Can't make this stuff up (Steamhead)

Nron_13

If gas lines were run to new appliances where was the inspection , the people who original installed the equipment should be held responsible for the installation being to code . at least that’s the way I see it, way to catch the problem and deal with it the right way

Steamhead (in transit)

Wish I'd had my camera with me today

Went to look at a water heater yesterday. This was a townhouse community that was originally "all-electric" where every TH had a heat pump, an electric water heater and of course no chimney. Later they ran gas lines in and the heat pump was replaced with a sealed-combustion furnasty. The water heater was changed too- to an atmospheric gas unit, and they tied the flue into the dryer vent. This setup kept blowing out the WH pilot every time the dryer ran.

When I laid out the lady's options, she elected to switch back to an electric WH after choking on the price of a direct-vented gas one. BTW the existing atmospheric unit was there when she bought the house. The house was unoccupied last night so there was no need to run the water heater.

When I took apart the flue pipe today, I found it almost completely blocked with dryer lint! This was a fire or CO poisoning waiting to happen. The CO alarm in the basement never went off though...... To top it off, the old electric cable for the WH had never been deactivated or removed. It was still live with only a couple wire nuts on it.

We got to this one in time. I'm sure there are others out there. If you're in a former all-electric home that now has gas, be sure to look at those flue pipes!

Steamhead (in transit)

This was all done

at some point before the current owner bought the house. The furnasty installation looked OK so that was what was probably inspected. The heater might have been added later, judging from the union next to the tee feeding it.

You had to really l-o-o-k to see where the flue pipe from the heater went. Not surprised they missed it when they bought the house.

gerry gill

good save,

hope those people appreciate the fact you may have just saved their life..not to mention keeping their house from burning down..

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Wayco Wayne_2

Frightening isn't it.

When I find stuff like that it chills me to the bone to think what might of happened. Good save. WW

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