


I am a coward when it comes to electrical.  I wonder if I can I reuse that surge protector when it dries out?  I assume I can, but then again, even if the liquid is gone, I am not sure the sugar is okay.  My current plan is not to use it, but with some regrets as it was a nicer surge protector than the ancient cheap one I had lying unused.

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