I power washed the patio, balcony and stairs on Sunday, and didn’t get the washer put away, leaving it on the patio (which is upstairs, above the garage — our living area is upstairs and the bedrooms down).
Early this morning, about 1 AM, Patricia was awakened by noise on the patio. She thought she heard someone testing doorknobs, and there were other noises. Suddenly, the security light at the bottom of the stairs came on.
I got up to see what was happening, looked out the kitchen door, and saw a fire on the patio. I ran outside in bare feet, turned on the hose, and put it out. What you see below is the charred remains of the power washer.
Patricia called 911 while this was happening, and they sent a fire truck, even though it was under control. The firemen came, looked at it, and we all stood scratching our heads trying to figure out how it had seemingly spontaneously combusted. But the fire was out, and they shrugged and left.
After we got to bed, I think I figured out what happened. He or they were probably kids looking for an easy house to burgle, couldn’t get in, saw the washer, wondered what it was or how it worked, and picked up the nozzle and pulled the trigger. I had left it plugged in, and the power on. Even with power on, it doesn’t do anything unless the pressure in the hose drops when the trigger is pulled. Unfortunately, there was no water hooked up to it, because I’d turned off the hose and disconnected it when I finished spraying on Sunday, so probably the motor started running attempting to pressurize the non-existent water, which also acts as a coolant. I’m guessing that they held it on long enough that the motor overheated and caught the plastic case on fire, at which point he/they panicked and ran down the stairs.
I’m guessing they won’t be back any time soon, though I suppose we should report it to the police, just for statistical purposes. Normally, it’s a pretty safe neighborhood. This is the first burglary attempt of the house while we were home, as far as I know, in the almost twenty years that we’ve lived here.
[Early afternoon update]
Patricia points out that I’m understating the noise level (I was still half asleep). We actually heard things being shoved around up there, and the patio table was definitely in a new position. If it wasn’t burglars, it was very strong, aggressive and curious raccoons. I’m still going with human-caused disaster.
I won’t discount the theory on what caused the fire, but I might suggest the potential theives might just wanted to steal the device itself than buglerize the home. But your wife knows what she heard more than I do from a thousand miles away.
When “they” arrived, the security light should have come on. You would think that would deter a prowler. How long does it remain on after being triggered? Also, not a good idea to be spraying water on electrical device–especially in bare feet. Did that circuit have a GFI?
Did that circuit have a GFI?
The circuit had a GFI, and the washer had another one built into the power cord. By the time I got out there, there was almost certainly no power to it.
“By the time I got out there, there was almost certainly no power to it.”
Only if it shorted out and tripped the circuit breaker. A GFI would not trip in a short circuit. It trips only if there is an alternate path to ground like, say, through the water. As long as the current coming in the power outlet is precisely the same as what is going out, the GFI is happy.
Possibly a simpler solution … If the unit leaked a bit of water during the evening and lost pressure, this could cause it to turn on. Running without water it overheated as you surmised. The noises might have been the machine in its death throes, and the light came on due to the appearance of flames. At least this way you still haven’t been burglarized.
By the time I got out there, there was almost certainly no power to it.
Many a candidate for the Darwin Award was almost certain that the situation was safe. It pays to never assume such things.
Forgot to say, how fortunate we all are that this was just an exciting night for you. It could have been so much worse. I’m very glad you are able to blog about it. Merry Christmas!
If it was going to shock me, it would have already done so when I ran out on the damp patio (not realizing yet what it was that was on fire), but in that event, one of the GFIs would have already shut it down. Once on the patio, I hit it with the hose from a decent distance. It went out pretty much immediately — it was mainly burning plastic at that point.
Glad you are safe!
If the unit leaked a bit of water during the evening and lost pressure, this could cause it to turn on.
There is no water in the unit to leak and cause it to lose pressure. The only water is supplied from a hose, which was disconnected.
The noises might have been the machine in its death throes, and the light came on due to the appearance of flames.
The security light sensor doesn’t look in that direction. It’s at the bottom of the stairs, pointing at the driveway.
This was a (in Janet Moronitano’s phraseology) human-caused disaster, but probably not ideologically driven.
Hmm, this is a good illustration of how pumps can serve as lousy compressors. Sorry about your power cleaner.
Ack, too much the engineer looking at the problem remaining… Like Eric and Aleta, glad you only lost a pressure washer and some sleep.
At first I thought that was a Borg angler fish.
I’m glad to hear you and your family are safe. Crime is everywhere. Our society does not really address it. A judge once told my brother that he’d never seen a file so big. He’s a very independent thief but lives among a sea of others.
The only solution is to identify and remove such people from society. Imprisonment for non violent people doesn’t solve the problem. They need to lose the right to be in this country and kept out.
May I suggest the Mossberg 500 in 12 gauge?
“May I suggest the Mossberg 500 in 12 gauge?”
That our rework the remains of your power washer into a flame thrower. It’s already display a propensity to set things on fire.
“You wanna play with my power washer now kids? Muahahaha!!”
I’m glad they didn’t get in, and it’s good that you were visited by the inept, rather than the ept. Still, it’s a shame that your machine is now a nondescript lump, and I would definitely report it to the local P.D., if I were you. (If you lived in Glendale, I would not recommend that, but most law enforcement agencies appreciate being informed of attempted break-ins.)
Glad you and your wife are ok, glad you remembered to lock the doors. Power washers can be replaced, Patricia and you cannot! The Mossberg, or perhaps a Remington in 12 or 20 gauge does sound like a good last line of defense. As the saying goes, better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6!
You mean DIY communism.
Dude, not electrifying the railings? C’mon.