Why Tubes Break: Debunking The Myths

Why Tubes Break: Debunking The Myths

After years of working with vacuum tube solar cookers and thousands of happy customers, we’ve become experts on the matter.

After years of working with vacuum tube solar cookers and thousands of happy customers, we’ve become experts on the matter. In wake of our recent appearance on Top Chef, in which one of the cheftestants thermally shocked and broke their cooking tube, we’ve decided to address this matter head on.  

Properly made vacuum tubes typically break from only one of two causes: a substantial impact or thermal shock. To put it simply, These tubes only break with user error.  Furthermore, GoSun would not be in business if our evacuated tubes exploded.  Due to the vacuum's reverse pressure, GoSun's cooking chambers actually implode if they break, they do not send projectiles of broken glass.

The Top Chef contestants had absolutely no time to familiarize themselves with the product. Due to this oversight, and the fact that the production assistants opened the GoSun to the sun, one of the chefs arrived to the GoSun Sport pre-heated at about 600°F.  She then poured cool water inside creating Thermal Shock.

Solar vacuum tubes are nothing new and are trusted by millions daily for solar hot water heating. As an established industry, these tubes have been installed on rooftops across the world and are built to last the elements for decades. Cooking in the tube however, brings an additional factor into the mix: the human factor.

The following myths should help de-bunk the fear and misinformation about these magical vacuum tubes:

 

Myth 1: Vacuum tubes are fragile.

Solar vacuum tubes are almost exclusively made of borosilicate glass, originally made famous for its use by Pyrex brand bake ware. Borosilicate is unique in that it is extremely resistant to thermal stress and physical impact. Its superior durability, chemical and heat resistance finds excellent use in chemical laboratory equipment, cookware and lighting. You likely have a piece of Borosilicate bake ware in your kitchen right now, as all Pyrex cookware before 1998 was made with a nearly identical chemical composition to our vacuum tube.

These tubes are surprisingly resilient. If impact and thermal shock are avoided, you’ll be cooking with the same tube for years to come. 

 

Myth 2: Vacuum tubes can be easily thermally shocked.

Due to legal restraints, GoSun can not recommend pre-heating the stove before inserting cold food or water. However, the temperature differential needed to create catastrophic thermal shock is generally 200°C (392°F), which equates to inserting cold food into a 450°F tube.  Furthermore, thermal stress tends to accumulate in abused glass over time so it is generally forgiving the first few mistakes this size.   

Of the thousands of stoves in circulation, we know of only a handful of such cases in which a tube was broken by thermal shock. 

Think of the tube as a glass pot. No one would leave an empty pot on a lit burner for an extended amount of time. Likewise, one should not do this to their solar stove left in the sun pre-heating without food inside. 

 

Myth 3: Vacuum tubes explode when broken.

We would not be in this business if our products exploded. If broken, a vacuum tube implodes, due to the negative pressure of the vacuum. This means the glass stays put, posing no projectile hazard. 

 

Myth 4: GoSun is worried about our vacuum tubes breaking.

With thousands of stoves in circulation and a large community of supportive and enthusiastic users behind us, we are confident in this technology and its ability to power people's lives around the world. 

The possibility of breaking a tube, however unlikely, is a small price to pay for reaping the benefits of the tube's heat capturing and retention properties. We understand that accidents happen and we stand by our Two-Year No-Questions-Asked-Warranty covering tube breakage on all GoSun Products.