Water Heater Exposion on my way to this afternoons inspection

[Dale Duffy]

Here are some pictures I took of the damage done to the house the water heater exploded in (Cheryl posted earlier).

I saw on my way to this afternoons inspection and snapped some pictures....incredible------------

[Brian E. Kelly]

Wow.

[cvowell]

Holy crap! those are awesome pictures!

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

Wow.

Unreal....I was hoping a TV station was there so I could do an interview swearing on a stack of bibles I never inspected the house---

Some guy standing there asked me if I inspected the house after reading the sign on my truck----I told him I wish there was a way to predict whether or not a TPRV would open when necessary.

I handed out cards to all the on lookers, I bet if I was a licensed Plumber I could of sold new TPRV's to everyone on the block---

Probably a good idea to recommend they be changed at a certain age....like every year----

[William J. Decker]

Great marketing opportunity.

Too bad some idiot had to wreck his house for it.

[Terry B. Clayton]

Mr Duffy with your premission i would like to use these photos, Thank you for your quaility pictures

[William J. Decker]

Originally Posted by tclayton

Mr Duffy with your premission i would like to use these photos, Thank you for your quaility pictures

Mucho ditto!?!

[Dale Duffy]

I don't care who uses them, I'm going to put one on my website so show what a water heater can do.

[Dale Duffy]

I wonder if this had a TPRV that did not open, didn't have one at all, or what the reason really is why it blew like this.

[swoods]

Thats Crazy! I cant believe the amount of damage the explosion caused.

[Michael R. Boyett]

The news reports I saw referred to this as a gas explosion and others are attributing it to a failed TPRV. Dale, what's your opinion? Ooops, you just answered that in post #9.

[Dale Duffy]

Water Heaters over 5 years old I recommend they replace the TPRV, anyone know what the TPRV manufacturers recommend, when they think the valve should be replaced, before I dig through a Watts website?

The water in Phoenix is very hard water, a gate valve is only good here for about a year before the mineral deposits ruin it.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by mboyett

The news reports I saw referred to this as a gas explosion and others are attributing it to a failed TPRV. Dale, what's your opinion? Ooops, you just answered that in post #9.

Oh I really don't know Mike...some guy was standing on the sidewalk and told me it was the TPRV....I did not see any indications of a fire what so ever, so I just thought the guy knew what happened.

[relliott]

Thanks for sharing.
Please post more info later as it comes in.

[Bruce A. King]

When I googled TPR valve failure the 3rd item was this:


http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/d...terhandout.pdf


I guess it was a gas water heater?

The electric ones have an overtemp cutout also.
For an electric one to catastrophically blow would you not need two failures?
1. Bad overtemp sensor cutout
2. Stuck, blocked or missing TPR feature.