All this talk of explosions reminds me what a deathtrap the old house I grew up in could have been. It had a water heater similar to a woodstove with copper coils over a circle of big gas burners. When you turned the water on, a piston activated a gas valve that turned on the burners. There were no safety provisions, so if the pilot light went out and you turned on the hot water, it filled the room with gas. My father went to re-light the pilot once, not realizing that there was still gas accumulated in the stovepipe; there was a big boom, and sections of stovepipe crashed to the floor. He lost his eyebrows and the hair on his arms. Then, there was the window fan. Hardly anybody had air conditioning in those days, but we had a big exhaust fan in the kitchen window. We would close all but the farthest windows, and the fan would pull a draft through the whole house. But we could not turn on the hot water when the fan was on because it pulled air down through the chimney and big flames would come out the bottom of the heater and lick up the outside of it. You had to stay alert to survive back then.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
The propane locker on our boat is all the way aft, and it has a drain hose at the bottom, which goes down the short distance to a fitting in the transo (stern) where gas can escape to the atmosphere.
Except when in use, I keep the tanks closed. The feared scenario is that from a hose (to the stove) leak gas would settle down and in the bilge, where there is an electric bilge pump. The bilge is deep enough that it’s conceivable I would not smell it down there.
The Farmington thing was awful. One dead, three still in hospital, and one of those still listed as critical.
Flintlock76"Now you're cookin' with gas!" My man Stymie demonstrates the "proper" method for lighting a gas oven, pre-pilot light days. Wait for it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-C5dSUKTc
My man Stymie demonstrates the "proper" method for lighting a gas oven, pre-pilot light days. Wait for it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-C5dSUKTc
A real box cake!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
"Now you're cookin' with gas!"
More great information.
Thank You!
tree68Natural gas will dissipate, given the chance. It could still collect inside a well-sealed building. While the NG will dissipate, the mercaptan (the odorant) won't - it's been known to fall out of the dissapating NG, causing people to think there is an explosion hazard when there isn't. Better safe than sorry, though.
The problem for natural gas, though, is that above the rich limit the mixture can be ignited at an external point, and burn back into the rich mass with turbulent 'carburetion' and more-than-sufficient flame holding until the limit is reached, at which point the whole goes as a critical-mixture explosion. This is greatly complicated if the propagation is compressed within a relatively hard-walled volume since shock waves can form and the pressure excursion accelerated the rate of burning, possibly to the point it becomes a detonation (as exploited for example in PDW engines).
You can get the same effects in the heavier fuel gases but it is less likely the 'pond' will fill the volume and therefore proceed to detonation. (A major danger of LPG is a BLEVE-style acceleration of combustion, but this is massively different from either a 'puff' or an enclosed critical-mixture explosion)
There is more heat content when burning the 'heavier' hydrocarbons and I would expect this to have an influence on explosion severity, although I don't have direct experience in comparing the different 'results'.
BaltACDYour eye brows survived? Normally they are the first thing go under such conditions.
Yep, eye brows survived but the hair on my arms did not. I felt dumb and lucky. Hopefully, it was as we used to say in the scouts, "A guided learning experience."
Electroliner 1935I'm right behind you Larry. In fact I'm trying to run faster than I can. I was once trying to relight my gas water heater and did not wait long enough for the unburned pilot light gas to clear (I think I held the button down too long and let too much accumulate) and it puffed knocking me on my butt but fortunately the amount was not enough to damage me nor anything else. As the commercial used to say, "Gas does the big jobs better"
Your eye brows survived? Normally they are the first thing go under such conditions.
I'm right behind you Larry. In fact I'm trying to run faster than I can. I was once trying to relight my gas water heater and did not wait long enough for the unburned pilot light gas to clear (I think I held the button down too long and let too much accumulate) and it puffed knocking me on my butt but fortunately the amount was not enough to damage me nor anything else. As the commercial used to say, "Gas does the big jobs better"
Electroliner 1935Please remind me, which gas is heavier than air and which is lighter. My recollection is that Propane and Butane are heavier and will pool in the lower levels while natural (methane) is lighter and will diffuse into a room. All are explosive with air and ignition.
