Many have probably heard of a large explosion in a town outside Pittsburgh...again. My wife's co-worker lost a grandchild and son-in-law. So sad. "They" don't know the cause yet. It's happened in the past a couple times in that area. It's so sad. Wife's sister & BIL live out there within a mile of this one and it shook their house. All the land in this part of the state/country is undermined. Either clay or coal mines. Up where I live I bought mine subsidence insurance. I kind of wonder if gas from an old coal mine could work its way up into some one's basement. You can't smell it. I just pray for the 5 that died from this latest one & their families. So sad...
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Home explosion in Plum Borough, PA
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Home Explosion
Methane gas could be the cause. Did a bit of research. Reminded me of when coal miners kept a canary in a cage with them in the mines. Methane gas is a component of natural gas. In the mines it is odorless and colorless. But it displaces oxygen. In large quantities in a confined space it can asphyxiate. If the canary suddenly died, the miners could have the same fate.
If those homes are built over old, abandoned mines the concentration of methane gas could explode. I saw the pictures on the news. It also looked like a natural gas explosion to me.
Bill
Methane gas could be the cause. Did a bit of research. Reminded me of when coal miners kept a canary in a cage with them in the mines. Methane gas is a component of natural gas. In the mines it is odorless and colorless. But it displaces oxygen. In large quantities in a confined space it can asphyxiate. If the canary suddenly died, the miners could have the same fate.
If those homes are built over old, abandoned mines the concentration of methane gas could explode. I saw the pictures on the news. It also looked like a natural gas explosion to me.
Bill
Based upon my experience I would suspect a supplied natural gas explosion.
DWalt
Member
What I saw on the TV news tonight was the leading cause assumption is that gas escaped from a water heater in the basement. No explanation was provided beyond that. The video of the blast makes me fairly certain it was a gas explosion.
Over 50 years ago I was an eyewitness to a gas explosion that reduced a fairly large two story brick building under construction to rubble. I was looking right at it when the blast went off, from a distance of not much more than 150 feet away. It looked like the building was lifted up several feet off the ground then fell back and collapsed. I do not remember seeing a fireball. Fortunately, no one was inside the destroyed building. I was in another nearby building looking out a window at the time. The window glass was sucked out away from my face so I had no injuries.
Over 50 years ago I was an eyewitness to a gas explosion that reduced a fairly large two story brick building under construction to rubble. I was looking right at it when the blast went off, from a distance of not much more than 150 feet away. It looked like the building was lifted up several feet off the ground then fell back and collapsed. I do not remember seeing a fireball. Fortunately, no one was inside the destroyed building. I was in another nearby building looking out a window at the time. The window glass was sucked out away from my face so I had no injuries.
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Hair Trigger
US Veteran
Given the intensity and size of the explosion, there aren't many possibilities to consider. Accidental could be a methane seepage, or piped natural gas or LP gas explosion. Intentional could still be a natural gas or LP explosion, or a planned bombing. Forensics will tell the tale.
I remember when I was about eight years old, we were travelling through Pennsylvania on the way to visit relatives in New York state. We came upon a road block on some major highway, they were routing traffic around a 200 foot wide crater where a truck hauling explosives has blown up after one of its trailer tires had blown out and caught fire. That's been 61 years ago, I still remember seeing trees with all the limbs and bark blown off, and a house(or what was left of it) that had been nearby the explosion.
Alk8944
US Veteran
I've seen the aftermath of a residential natural gas explosion several times in the past, but that was really impressive! From watching the videos natural gas from whatever source looks far more likely as the cause than any form of high explosives being responsible.
Keep us informed, it will disappear from national news very soon!
Keep us informed, it will disappear from national news very soon!
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DWalt
Member
A high explosive blast looks nothing like what the video shows.
OP
I'm leaning towards another natural gas explosion. One that happened out there in the past was nat. gas. It was linked to a backhoe or something that scraped a gas line a few years before, removed the casing, and finally rusted through or whatever and the leaking gas followed the line into a house and killed a guy & hurt his grandchild. Really sucks in this day & age.
We had one a few years ago that killed the survivors brother and her husband. Someone had opened a valve on an abandoned oil well and gas seeped through the soil and accumulated in the basement where they were working on the water heater.
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Jeff, I felt and heard that one Saturday morning, and I'm about 3 miles as the crow flies. We couldn't figure out what it was, until we saw the news later that day.
They are floating the theory of a bad water heater, but it seems to me that it would take a good bit of gas to make that explosion, and delivered natural gas has an odor that's hard to miss, especially in large quantities.
A real shame all around. There are multiple homes around it slated for demolition, I believe.
They are floating the theory of a bad water heater, but it seems to me that it would take a good bit of gas to make that explosion, and delivered natural gas has an odor that's hard to miss, especially in large quantities.
A real shame all around. There are multiple homes around it slated for demolition, I believe.
That happened in the Bellevue WA area about 10-15 years ago. Sounds like it is the same one. My buddy works for the gas company and we got the details not reported in the news.
OP
Coincidentally, I got a message from the gas company that they will be coming around my neighborhood next week checking meters or something.
It was probably natural gas, but how can one NOT smell it? I don't know the ratio of fuel to oxygen mixture to cause that explosion, but there had to be a heck of a lot of gas coming from a water heater to cause that. Perhaps someone was working on it & left a line disconnected? Geez, call a professional. I still feel bad for those people never the less. They will investigate, but what's left to look at?
