[CScalf]

So, I was installing a hot water heater for one of my customers today, and somehow managed to almost blow my face off.

She bought the heater from Ace Hardware, no biggie to me. Well I get all the pipes ran to it, bla bla bla, and start filling it, ok now it's filled.

Now let me explain something, this hot water heater has a "chamber" at the bottom for the burner, well it is lit by the clicker button like you see on gas grills, and there is no way to light it manually.


Well I turn the knob to pilot, press it down, push the button, nothing happens, I do this repeatedly (pushing the button) and it won't light, so I turn the knob to off, grab the instruction book and see what it says, it said "if the pilot light fails to ignite wait at least 10 minutes for the gas to clear out, and try again" So I do this, finally an hour goes by and the damn pilot finally lights.


Here comes the good part, I light the pilot it's burning, I turn the knob to on, turn the thermostat to the desired setting, poof, burner and pilot go out, I am like wtf?? So, I turn the gas off and decide well I am gonna go outside have a smoke, drink of water, and take a break, I was outside, prolly 15- 20 minutes and I go back in, turn the knob to pilot push it a few times and BOOM the SOB shoots a fire ball right at my face, I just rolled over fast and screamed oh SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIITT and then the fireball was gone.


It scared the hell out of me, the reason it scared the crap out of me was the only way to see if the pilot is lit and the burner is burning is through this little window, which I was right up next to, when the damn thing combusted, scaring the hell outta me, but I waited a half hour this time, went in retried it and it worked fine, I told the customer before I left that if she had any problems to call my cell this weekend, she said no prob and I left.


Man what a perfect end to an already shiitty week.


-C

 

[ChainsawCharlie]

Still have your eyebrows? Glad to hear you're OK.

Maybe you ought to call the HO tomorrow and make sure she's not in orbit.

 

[CScalf]

lol, I won't call her and bother her on Sunday, believe me tho, if she has a problem she won't hesitate to call me anytime.

 

[Winchester]

The gas just must have had nowhere to escape all those times you tried to light it and built up.

:laughing: I've done that a couple of times trying to light a BBQ :laughing:

 

[Tiger]

Isn't this the way it always goes when the homeowner provides materials? They save money by getting the material at "cost". Then it takes us longer to install because they are providing average, substandard or wrong materials. If her house blows up you're probably liable for the damage to the limit of your insurance.

:sad::shutup:

 

[TimelessQuality]

Wow I have a healthy respect for NG... Lost an uncle just as you described.


Where's all the Plumbers?

Ron????

Machine Guns??

 

[Tinstaafl]

I don't really mind it all that much when I need to get at something in a dank crawl space, or flounder around in attic fiberglass. Getting shocked by electricity is just annoying. But gas just makes me... tense.

Glad you're here to tell the tale.

 

[bmcquin]

This reminds me of a story from when I was probably 17-18 years old.
I was deer hunting, in Vermont, with my older brother and two of my friends. We had borrowed Dads pop-up camper, borrowed might be be the wrong word............. As I remember, Dad was out of town and we just kinda hooked it up to the truck. But I digress.
We, the four of us were doing what four guys do when you're not hunting, drinking! The night was cold, duh, November in VT., and we decided to fire up the Coleman camp stove. Well Ted, my brother, was in charge due to the fact he was oldest and the most sober or so we thought!
This was the type of stove were you had to pump the tank, flip the little lever, light the match and you had fire! Somewhere a long the way the series of steps got confused. Ted was pumping the tank and lighting the match with no result.......... Well he then remembers to flip the lever and blow really hard while trying to light the stove. Next thing ya know there was this rather pretty flash followed by a scream unlike the kind that should come from a grown man! Ted turns around and what once had been a beautiful mountain man beard was reduced to nothing, Gone, outta here all except the smell! OMG I can still remember that smell......... he was fine just a bit shaken.
We did have some explaining to do when we got home both about the trailer and he lack of beard!

 

[CScalf]

yep, it was a close one, but all is good.:thumbup:

 

[TxElectrician]

This reminds me of a story I heard about on a hunting trip.

Seems this guy was trying to light a gas water heater and wasn't real sure how to do it. 3rd or 4th try BOOM thing blows up and shoots this knucklehead 150' into the air.

On his way up he sees another guy coming down. Yells out to him "hey you know anything about gas water heaters?"

The guy coming down responds....













"NO, you know anything about coleman stoves?":laughing:

 

[747]

I had that happen but it was gas grill. Clicking nothing happening. All of a sudden bang. Right in my face. Yes it did get my eyebrows.:laughing: I hate those clicking ignitors. There not worth a F. My old gas grill didn't have one. Just a hole Stick a farmers match in it. :thumbsup:

 

[CScalf]

The sad part is, is that I have installed quite a few water heaters and never had this kind of problem, well to be honest never had one with the "chamber" but I assumed it was no different, well that'll teach me to assume things :laughing:

 

[platinumLLC]

How is this water heater vented? I'm not a water heater installer but I would think that if you waited 15-20 minutes and it still had gas in the chamber that maybe the vent isn't proper? Just a thought, maybe a plumber will chime in.

 

[macography]

I can relate