Question about Steel Wool starting a fire in my house..

[ch33zw1z]

Here's the scenario:

1. Have a finished basement with hot water heat and the new style baseboard heaters.
2. Have a small mouse problem that's mostly resolved now, and I'd like to keep it that way. I know the mice are using the openings in the wall where the the copper pipes are to get around the basement. The holes where the pipes are coming through are big enough for rats to get in...so I want to fill them up.
3. I cleaned out the heaters and upon recommendations from other home owners, put steel wool in the holes around the copper pipes to prevent the mice from moving freely through the rooms.

So, now I'm worried that the Steel Wool can possibly cause a fire due to the heat from the copper pipes, **by the way I haven't turned the heat on in the basement yet**. I'm pretty sure it won't, but I'm still looking for any advice or information regarding this to either ease my troubled mind or steer me in the right direction.

 

[skyking]

cut some tin flashing and put it around the pipe for a better fix. It will not conduct excessive heat to the wall as much as tightly packed steel wool.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Thanks for the reply, I've also been thinking about spray foam insulation, thoughts?

 

[Vette73]

Yea I was going to say use the spray foam that is fire proof. Should be orange color and say fire safe on it.

 

[Paperdoc]

This is NOT a problem. Steel (even as fine wires in steel wool) will NOT ignite at any temperature near that of a hot water heating system. The water temperature will never exceed 212F - otherwise it's a steam system under pressure - and the temperature to cause iron or steel to ignite in air is 'way up over 1000F.

You MAY be confusing this situation with cautions about using steel wool in proximity to electrical wiring. In rare cases steel wool might get pushed into places with wiring terminals hidden inside, but the fine steel wool could get pushed in anyway. Because it is such fine wire, it could act like an overloaded wire in a short circuit and overheat that way. But you are not doing anything like that - no electricity involved in your hot water pipes.

 

[Modelworks]

like Paperdoc said, steel wool is no danger unless you put it in the wiring. I like to use steel wool + wood putty. It dries hard and if they try to nibble back through it hurts them too much.

 

[FoBoT]

now if the mice have a macgyver mouse, the macgyver mouse will get a 9 volt battery and stuff it against the steel wool, that could heat it enough to ignite it and let the mouses get mouse revenge

 

[ch33zw1z]

Thanks for the replies guys. My plan of action now, for my own(*wife's*) peace of mind, remove the steel wool and seal it with the spray insulation. You guys have given me peace of mind for the most part, but I'm worried about the mice chewing some off and dragging it through the walls, potentially leaving it on a socket or something and causing problems that way. I fucking hate mice.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

now if the mice have a macgyver mouse, the macgyver mouse will get a 9 volt battery and stuff it against the steel wool, that could heat it enough to ignite it and let the mouses get mouse revenge

It's certainly a concern.

 

[DrPizza]

I wouldn't put dissimilar metals in contact with each other, but the risk of fire is minimal. And, if I recall correctly from my chemistry, the steel wool in contact with the copper pipe will cause the steel wool to corrode more quickly. (the opposite would be bad news for your water line, but the good news is that your anti-mouse solution is only temporary.)

 

[DrPizza]

Hmmm, not sure if this is too much effort, but now that I thought about it, it might be the perfect long term solution: saran wrap around the pipe. Stuff in some steel wool. Fill with foam. The mice won't be able to chew through the foam due to the steel wool embedded in it.

 

[spidey07]

Believe it or not steel wool is a great fire starter. I take some with me whenever camping.

 

[Jeff7]

now if the mice have a macgyver mouse, the macgyver mouse will get a 9 volt battery and stuff it against the steel wool, that could heat it enough to ignite it and let the mouses get mouse revenge

I had a hamster once that enjoyed chewing on the mounting clamp for his water bottle. He had blocks of wood, chew sticks, crunchy food and all that - he apparently preferred steel.


So don't say I didn't warn you when your mice become resistant to snap traps, thanks to their steel-reinforced cermet alloy skeletons.

 

[squirrel dog]

I would go to the nearest animal shelter and get the ugliest cat they have and bring it home.Put that in your basement.Females are mean as hell.

 

[ebaycj]

Believe it or not steel wool is a great fire starter. I take some with me whenever camping.

Yep Steel Wool + 9V Battery + kleenex + newspaper + kindling = fire.