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Boiler responsible for NYCHA explosion

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HydroNiCK
HydroNiCK Member Posts: 186
in THE MAIN WALL

Do you think the gas qualifier laws contributed to this as well as the anti-gas sentiment in NYC in general? It started with lack of funds and ignored maintenance but the above were the last ingredients sealing the fate of many of these buildings.

https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/04/mitchel-houses-boiler-explosion-permits-expired/

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 14,752

    much more likely the effects of the 2008 recession where everyone decided they were spending too much on people and they just randomly laid off like 20% of their staff which meant everyone from manufacturers to city governments didn't have people to answer the phones or do routine maintenance and they never hired that staff back, they just kept dumping their customers in to automated systems until they gave up.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,947

    In MA every boiler over 200,000 btu get inspected yearly either by the state (if the owner does not have insurance) or by the insurance company inspectors.

    The state is strict (or used to be) the insurance inspectors who are supposed to follow state guidelines not so much.

    But going 17 years without inspection would not happen here. Would it have stopped an explosion ? Who knows but it may have.

    ScottSecor
  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 1,203

    There is a subtle point here: the article refers to Department of Environmental Protection inspections for compliance with air pollution regulations. It points out that regular safety inspections by the Department of Buildings generally were being carried out, and had been done at Mitchell Houses four months before the explosion.

    Environmental inspections would not generally cover safety issues unless there was an obvious problem with combustion.

    —
    Bburd
    mattmia2EBEBRATT-EdHydroNiCK
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 18,097
    edited November 8

    This is typical. The city (or state) gets lax regarding boiler inspections and permitting, then one goes sideways. Fortunately, no one was hurt or killed this time.

    We had an incident in Baltimore maybe 20 years ago, where a school boiler that also supplied domestic hot water overheated, pushing hot water back into the cold-water lines. A little girl was perched on the porcelain when she pulled the flush handle, and the hot water that came into the bowl scalded her. The state got serious about boiler inspections after that.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,947

    MA. Dept. of public safety is/was pretty strict. We were installing a new steam system in a different location in the same city where the owner's existing building was that also had HP steam.

    Of course, in MA they need a licensed steam fireman/engineer to be in the boiler room at all times when the boiler is online (HP steam over 15psi).

    I don't know what happened, but the fireman was at the new job (where we were working) to see what we were doing. I don't know if someone ratted him out that he left the other plant running but DPS came in and they were carrying guns

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