Defensive Carry banner

An unexpected explosion in my house.

2K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  Eagleks 
#1 ·
I've never used a flash-bang and I've never had one used against me. If the police ever throw a flash-bang in my house, they seriously have the wrong address. Obviously they are used to distract, disorient and confuse the "victim", it appears to be effective in many cases.

One can get pepper-sprayed and tazed for experience during the appropriate certifications. Is there normally a training situation where one is exposed to the affects of a flash-bang, if so, what does it feel like? How disoriented are you?

I experienced something like being flash-banged yesterday, it does have an affect on you. I'm glad the police have it in their "tool bag".

Yesterday morning my wife informed me that the trash compactor had a serious malfunction. For some reason the ram had gone down while the drawer was partially opened, causing a serious jam that had never happened before.

I install and repair everything around here, so when I had the chance I took it out from under the cabinet and removed the top service lid. With it unplugged I manually turned the motor and raised the ram and took the pressure off of the drawer and cleared the jam. Once it was freed, I plugged it back in and operated it through several up and down cycles to make sure it would work correctely.

At some point, and without warning, a huge loud fire ball explosion roared out of the top of the compactor while I was watching it cycle ! :ahhhhh: I instinctively moved and turned away, stayed on my feet. My wife was nearby and she jumped, and was screaming "WHAT HAPPENED", "WHAT HAPPENED"????

I was singed pretty good on my face/head, arms and had very very light 1st degree burns on my face and hand. I'm fine, the house is fine, the compactor is fine, my wife is nervous, the cat's have finally returned to the kitchen.

My point in writing about this is that I endured an unexpected sudden explosion "in my face". It is disorienting and will slow you down a bit. An unexpected shotgun blast near your face (not hitting you) may have a similar effect too. Momentarily, you ain't exactly right. I don't know how to "train" for it, I was glad to see that I kept my wits, but it does have an affect on you.

It's easy to casually sit at a computer and confirm you have a plan, it's one thing to actually experience it and review an eye-opener. I added an old thread that is similar in unexpected attack below.

I need to add how this happened. Apparently there was an aerosol can in the trash. During the up and down cycles it apparently leaked some of it's contents (that were heavier than air), they accumulated in the bottom of the compactor and a spark from the motor brushes or switches ignited the vapor. I now know how the potato feels coming out of the potato gun. :rolleyes:

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbull...ario-think-about-my-real-life-experience.html
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Sheesh - and nobody there to hold your beer? What kind of a Southerner are you?!?

Glad you're OK. I used to teach science, and one of our staff thought he would be frugal with the recently-opened can of ether by putting it in the freezer, as things evaporate less when colder. The vapors filled the refrigerator and leaked out to the motor: we found the mangled door across the room and a hefty scar in the workbench where it struck. I'm REAL glad you're OK...
 
#11 ·
For Paymeister :)



I made the same mistake circa 1964; except no bang. The frig just started to stink really bad. It wasn't an ether odor, but it certainly was the ether that caused the problem. At the time I had no idea you needed an explosion proof refrigerator to store ether. I also had no idea the ether could get through the tightly sealed lid of the container--tiny molecules diffuse I guess.

I also had no idea that explosive peroxides formed in the can as the ether evaporated. Back in the late 1970s we had to have all of the drains where I worked carefully taken out and replaced with non-metalic ones where peroxides wouldn't form.

Yours truly once needed the bomb squad to get picric acid out of the bldg. Seriously, they had to dig a hole in the ground, line it with wood planks and 2 X4s to deflect any explosion that might happen upward, and --well, I didn't hang around to see what they finally did. Thankfully, no boom.

Some of what we did in those days before MSDS, OSHA, EPA, and better awareness of dangers bordered on the suicidal.

Organic chemistry lab. sure was a barrel of laughs with metallic sodium being added to organic liquids, heated to red hot, and the whole mess getting dumped into water. And then there were the brominated compounds. Its a wonder we survived and the bldg didn't go up in flames. And then, there were the radiochemicals, but that's another story.

I've got no idea how these labs are taught these days, but I'm sure with a great deal more attention to hazards and potential liability.
 
#3 ·
From my understanding of flashbangs, it produces enough of a "boom" to also effect hearing greatly, a loud concussive and concentrated "boom" in your ears can affect orientation more than your eye-sight can, such as equilibrium. That feeling caused with the flashing blindness I feel would be very disorientating.

But I don't want to pretend to know what I'm talking about, this is just what I've always been under the assumption of. Maybe someone who has direct experience training with them and first hand knowledge can chime in?

Glad you, the wife, and the cats are okay!:hand10:
 
#6 · (Edited)
One can get pepper-sprayed and tazed for experience during the appropriate certifications. Is there normally a training situation where one is exposed to the affects of a flash-bang, if so, what does it feel like? How disoriented are you?
For SWAT, yes. If you don't know its coming, it will disorient you very well; If you are expecting it, it isn't so bad. Also, it has to be in an enclosed space for it to work well, otherwise, its just a distraction device.
 
#7 ·
Note to myself :

Do not allow ppkheat to fix any of my kitchen appliances!

