I thought it's ironic that a week or so ago, there was a discussion in this forum about gas vs fuel oil, and today a friend sent me a link to an article about a propane explosion.

I don't know if the link I posted below will actually BE a link, but if it isn't, you can cut and paste it.

It's kind of a long article, and a lot of you won't have any interest in it. But I know some of us here are firefighters and might find it as interesting as I did.

I know what's discussed in the article isn't a common occurance, but I've seen stuff similar to it first hand, and it kinda tends to stick in my mind. For me, using natural gas or propane is the same thing as riding motorcycles; I'd love to have one, but I've seen too many brains scattered on pavement for me to ever be able to enjoy riding one myself.

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/art...onId=6&id=2596

chaikwa.

 

the properties of the two fuels are diffrent
natural gas:
http://www.questargas.com/AboutNatur...roperties.html
propane:
http://www.frontierpropane.com/about_propane.htm

with propane being heavier than air it will sink down and flow to the lowest point (the basement) with natural gas being lighter than air it will dissapate much easier.

 

Yes, propane and natural gas can and does go boom. that article was from a few years back (1983). Even though it went boom, the way technology and knowledge has changed it is just as safe as oil now (provided it was installed properly). I have had oil, nat., and propane in the last 26 years of owning a house.I have had nat. and propane for about 22 of those years. I have propane now and have mine piped with black iron pipe. I have leak checked it myself and have had a local supplier leak check it also. I feel safe with any one of the fuels, but do believe that oil for heating is becoming a dinosaur. There is a lot less maintenance with nat. and propane. It is also cheaper for me to heat with propane too. By the way, 26 years ago I used to be a firefighter in a small town in NE Ohio.

 

Tom, you don't leak check with your trusty Zippo do you?

 

Naw, I used my propane torch!!

 

I work for a natural gas co. here in the north west and I just have to tell you that one day my partner and I were at this new subdivsion when a sub contractor came over to us and tell us that he could smell natural gas in the garage of a house at the next block. So my partner and myself walk down there sure enough there is a gas leak on the hot water heater. One of the plummers was in a hurry and did not tighten down a fitting all the way.
But to back up just a bit as we were walking in the garage we see a guy bent over with his zippo lighter running a flame over all of the fitting inside the garage. My buddy and me looked at each other and said what the f**k. After a long explanation of why you do not check for gas leaks with a lighter.we found and fixed the problem.
That guy just doesn't know how lucky he was that the garage did not have more gas in it than it did.