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DIY, House Flipping, Remodel Hazards

R

ramsy

NoFixNoPay Electric
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
petersonra said:
Why would a permit or inspection prevent this?
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No plans, building code, or appliances are listed to avoid catastrophic fires by explosively blowing out the flames.

King Micky Mouse blew the walls 100ft away from the structure, leaving nothing but a roof on top the basement.

That kind of custom redecoration can't be deliberately engineered.
 
C

curt swartz

Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
Location
San Jose, CA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Over the years there have been several homes in my area destroyed by gas leaks in the street lines. The gas finds underground paths to enter structures. The older orange plastic gas piping PG&E was using for years had been developing leaks. I can't remember the name of the piping but all of it had to be replaced with the current poly piping they are using now.

Probably 20 years ago a contractor was horizontal boring in the street for communications (fiber) lines. They hit a gas line. Fire department and gas utility were onsite evaluating the situation when a nearby house exploded into toothpicks. The gas had found its way into the home. Luckily no one was home at the time.
 
R

ramsy

NoFixNoPay Electric
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
curt swartz said:
Fire department and gas utility were onsite evaluating the situation when a nearby house exploded into toothpicks.
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Incredible, but it makes sense. Never realized a raised foundation with no basement could be an advantage.

Natural radon, abandoned wells, or utility line leaks have some ventilation in a crawl space before rising thru the floor.
 
R

ramsy

NoFixNoPay Electric
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
curt swartz said:
The gas had found its way into the home. Luckily no one was home at the time.
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PaulMmn said:
Accident in the meth lab??
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Joe.B said:
there are at least 200 more articles like these
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There is also an epidemic of fire-alarm failures from hard-wired smokes installed where battery-powered alarms should go.

If remodel hacks remember the alarms, they typically get the cheapest hard-wired model. If they work at all, its only temporary with a backup battery, not intended to run indefinitely without a line voltage connection.

Don't know if Ionization, Photoelectric, or CO detectors identify natural gas, propane, smoldering hash, or meth, but the increased hazards are enabled by the mortgage industry, who finances unqualified owner builders, and the hacks they hire.

And, the insurance industry wont screw the mortgage provider or bank.
 
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R

ramsy

NoFixNoPay Electric
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
Another exploding house over the weekend
www.cbsnews.com

BGE contractor, homeowner die in house explosion in Harford County

A Baltimore Gas and Electric contractor and a 73-year-old man believed to be a homeowner died in a house explosion Sunday morning in Harford County.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com

In this case the occupant reported a gas leak, and before the utility could disconnect the source, both occupant and gas company technician were killed in the explosion.

Completely destroyed structure obscures the source of leak, much less the cause of ignition.

Don't recall this kind of catastrophe 10 years ago, much less 50 years ago.

Having visions of industry-member appointments on NFPA code panels mandating more safety devices.

Perhaps gas alarms that shunt-trip Main breaker?
 
don_resqcapt19

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
This type of incident has happened in more than one city.

www.chicagotribune.com

GAS BLASTS WREAK HAVOC

Sandy Ostroff heard the explosion as he was walking across his bedroom to answer the phone. The window in front of him bent inward but did not break, while outside he watched the roof blow off the …
www.chicagotribune.com www.chicagotribune.com
 
E

Eddie702

Licensed Electrician
Location
Western Massachusetts
Occupation
Electrician
curt swartz said:
Over the years there have been several homes in my area destroyed by gas leaks in the street lines. The gas finds underground paths to enter structures. The older orange plastic gas piping PG&E was using for years had been developing leaks. I can't remember the name of the piping but all of it had to be replaced with the current poly piping they are using now.

Probably 20 years ago a contractor was horizontal boring in the street for communications (fiber) lines. They hit a gas line. Fire department and gas utility were onsite evaluating the situation when a nearby house exploded into toothpicks. The gas had found its way into the home. Luckily no one was home at the time.
Click to expand...
The underground infrastructure of gas piping in many older cities is in pretty bad shape. At least around here. Many older cities operate their old low-pressure lines at 6"WC which is barely enough pressure. The reason as I have been told by gas company employees is if they turn up the pressure they "give away a lot of free gas" In other words they leak.

In our area at least with new construction, they no longer allow an underground gas pipe to penetrate the building foundation and use an inside gas meter. The gas line uses an outside meter where the gas must rise up to the meter. Apparently when digging gas lines they have hit some underground gas lines and the gas can follow the outside of the pipe into the building. This can't happen with an above ground meter.
 
R

ramsy

NoFixNoPay Electric
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
don_resqcapt19 said:
This type of incident has happened in more than one city.

www.chicagotribune.com

GAS BLASTS WREAK HAVOC

Sandy Ostroff heard the explosion as he was walking across his bedroom to answer the phone. The window in front of him bent inward but did not break, while outside he watched the roof blow off the …
www.chicagotribune.com www.chicagotribune.com
Click to expand...
I see Chicago holds the title for this contest, after destroying several blocks in 1992 with a broken distribution-pressure regulator.

No gas alarms, electrical-service shutdowns, or residential EMT could prevent, nor provide warning for this event.

The only people protected were in newer gentrified developments, with the pressure regulators at each gas meter.
 
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