# Appliance installer fails to cap open gas line



## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

So what do you all think of this story?

http://www.macombdaily.com/article/...hip-homeowners-for-explosion&pager=full_story


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

Were they delivery employees or gasfitters? Its pretty obvious they weren't trained correctly


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## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...qNOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rRQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5478,2241299

We had this one happen in Dallas, From what I heard the Master whored his licenses out and had to non plumbers hook up the gas.

I heard he mailed his license into the Plumbing Board.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

> The installers should have noticed the hazard and capped it “with a $1.50 plug,” he said.


Physically impossible...No wonder they they were found to not have any responsibility...


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## drs (Jun 17, 2011)

OK, so then the COURTS just told anybody with a LICENSE that you don't need it if a Delivery guy can now hook up gas. Does he do electric too?

No where did I see the word 'LICENSED MASTER PLUMBER' next to Delivery man. So now I guess that I have a license, I can not drive a Tractor Trailer since a LICENSE means NOTHING TO A COURT.

WOW, I just might go into LAW since i have a license. Think they MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

After reading this article I am torn, I think both parties should have been punished, harshly...very harshly. 

Is that possible? They both lose, send me the the money.


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## PlumberJake (Nov 15, 2010)

Homeowner smells gas... realizes she screwed up... fails to correct problem... fills home with gas for a couple days... daughter lights a candle.... home explodes....

"It's the delivery guys fault!!!!.... from 4 years ago.

Really? This is why we need to be careful everyday we go out. Cover your butts gentleman.


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## Dmaz (Jan 11, 2011)

From what I gathered from the article, the gas line was left uncapped by the previous owners of the house, shouldn't this dangerous condition have been noticed during the sale of the house?

Also the appliance installers installed electric appliances, I don't see how they should be at fault.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

PlumberJake said:


> Homeowner smells gas... realizes she screwed up... fails to correct problem... fills home with gas for a couple days... daughter lights a candle.... home explodes....
> 
> "It's the delivery guys fault!!!!.... from 4 years ago.
> 
> Really? This is why we need to be careful everyday we go out. Cover your butts gentleman.


All true.

But... "Delivery guys" should not be allowed to install, should have been licensed professionals doing the install. This would have never happend, that line would have been capped. 

Of course the cap would have cost an extra 50$ on the final bill, but that beats hospital bills.

Hehe once again proper plumbing could be look at like as preventative medicine.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

Dmaz said:


> From what I gathered from the article, the gas line was left uncapped by the previous owners of the house, shouldn't this dangerous condition have been noticed during the sale of the house?
> 
> Also the appliance installers installed electric appliances, I don't see how they should be at fault.


Good point, why are they not sueing the home inspector?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Wonder what plumbing work was done in 2007 and by whom?


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Don The Plumber said:


> So what do you all think of this story?
> 
> http://www.macombdaily.com/article/...hip-homeowners-for-explosion&pager=full_story


I think the court ruled correctly.

The uncapped line was a pre-existing condition -- The installers were hooking up an electric dryer, not a gas fired dryer.

I would have capped it off if I noticed it, that's just due diligence, but I don't feel I should be legally bound to cap it off if I didn't touch it.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

Widdershins said:


> I think the court ruled correctly.
> 
> The uncapped line was a pre-existing condition -- The installers were hooking up an electric dryer, not a gas fired dryer.
> 
> I would have capped it off if I noticed it, that's just due diligence, but I don't feel I should be legally bound to cap it off if I didn't touch it.


Exactly, if you'd been there it would've got capped. 
I am with you on this, though, how much responablity do we take on just for being in the house? The law suit is frivolous.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

PlumberJake said:


> Homeowner smells gas... realizes she screwed up... fails to correct problem... fills home with gas for a couple days... daughter lights a candle.... home explodes....
> 
> "It's the delivery guys fault!!!!.... from 4 years ago.
> 
> Really? This is why we need to be careful everyday we go out. Cover your butts gentleman.


 And after smelling gas all day, she decided to light a candle at 3am??????????? What was she smoking????


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Bottom line, if its done by a licensed plumber, we are all screwed... if done by unlicensed personal, its the customer's fault, we all screwed again... and how you cap a gas valve with a plug??? If the lawyers can't be "thaught" to know the difference, we are all screwed..


