Picked up a "vintage" waffle iron at Goodwill for $8 and it nearly caught fire

I was making breakfast last Saturday and smoke started pouring out of the sides after a few minutes, so I yanked the plug and tossed it in the backyard. Has anyone else had a cheap thrift store appliance turn dangerous on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_price6d ago

@davidwright makes a solid point about the cord and plug - those are usually the first things to go on old appliances. Did you look at the heating plates or the thermostat inside at all before tossing it? Sometimes the old bimetallic strips corrode right where they connect and that causes all kinds of shorting issues. I've rewired a couple thrift store toasters and the real danger tends to be where the wires hook into the heating element, not just the cord itself.

davidwright6d ago

Man that's wild, glad you caught it before it got worse. Old appliances like that can have dried out wiring or shorted out heating elements from years of use. Sometimes the insulation on the wires just crumbles away inside. I'd say check the plug and cord for any cracks or melting before you even think about plugging it in again. Could be a fun project if you feel like rewiring it but honestly for 8 bucks you might just want to get a new one from Target.