It was probably natural gas, but how can one NOT smell it? I don't know the ratio of fuel to oxygen mixture to cause that explosion, but there had to be a heck of a lot of gas coming from a water heater to cause that. Perhaps someone was working on it & left a line disconnected? Geez, call a professional. I still feel bad for those people never the less. They will investigate, but what's left to look at?
Pensylvania Home Explosion
I don't think that either methane or natural gas has a detectable odor. I have been a DIYer all my life, but have never attempted to perform any repairs for which natural gas or even propane gas is involved. Additionally, I am also not saying that repairs were being attempted in this case.
PSA - "In some instances, the smell of gas may be present naturally. However, leaks can occur, and we want to make sure they are resolved as quickly as possible. Natural gas is odorless, but an additive called mercaptan is included to alert people of leaks. Mercaptan has a highly recognizable, sulfur-like, "rotten egg" odor used to help people detect a leak."
Our natural gas supplier regularly sends PSAs to remind everyone of the above information.
"Even though natural gas has a highly-recognizable added odor, don’t rely on your nose alone. Be alert for any of these gas leak warning signs below:
The distinctive odor of natural gas
Continuous bubbling in water
A hissing, whistling, or roaring sound
Dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near a pipeline
Dirt or water being thrown into the air
An exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood, or other disaster."
I can't find my reference, but the precautions also include avoid touching or using anything electrical that could produce a spark, even a small one as in the case of a light switch.
We have also had natural gas explosions in the Atlanta area. I was leaning in that same direction when the OP mentioned that some or many or the homes in that area were built over abandoned coal or clay mines.
Bill
Update-this may not be the case, but it could be. Natural gas lines are usually buried underground. In our area we have a toll-free service - "Call Before You Dig". You call the number, provide your address and usually within 2-4 days someone will come to your residence and mark the electrical, gas, sewer, and water lines with different color spray paint. It is possible that someone else failed to follow this step and nicked a natural gas service line.
I don't think that either methane or natural gas has a detectable odor. I have been a DIYer all my life, but have never attempted to perform any repairs for which natural gas or even propane gas is involved. Additionally, I am also not saying that repairs were being attempted in this case.
PSA - "In some instances, the smell of gas may be present naturally. However, leaks can occur, and we want to make sure they are resolved as quickly as possible. Natural gas is odorless, but an additive called mercaptan is included to alert people of leaks. Mercaptan has a highly recognizable, sulfur-like, "rotten egg" odor used to help people detect a leak."
Our natural gas supplier regularly sends PSAs to remind everyone of the above information.
"Even though natural gas has a highly-recognizable added odor, don’t rely on your nose alone. Be alert for any of these gas leak warning signs below:
The distinctive odor of natural gas
Continuous bubbling in water
A hissing, whistling, or roaring sound
Dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near a pipeline
Dirt or water being thrown into the air
An exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood, or other disaster."
I can't find my reference, but the precautions also include avoid touching or using anything electrical that could produce a spark, even a small one as in the case of a light switch.
We have also had natural gas explosions in the Atlanta area. I was leaning in that same direction when the OP mentioned that some or many or the homes in that area were built over abandoned coal or clay mines.
Bill
Update-this may not be the case, but it could be. Natural gas lines are usually buried underground. In our area we have a toll-free service - "Call Before You Dig". You call the number, provide your address and usually within 2-4 days someone will come to your residence and mark the electrical, gas, sewer, and water lines with different color spray paint. It is possible that someone else failed to follow this step and nicked a natural gas service line.
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Old Arkansawyer
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When my older brother had his construction co., mostly dirt work, one
might be surprised how many underground lines were miss marked. Maybe
off by only 2-3 feet, but that was enough to cause problems.
might be surprised how many underground lines were miss marked. Maybe
off by only 2-3 feet, but that was enough to cause problems.
SweetMK
Member
"For natural gas-fired burners, the stoichiometric air required is 9.4-11 ft.3 / 1.0 ft. of natural gas or approximately an air-to-gas ratio of approximately 10:1"
also,,
"Natural gas is always lighter than air, and will rise in a room if allowed to escape from a burner or leaking fitting. On the contrary, propane is heavier than air and will settle in a basement or other low level."
So, left unattended, the natural gas could rise from the basement, and fill the upper levels of the home.
the 10-1 ratio shows that not much gas is needed to fill the house,, considering how many CFM a gas line can flow.
I just added a fail-safe devise to my water well pump, it can sense a failed line, and shut off the pump.
A home should have such a devise for gas flow,, especially after several explosions,,
also,,
"Natural gas is always lighter than air, and will rise in a room if allowed to escape from a burner or leaking fitting. On the contrary, propane is heavier than air and will settle in a basement or other low level."
So, left unattended, the natural gas could rise from the basement, and fill the upper levels of the home.
the 10-1 ratio shows that not much gas is needed to fill the house,, considering how many CFM a gas line can flow.
I just added a fail-safe devise to my water well pump, it can sense a failed line, and shut off the pump.
A home should have such a devise for gas flow,, especially after several explosions,,
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Saw explosion on the news, sure looked like natural or propane gas. News said no gas was in or around house?????