Just kidding dude. Thanks for the post for all of us who attempt to fix things. We can learn from your experience.
 
#8 ·
wait till your working on a gas fired furnace and you staring at the burners waiting for them to light off and you get "delayed ignition"

eyebrows........gone

Nose hair.........gone

hearing............temporarily gone

facial skin......very mild first degree burn

will it happen a second time.......nope

Jmac's 1st rule of heating STEP BACK A FOOT OR TWO you can still watch from a distance.

Jmac's second rule of heating, if you see me running for the door, you may want to think about running for the door to :rofl::rofl:

I sincerely doubt I will ever be in a position where a flash bang will be used against me, but if I see it coming I don't think it will bother me that much.......but who knows:scruntiny:
 
#9 ·
what does it feel like? How disoriented are you?
I was in a citizens police academy class in the city that I used to live in. The class had around 25-30 people. We stood in a circle outside (at night), and the instructor threw the flash bang in the middle of the circle.

The second it went off, I immediately felt a wave of heat/warmth followed by white vision and then a ringing in my ears. The whiteness went away after 10 seconds or so but the ringing went on for a good 30-45 seconds. I imagine the affects of a flash bang are longer lasting indoors. Regardless, it was a fun experience.
 
#10 ·
Glad your ok. I had the same reaction with a 122mm rocket in Vietnam. They will slow you down for a few seconds.:gah:
 
#12 ·
Keep ethers in original METAL cans. (metal will oxidize before the ether does-**usually**)

STORE IN COOL well ventilated place away from flame, sparks or electrical gizmos.

Insert iron nail in can to act as an anti-oxidant.

ALWAYS INSPECT BOTH NEW AND OPENED CANS FOR ANY FORMED CRYSTALS (EVIDENCE OF PEROXIDES) THAT MAY FORM NEAR THE CAP ***BEFORE YOU OPEN THE CAP***...

Do not pour down drains- USE PROPER disposal vessels specific for explosive agents.

bosco
 
#15 ·
"I was singed pretty good on my face/head, arms and had very very light 1st degree burns on my face and hand. I'm fine, the house is fine, the compactor is fine, my wife is nervous, the cat's have finally returned to the kitchen."

So...have any strangers asked you why you don't have any eyebrows yet?

Mommy Look! That man over there doesn't have any eyebrows!:rofl:
 
#19 ·
Mommy Look! That man over there doesn't have any eyebrows!:rofl:
That would be odd, hey I could buy a fake moustache, cut it in half and glue it on both sides.

Eyebrows do exist, but they are very well-trimmed. The worst is my eye lashes, I noticed it was hard to open my eyes..... they were stuck together with singed upper and lower eyelashes.
 
#17 ·
Many years ago I responded with my fire company to a residence for a reported explosion and fire. Upon arrival, what appeared to be Wil-E-Coyote appeared at the basement steps; sooted face, hair literally blown back from his face and singed, shirt nearly burned off and in tatters. Seems Our Hero had decided to soak a gunked-up carb in an open container of gasoline! After giving it about 45 minutes to soak while he ate lunch, he opened the basement door and flipped on the light as he hit the bottom step. How he didn't blow the house and himself to smithereens is still a mystery, however, the flash fire he caused seemed to pan-fry everything in the basement. He was OK, but it was everything we could do to not dissolve in laughter at the sight of him.
 
#18 ·
About a year ago I went to a Military Police SRT (Special Reaction Team) course for the Army at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. The school was taught by civilians with impressive military/LE backgrounds. We went through A TON of flashbangs and they are no joke. We wore ear-pro the whole time and I can only imagine how bad your ears would hurt if one of those went off next to you without it. Even worse if you were clueless and didn't see it coming. We got to switch out being OpFor a few times and even when you KNEW the flashbang was coming thru the door, you would brace for the boom :gah:, and the thud was still enough to slow you down. And its that split second a tactical team needs to regain that shock n awe factor before they make entry and dominate that room. Sometimes we would chuck 2 of'em in a room. Double the fun baby. So yes, they are very effective and are a fantastic tool. :hand10:
 
#20 ·
as a child i was quite the pyro and fortunately just short of almost burnin my neighbors house down i was never seriously injured playing with fire and various propellants...as i grew older the curiosity only grew stronger and i would play with quite a few different things for the rush...

one of my favorites was ether...starting fluid...it wasnt uncommon for me to light a can up and send heat 25 feet away from me in a repair shop...i used various aeresols in trash cans and lube barrels for rocket engine type burns....the most powerful was ether in a lube barrel...a few seconds of spry then a carefully applied lighter would send a howl through the shop that would get the attention of anyone in the immediate vicinity...

another favorite was white gas on a lit fire....thrown from a cup as far as 15 feet away the flames would follow the fumes back to the cup and ignite it in my hand...fascinating....

fortunately i outgrew the curiosity and experimentation and it still scares me to this day when i think about what i could have done...

oh...by the way...the eyebrows will grow back...experience with a hydrogen balloon (drano & aluminum foil) experiment proved that to me...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top