Althouse: "Using masking tape, [the super] connected the [garden] hose to the [water] heater, just inches from the flame, cops said."

February 9, 2013

"Using masking tape, [the super] connected the [garden] hose to the [water] heater, just inches from the flame, cops said."

Jeez. At least use duct tape!

15 comments:

rhhardin said...: Duct tape isn't even duct tape, most of the time. Actual duct tape might work.

It's certified for temporary aircraft skin repair, even.; 2/9/13, 8:38 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: When they're off their meds, it's either gun down a bunch of school kids or jerry-rig a utility connection.; 2/9/13, 8:46 AM
chuck said...: I see the problem, he didn't use black garden hose.; 2/9/13, 8:46 AM
dbp said...: "A Brooklyn man nearly blew up his building..."

I "nearly" won the lottery! I mean, if I had purchased a ticket and picked the winning numbers that is.; 2/9/13, 8:57 AM
Astro said...: Apparently a lot of people took classes at my dad's school of home fix-it.; 2/9/13, 8:59 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Illegally tapping into the water, electricity and cable lines is just standard practice in Philippine cities.

I've seen much more haphazard, crappy taps than this one right out on the street in Cebu and Manila.; 2/9/13, 9:03 AM
Humperdink said...: There is real low pressure on gas lines inside buildings - typically 6-8 inches. The hose itself would probably not fail, it would be the connections. What's surprising is that a decent connection would be a cheap endeavor.

What an idiot.; 2/9/13, 9:12 AM
Humperdink said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/9/13, 9:13 AM
Anonymous said...: It's inventive, that's for sure.

Peter; 2/9/13, 9:57 AM
edutcher said...: Not even an Honorable Mention for Darwin, but I have a feeling this will give him the incentive to keep trying.; 2/9/13, 10:14 AM
Known Unknown said...: That is some Eastern European DIY right there.; 2/9/13, 10:23 AM
ken in tx said...: Hardin, the aircraft stuff is called speed-tape, not duct tape. My dad used it--aluminum sided tape--in industrial applications in the late 1950s.; 2/9/13, 11:06 AM
jeff said...: It's 4oz of pressure at that point. Assuming it was leaking at the tape, unless that's a airtight room, your never going to build enough gas to cause an explosion. Worse case is you get a snake flame at the leak. It's not code and I wouldn't recommend it, but no one quoted in the article has any clue of what their talking about.; 2/9/13, 2:26 PM
sonicfrog said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/9/13, 3:56 PM
sonicfrog said...: OK... I really love to jerry-rig stuff, but even I have my limits!

And Humperdink is right. I occasionally work with gas heaters for pools and spas. Doing that connection properly from one room to the other is pretty cheap.; 2/9/13, 4:01 PM