Austin house explodes just before noon Sunday

[bboswell]

If I’m correct, the neighborhood in which the house is located was developed in the 70s and early 80s and were mostly builder spec homes. I’m guessing, though I don’t know, that propane tanks weren’t commonly installed back then. A mobile propane tank, perhaps? Could a mobile propane tank have caused that much damage?

propane service can be added at anytime using 100gal to 1000 gallon tanks, and yes that would be suffecient.

[ThisLadyHunts]

propane service can be added at anytime using 100gal to 1000 gallon tanks, and yes that would be suffecient.

Makes sense. We’ve thought about doing the same thing as well.

[Hoggslayer]

If I’m correct, the neighborhood in which the house is located was developed in the 70s and early 80s and were mostly builder spec homes. I’m guessing, though I don’t know, that propane tanks weren’t commonly installed back then. A mobile propane tank, perhaps? Could a mobile propane tank have caused that much damage?

The 20lbs tank itself exploding, probably not. The contents of the tank loose in a big house with the perfect air fuel ratio, absolutely.

[Greenheadless]

I cant imagine a news article only telling half the story these day.

Lol.

[Txhunter3000]

why would they show a Pic of Plano Fire and P. D. ??

last I checked, Plano is a long way from Austin.

I don't know and surprised TLH hasn't answered. I just saw the news and the pictures don't match.

[flywise]

Video from across the street clearly shows a gas explosion. Amazing how dang near everything is caught on a camera these days

[myway]

Never in a million years would I have guessed this would be the thread that would make laugh today.

[HogHunter34]

Re-read my original post. Not 1psi in the water heater. 1 psi in the building can cause structural collapse. Straight out of NFPA.

Ambient pressure is 14.7 psi so 1 psi would be a negative pressure condition causing implosion

[Dale Moser]

Dogs and 1 psi explosions....maybe the dog farted?

[jtr]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jbreKn4PoAc

[ThisLadyHunts]

I don't know and surprised TLH hasn't answered. I just saw the news and the pictures don't match.

Just now saw this. Mea culpa but, honestly, this image looked exactly like the one in this morning’s Statesman.

Some of you are SO particular!

[flywise]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jbreKn4PoAc

Notice, no fire. The Austin house had fire at moment of explosion and put.itself out

[flywise]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0skcouvW4&pp=ygUiYXVzdGluIGhvdXNlIGV4cGxvc2lvbiByaW5nIGNhbWVyYQ%3D%3D

[Walker]

Hard to imagine how anybody survived that.

[Monark]

I call BS on your BS call sir! I spent 46 years in the high pressure fluid handling business and provided equipment to industry to do hydro-static testing of equipment from water hoses to nuclear pressure vessels and submarines. I guarantee you a pipeline full of water can catastrophically fail (blow up) and it can cause devastating damage, launch projectiles and all manner of destruction. Most people do not realize it, but water is very compressible. Yes, it's less compressible than a gas, but it is still compressible and a failure whether axially or radially, can tear come crap up.

Just an old retired Mechanical Engineer here. I completely understand the incompressibility or compressibility of water. I have conducted & overseen many hydrostatic pressure tests. Unless the thermostat stuck on and the water flashed to steam, a water heater rupture is not going to destroy a house. A weld seam or nozzle will fail & make a mess. If if did get hot enough to flash to steam, yes indeed, potential catastrophic damage for sure. Water to steam volume increase is roughly 1700 to 1. There is just not enough stored pressure in the volume of a water heater to destroy a house & fly off like a rocket.