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

I purchased a new washer and dryer from Costco a few years back. The price included deliver and installation of the washer, dryer and pedestals. All over the site it said they would not connect any gas appliances to their fuel source.

Mark


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## cbeck (Mar 7, 2012)

Around here gas company would have shut meter off when homeowner vacated property. Then inspected lines upon turning gas on for new owners, they would have done a drop test and immediately would have seen a leak.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> And after smelling gas all day, she decided to light a candle at 3am??????????? What was she smoking????


Lol, yeah there wasn't really a "candle" unless that's what the kids are calling it theses days.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

Here the gas company would not have turned the gas back on untill the valve was plugged. How could the guys who hooked up an electric dryer 4 years earlier have anything to do with it.


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> Here the gas company would not have turned the gas back on untill the valve was plugged. How could the guys who hooked up an electric dryer 4 years earlier have anything to do with it.


Yea 4yrs is the key. Heck, someone could have removed the electric dryer, installed a gas dryer, then reinstalled the electric one, in that amount of time. Not likely I know, but 4yrs is a long time, to hold someone who never even touched the gas line, liable. Who's to say it was not capped 4yrs ago. I would of capped it, but thats me. So whats next to hold us accountable? A solder joint that was corroded a bit, & I fail to inform the customer, cuz I see it, while I'm working on something else, & 1 month to 4yrs later,it breaks loose, & the house floods? Am I liable?

I see these idiot homeowners leave the gas uncapped all the time, when they diconnect appliances, &/or move. I had one the other day, that was hooked up to an old incinerator, in the chimney. It was piped into a burner, that had to be lit manually. If someone would of turned on the valve by accident, it would fill the chimney with gas.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Don The Plumber said:


> I see these idiot homeowners leave the gas uncapped all the time, when they diconnect appliances, &/or move. I had one the other day, that was hooked up to an old incinerator, in the chimney. It was piped into a burner, that had to be lit manually. If someone would of tuned on the valve by accident, it would fill the chimney with gas.


My Home Inspectors looked at a home recently that had been vacated due to foreclosure -- The previous HO's had removed all of the gas fired fire place inserts (there were 4 of them) and left the feeds uncapped and the log lighter keys in the valves.

The meter had been locked out by the utility, but the realty company who sent us out had called the utility to come out and unlock the meter so they could fire up the furnace -- This was after kicking out the squatters who had lived in the home for four months.


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> My Home Inspectors looked at a home recently that had been vacated due to foreclosure -- The previous HO's had removed all of the gas fired fire place inserts (there were 4 of them) and left the feeds uncapped and the log lighter keys in the valves.
> 
> The meter had been locked out by the utility, but the realty company who sent us out had called the utility to come out and unlock the meter so they could fire up the furnace -- This was after kicking out the squatters who had lived in the home for four months.


With the kind of hackery we see everyday, especially with these uncapped, or open gas lines, the thing that amazes me the most, is these houses don't explode, or blow up, more often.:yes:


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

I was at a customers home a year ago for a leaking faucet. Turned out to be a pull out faucet and the hose was loose at the pullout. I tightened it and everything was good and they were happy they didn't need a new faucet even though I offered to install them a new one. 
Today I was called to the same house for warranty work on the same issue. I get there and soon realized the dishwasher connector was cracked and leaking. They said we were responsible beacause I had looked at the kitchen faucet a year ago. They called the owner and complained about me. He explained that they were 2 completely seperate probs. We then offered to replace sink, faucet and all plumbing in kitchen and offer them a 2 year warranty. They declined of course:yes:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

deerslayer said:


> I was at a customers home a year ago for a leaking faucet. Turned out to be a pull out faucet and the hose was loose at the pullout. I tightened it and everything was good and they were happy they didn't need a new faucet even though I offered to install them a new one.
> Today I was called to the same house for warranty work on the same issue. I get there and soon realized the dishwasher connector was cracked and leaking. They said we were responsible beacause I had looked at the kitchen faucet a year ago. They called the owner and complained about me. He explained that they were 2 completely seperate probs. We then offered to replace sink, faucet and all plumbing in kitchen and offer them a 2 year warranty. They declined of course:yes:


Of course.

