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THE BOMB IN YOUR HOUSE!!

By
Home Inspector with Dream Home Inspections/203K Consultant

The Bomb in Your Basement

via Jim Allhiser

unstable water heater

 Here are just some of the things that well meaning installers can get totally wrong:

 

Dangerous gas flue

Flue issues:  This is absolutely important with gas appliances.  If you don't get the flue right you can allow carbon monoxide to freely enter your home.  This particular flue was built out of vinyl dryer ducting.  The plastic had been melting into a puddle on the top of the tank.

 

 Dryer hood not gas appliance flue

This is this home owners solution for the flue exhaust.  The home owner may have thought that a clothes dryer and a gas fired water heater were basicly the same thing.

 

Draft hood allowing carbon monoxide to enter the home

Here is a picture of the draft hood in action.  Notice the lighter's flame tipped away from the hood.  This means that flue gases, instead of going outside, are coming inside!  This is potentially a deadly setup that has apparently been in place for years.

These are just some of the many things that can be done wrong by a less-than-handy handy person.

Rebecca Schrader
Competitive Insurance of Dundee - Dundee, FL

Oh my Goodness! Gee...no wonder so many people are harmed each year during the winter months! This is absolutely FRIGHTENING! Thank you so much Robert, for giving us the warnings.

Oct 02, 2008 03:00 AM
Portsmouth NH Real Estate Agent - Rebecca Skane, Realtor®, e-PRO®
Keller Williams Coastal Realty - Portsmouth, NH

So, I am guessing that this was found during an inspection?  And the homeowner probably thought he was so crafty!  Outsmarting all of those professionals.  Who needs a professional contractor?  Look mom, I can do it myself!  [cough, cough, sputter,.....]

Oct 02, 2008 03:40 AM
Jacques Mountain
Dream Home Inspections/203K Consultant - Fayetteville, GA
Inspector/203K Consultant

We are doing our best to keep people informed.

Thanks to both Rebecca and Rebecca for stopping by!!

Oct 02, 2008 04:12 AM
Jacques Mountain
Dream Home Inspections/203K Consultant - Fayetteville, GA
Inspector/203K Consultant

I just finished watching the Saturday night episode of Mythbusters and guess what they were testing.

You are right: HOT WATER HEATERS!!

They caused one to explode by capping off the temperature and pressure relief valve and the hot water heater took off like a rocket and the test house exploded!!!

The hotwater heater went up into the air about 150 feet before coming down!!

Oct 04, 2008 02:03 PM