# No Pressure Relief On Tankless



## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

EAST GRANBY, Conn. - East Granby fire officials say an explosion that critically injured a couple last year was caused by a lack of pressure release valves in the home's hot water heater.

The November explosion caused second- and third-degree burns to homeowners Lori and Ken Sullivan and to contractor Michael Alleana.

Fire Marshal Kenneth Beliveau told The Hartford Courant that there should have been more than one valve to reduce pressure on the hot water heater. He says the Sullivans and Alleana were installing a tankless, "quick-fire" hot water heater when a spark ignited escaping gas, triggering the explosion.

SORRY I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THIS STORY OUT BEFORE POSTING IT !

HAD TO DO WITH PROPANE GAS LEAK EXPLOSION WHILE TANKLESS WATER HEATER WAS BEING INSTALLED !
"NOT" T&P RELIEF VALVE JERRYMAC


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

JERRYMAC said:


> EAST GRANBY, Conn. - East Granby fire officials say an explosion that critically injured a couple last year was caused by a lack of pressure release valves in the home's hot water heater.
> 
> The November explosion caused second- and third-degree burns to homeowners Lori and Ken Sullivan and to contractor Michael Alleana.
> 
> Fire Marshal Kenneth Beliveau told The Hartford Courant that there should have been more than one valve to reduce pressure on the hot water heater. He says the Sullivans and Alleana were installing a tankless, "quick-fire" hot water heater when a spark ignited escaping gas, triggering the explosion.


What does a Pressure Release Valve hafta do with it? "quick-fire" is that brand specific?


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## aero1 (Feb 13, 2009)

sounds like an idiot install.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

"Contractor".....does that mean plumbing contractor? If not, someones going to have allot of explaining to do.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Sounds like they connected a water heater to a high pressure gas line without a pressure regulator,for some reason it leaked either due to the high pressure or there was just a gas leak close by. I dont think it had anything to do with a T&P valve but would like to hear the entire story.


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## Double-A (Aug 17, 2008)

JERRYMAC said:


> EAST GRANBY, Conn. - East Granby fire officials say an explosion that critically injured a couple last year was caused by a lack of pressure release valves in the home's hot water heater.
> 
> 
> 
> SORRY I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THIS STORY OUT BEFORE POSTING IT !


Jerry, It seems the news agency should have checked this story out before posting it. What they have said seems muddled and unclear. In the plumbing trade, I've never run across anything called a "pressure release" valve. Pressure relief valves, yes, release, no.

They then go on to say that the explosion was an ignition of propane gas that had leaked. Now, perhaps they were referring to the lack of a relief valve on the propane storage tank. But the author of that report does not make that clear at all.

News such as this is of interest to all of us, because it illustrates just how costly and dangerous mistakes can be.

I just get irked when I see mistakes of this caliber made by news agencies. It makes me question their ability to gather and report news on any subject with accuracy and clarity.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

The story is poorly written but then again they never said the problem was due to water pressure. I'm wondering if it was a Natural Gas tankless installed in a Propane system.

Mark


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Double-A said:


> It makes me question their ability to gather and report news on any subject with accuracy and clarity.


Stop questioning Double A. They don't have the ability report with accuracy anymore. Wait. I take that back. They have the ability but but not the desire. :laughing: (I don't know whether to laugh or cry about that)


@ Jerry,

Do you have a link to the article? I am starting to collect news articles about things of this nature.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

Protech said:


> "Contractor".....does that mean plumbing contractor? If not, someones going to have allot of explaining to do.


I just checked and the homeowner is a home improvement contractor who got his license December (not licensed until after accident) of last year and there is no record of the "Contractor" having a license of any type.

Mark


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

I thought I smelled a rat, THX jerrymac for coming clean with the TRUTH.


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

TheMaster said:


> Sounds like they connected a water heater to a high pressure gas line without a pressure regulator,for some reason it leaked either due to the high pressure or there was just a gas leak close by. I dont think it had anything to do with a T&P valve but would like to hear the entire story.


I have encountered this before from a ho who complained about continual error codes and complete loss of hot water mid shower. The entire install was a joke and had been "performed" by an unlicensed "remodeling contractor". The ho did not want to pay for the repairs. I reported him to the appropriate inspection service (county), not because he refused service but because he was, I believed, in some danger and needed to have it reinstalled properly. The inspector, whom I spoke with over the phone, went out and knocked on the door and when noone answered he simply left. I told him that the unit was hanging on the side of the house, right on top of the gas meter, in plain sight. He informed me that this was not the Soviet Union and there was nothing they could do. I reminded him that no permit was ever issued for this job (I had already checked) and that it needed to be corrected. He wouldn't do anything. I lost a lot of respect for this inspection authority that day. Basically he said, and I am interpreting here, that anybody can do whatever they want and unless we catch them in the act nothing will be done. The code specifically grants the code official authority to enter any structure (which was not even necessary in this case) if he believes their is any reason to. If he is denied, then he can return with the police. I've never heard of this happening and probably never will but the point is that we were talking about an improperly connected, unregulated, gas appliance with the potential to burn, explode, injure, and/or kill. This still makes my blood boil.


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