You have the right properties.
A problem with propane/LPG is that it will settle into low areas. Collecting in a basement is pretty obvious. Doing so outside may not seem as obvious, but it can happen if winds are light or non-existant. This could to lead to ignition from a source that hadn't been considered.
Natural gas will dissapate, given the chance. It could still collect inside a well-sealed building. While the NG will dissapate, the mercaptan (the odorant) won't - it's been known to fall out of the dissapating NG, causing people to think there is an explosion hazard when there isn't. Better safe than sorry, though.
The concentration range where NG is explosive is between 5% and 15%. Outside those concentrations the mix will be either too lean or too rich. LPG is betwen 2.1 and 9.5%.
So, will LPG explode if the concentration is 10%? I'm not hanging around to find out...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68Farmington, Maine.
Larry, thanks. I had not heard of this. First responders face tough situations and too often pay dearly for their profession. We can't thank then enough for their service.
Please remind me, which gas is heavier than air and which is lighter. My recollection is that Propane and Butane are heavier and will pool in the lower levels while natural (methane) is lighter and will diffuse into a room. All are explosive with air and ignition.
Lithonia OperatorI live in Maine, and that’s all people are talking about. A horrible tragedy. That building was reduced to powder in a split second. Shocking.
I was puzzled by Larry's response, but I searched it after your response, and WOW, I'm surprised I don't remember hearing about it.
I live in Maine, and that’s all people are talking about. A horrible tragedy. That building was reduced to powder in a split second. Shocking.
We have propane on our boat. We are very careful. Even though we have a solenoid cutoff with a switch in the galley, we still also go aft and close the valve on the tank after every single use.
Paul of Covington Overmod One very significant point in favor of alcohol heaters and lamps on boats is exhaust in confined spaces. I cannot use a typical oil lamp indoors due to the fume smell, let alone any issue with cumulative monoxide poisoning. I am also not a fan of pressure burners for hydrocarbons, in part due to consequences of sudden leaks with the system under pressure when there is any chance of an ignition source nearby. I guess it's a personal thing. I found the sickening, almost sweet smell of alcohol more objectionable than that of kerosene. But I agree with you about pressure burners.
Overmod One very significant point in favor of alcohol heaters and lamps on boats is exhaust in confined spaces. I cannot use a typical oil lamp indoors due to the fume smell, let alone any issue with cumulative monoxide poisoning. I am also not a fan of pressure burners for hydrocarbons, in part due to consequences of sudden leaks with the system under pressure when there is any chance of an ignition source nearby.
I guess it's a personal thing. I found the sickening, almost sweet smell of alcohol more objectionable than that of kerosene. But I agree with you about pressure burners.
Farmington, Maine.
Around here, the issue of improperly vented kerosene heaters rears its ugly head every winter. There are usually several cases of families being asphyxiated by carbon monoxide where multiple space heaters are used to heat the house.
OvermodOne very significant point in favor of alcohol heaters and lamps on boats is exhaust in confined spaces. I cannot use a typical oil lamp indoors due to the fume smell, let alone any issue with cumulative monoxide poisoning. I am also not a fan of pressure burners for hydrocarbons, in part due to consequences of sudden leaks with the system under pressure when there is any chance of an ignition source nearby.
Miningman Really don't know how you do it with all that relentless summertime heat. I suppose a person adapts eventually. Heres a good one... listening to the news this am and the last item is "Environment Canada has issued their prediction for this upcoming winter across Canada. It will be cold with snow." Wow...like give these Einstein's a raise.
Really don't know how you do it with all that relentless summertime heat. I suppose a person adapts eventually.
Heres a good one... listening to the news this am and the last item is "Environment Canada has issued their prediction for this upcoming winter across Canada. It will be cold with snow."
Wow...like give these Einstein's a raise.
Reminds me of the late George Carlin's "Al Sleet, the Hippy-Dippy Weatherman!"
