Electric Filaments: Safe in Water?

[mtanti]

I'm not sure if this is the place to post this thread but how is it that an electric filament in an electric kettle or water heater doesn't short in the water? What makes it safer then a hair blower falling in a bath tub?

 

[Averagesupernova]

Because it is like why you don't drown when you go scuba diving. The important stuff is not in contact with the water. The filament itself is inside a tube that is inside the water. A substance that is an electrical insulator is between the actual filament and what is called the element.

 

[dlgoff]

Sometimes a heating elements insulating "tube" will fail. Hopefully current will flow to the tanks ground causing a circuit breaker to trip.

 

[Integral]

Some high powered devices are directly cooled by water flow but the water is deionized and carefully monitored to ensure a very high resistance.

 

[mtanti]

Because it is like why you don't drown when you go scuba diving. The important stuff is not in contact with the water. The filament itself is inside a tube that is inside the water. A substance that is an electrical insulator is between the actual filament and what is called the element.

And what might this substance be? Any extra info I can find?

 

[Integral]

Immersion heating elements are usually consist of a heater wire ( e.g. nichrome) surrounded by a ceramic insulating material all packed inside a metal tube make of maybe aluminum or Stainless steel.