Ever get tired of being a moving target?

Me too.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Widdershins said:


> Of course.
> 
> Ever get tired of being a moving target?
> 
> Me too.


I knew I should of just rebuilt the house and just charged him for a minimum service call!


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

deerslayer said:


> I knew I should of just rebuilt the house and just charged him for a minimum service call!


No, you should have rebuilt the house for the trip charge.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Perhaps the installers thought it was a dead line.... 5 years ago... they would have been wise to at least mentioned the problem at the time and wrote it up 
on their INVOICE AND DELIVERY SLIP to cover their asses
That would have been the smart thing to do.



Somenoe knew how to turn on the gas line..

and someone should have called a plumber when they 
smelled gas... (the homeowner) 

and they half way knew how to turn it off.....


this is just plain stupidity on everyones part...
more so on the home-owner..:yes::yes:.


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## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

deerslayer said:


> I was at a customers home a year ago for a leaking faucet. Turned out to be a pull out faucet and the hose was loose at the pullout. I tightened it and everything was good and they were happy they didn't need a new faucet even though I offered to install them a new one.
> Today I was called to the same house for warranty work on the same issue. I get there and soon realized the dishwasher connector was cracked and leaking. They said we were responsible beacause I had looked at the kitchen faucet a year ago. They called the owner and complained about me.


Did they also vote for Obama?


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

About 8yrs ago a HO decided he was smarter than State water heaters and removed the sight glass. He filled the burner chamber with gas then lit it. After it burned his eyes and hair off. We get a call from a lawyer about settlement...didnt even know we were sued till then. Turns out State told them it was our fault for not telling the HO to not remove the sight glass. Needless to say we got dropped as we did nothing wrong and he was the idiot for doing what he did. I think State ended up paying something.


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## Associated Plum (Nov 4, 2008)

We got sued and lost for runnng gas to an attic valved and capped to be connected later to a new heating unit installed by others.. 5 years later the house burnt down from an electrical fire in the heating unit.




PlumberJake said:


> Homeowner smells gas... realizes she screwed up... fails to correct problem... fills home with gas for a couple days... daughter lights a candle.... home explodes....
> 
> "It's the delivery guys fault!!!!.... from 4 years ago.
> 
> Really? This is why we need to be careful everyday we go out. Cover your butts gentleman.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Associated Plum said:


> We got sued and lost for runnng gas to an attic valved and capped to be connected later to a new heating unit installed by others.. 5 years later the house burnt down from an electrical fire in the heating unit.


How could you lose that law suit???


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

OldSchool said:


> How could you lose that law suit???


He probably had really good insurance. Most property damage claims are about collecting from the guy with the deepest pockets. Actually holding the guilty party liable is a side note in these kinds of cases.

I've been there a few times myself. I've never lost, but I've shelled out a lot of money in attorney fees over the years.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> He probably had really good insurance. Most property damage claims are about collecting from the guy with the deepest pockets. Actually holding the guilty party liable is a side note in these kinds of cases.
> 
> I've been there a few times myself. I've never lost, but I've shelled out a lot of money in attorney fees over the years.


 






Very true. Even if you are in no way, shape or form liable, you still must defend against a lawsuit. And those attorney's fees can add up.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Very true. Even if your are in no way, shape or form liable, you still must defend against a lawsuit. And those attorney's fees can add up.


I was involved with a high end project in the early 80's where an undersized crane tipped over and injured a bunch of people. We weren't even on the job that day, but we still got drug into court when they saw how much insurance I was carrying. It was a fishing expedition by the lawyers and I ended up being released from the lawsuit, but it still cost me and my insurance company a pile of money.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

Widdershins said:


> I was involved with a high end project in the early 80's where an undersized crane tipped over and injured a bunch of people. We weren't even on the job that day, but we still got drug into court when they saw how much insurance I was carrying. It was a fishing expedition by the lawyers and I ended up being released from the lawsuit, but it still cost me and my insurance company a pile of money.


Did the crane look something like this ?:laughing:


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## Associated Plum (Nov 4, 2008)

OldSchool said:


> How could you lose that law suit???


The insurance company decided it was cheaper to settle than it was to go to court, which I was against.


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