Residential houses blowing up

[Major Tom]

Seems like once a week I see on the news where another house was blasted to pieces. What the heck is causing all that? Inexperienced service people, home owners doing their own work?

[lyman]

faulty gas lines?

meth labs?

[Roadkingtrax]

Definitely Gas. The stories that always send a shudder down your spine..."Recently Serviced".

We moved into a location that is built on bedrock granite, so at the time the neighborhood was developed, they didn't want to blast more than they did for sewer lines. I'd much prefer gas for cooking if given a choice.

[togor]

A few years ago, in the early summer evening, I heard a far off BOOM, that trailed away. Turns out it was a house going up about 15 miles away, due to faulty service call.

[Allen]

Elvis use to shoot his TV when something was showing that he didn't like. Can't really blame him. He shot them though--he didn't blow them up.

[barretcreek]

Gas detectors are not an option.
Back in the late '80s the bank at the other end of the valley blew up, several fatalities. No gas service to the building.
Cause was the closed loop propane system dating back to the 1880s coal gas distribution setup. Coal gas had a lot of sulfur and the piping was like swiss cheese. Turns out the regulators allowed the propane company to keep raising their prices to compensate for the leakage instead of requiring new piping. Everything was fine (except for the customers getting ripped off) until one early spring day. The ground had a thick impervious layer of ice but the soil ten feet down wasn't frozen. Bank was the only building in town with a poured concrete basement. Gas diffused through the solid concrete until it reached above the lower explosive limit and when the bank opened for business the first phone call of the day provided the ignition source.
Worst part from the legal view was the propane system had been sold six months earlier. Courts ruled they hadn't owned it long enough for criminal negligence. Regulator said 'we're the Gub'mint, blame someone else' and the previous owner had already run. Victims didn't get squat.

Last year a house north of Denver blew. An uncapped line from a well allowed gas to migrate into the basement. Two fatalities.

[dogtag]

Probably dumb home owner looking for gas leak with a lit match.

[Clark Howard]

Today's new home is designed and built to be nearly airtight. This feature saves energy summer and winter, but it does not allow for ventilation and air exchange. While propane and natural gas leaks that are small, repeat, small, can be rendered harmless by adequate air exchange, little or no exchange allows a continuous buildup of gas. It does not take much of either to send a home into orbit, in small pieces.

[Vern Humphrey]

We had a water well near my house catch fire -- natural gas leaking from the ground.

[dogtag]

Elvis use to shoot his TV when something was showing that he didn't like. Can't really blame him. He shot them though--he didn't blow them up.

If I did that I'd go broke buying new TV sets