"Tonight's forecast, dark! Darkness will continue until tomorrow morning when it will be replaced by patches of scattered light!"
DeggestyWe just put up with what seemed to be necessary.
Remember going to my grandmothers farm home in central Indiana in the late 40's. A coal/corn cob cast iron stove in the kitchen and a coal stove in the parlor. No running water. Pump with windmill in the yard. Privy behind the house and a thundermug under the bed for night time. We are SO spoiled today. My thermostat turns up the heat in the morning and turns it down at night. Or manages the air conditioner. When I was growing up, we had a coal fired boiler to heat our house. Had to shovel the coal and haul out the ashes. Manage the dampers and the fire. So, Deggesty, you are so spot on when you say, "We just put up with what seemed to be necessary."
Miningmaneres a good one... listening to the news this am and the last item is "Environment Canada has issued their prediction for this upcoming winter across Canada. It will be cold with snow."
I dunno - sounds like a little levity to me. And these days, people complain if there was a 50% chance of showers and they were actually in the 50%...
Back in the days of kerosene lamps and heaters, houses were seldom, if ever, air tight, and people accepted the smells as a part of living. Even with electric lighting, we kept kerosene lamps handy for use when the power failed
And, keeping a kerosene heater going in the bathroom during the night made a wonderful difference in the morning during winters.
We just put up with what seemed to be necessary.
Now, I have have my own heating and cooling in my two rooms. I do not know if they are connected to the emergency generator circuit in the building--one outlet is in my bedroom.
Johnny
Miningman Oh geez Wayne... don't tell me you're one of those Americans that show up at the border in July with skis and winterwear, expecting that crossing an imaginary line it becomes winter. That actually happens. April 25th is the date on the pic... that is a bit late for snow but spring storms , especially in the East can bring a lot of wet heavy snow at times.
Oh geez Wayne... don't tell me you're one of those Americans that show up at the border in July with skis and winterwear, expecting that crossing an imaginary line it becomes winter. That actually happens.
April 25th is the date on the pic... that is a bit late for snow but spring storms , especially in the East can bring a lot of wet heavy snow at times.
Just kiddin' Vince! Hence the emoticon!
On the flip side, here in the American South when the temperature goes down to 99 degrees we consider that a cold snap!
NDG FWIW? I suggest the license plate on Mack is 1962. http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/jpglps/CN_QUEB_GI3.jpg
Haven't paid attention to other states - Maryland no longer issues new tags for car license plates on a yearly basis and haven't since at least 1994 and maybe several years before that - my daily driver changed from a car to SUV in 1994 and the plates were used a following SUV that lasted until early 2017 when I traded the SUV for a pick up truck. Plates were renewed by getting and affixing a decal sticker with a serial number and year identifier. (normal renewal period is now two years).
Paul_D_North_JrCaption says April 25, 2010, but the buses look a lot older than that - also the storefronts and briefcase the the guy in front is holding. I'd say 1950's - 1960's.
Note, too, that many of the men are wearing fedoras, or the like.
It appears to be a Brill, which Montreal bought from about 1945 to 1960. The site I found didn't include that number.
Caption says April 25, 2010, but the buses look a lot older than that - also the storefronts and briefcase the the guy in front is holding. I'd say 1950's - 1960's.
- PDN.
I thought snow in July was typical for Montreal.
Not sure what you mean by July. The photo has a lot of snow and the caption states the month is April.
Quite the lineup! Habs game?
One very significant point in favor of alcohol heaters and lamps on boats is exhaust in confined spaces. I cannot use a typical oil lamp indoors due to the fume smell, let alone any issue with cumulative monoxide poisoning. I am also not a fan of pressure burners for hydrocarbons, in part due to consequences of sudden leaks with the system under pressure when there is any chance of an ignition source nearby.
One thing to note about flame jetting is to avoid a container that looks like a rocket motor! But the important precaution, as indicated, is to put wire gauze over some part of the flow path when pouring -- that applies to gasoline jerrycans as well as to stove fuel, and of course one of the first applications of the idea was to shield flames in miners' lamps from firedamp.
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