Massachusetts gas explosions

Stg2Suby · Sep 15, 2018

https://globalnews.ca/news/4450377/gas-explosions-massachusetts/

Any idea or theories on what technically happened here? I'm not familiar with residential gas distribution but doesn't the regulator outside your house protect high side overpressure from getting past the regulator into the home and blowing **** up?

rightsideup · Sep 15, 2018

Stg2Suby said:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4450377/gas-explosions-massachusetts/

Any idea or theories on what technically happened here? I'm not familiar with residential gas distribution but doesn't the regulator outside your house protect high side overpressure from getting past the regulator into the home and blowing **** up?

could be certain regulators failed this event must be devastating for all involved

gunner3006 · Sep 15, 2018

You never know what was happening here to. Lots of people try and cut corners.

team dirt · Sep 17, 2018

Those regulators are built with an internal relief that shouldn’t allow more than 10% of setpoint through. That is also very dependent on upstream pressure and by the sounds of it that got real hi. Someone must have bypassed something or had a relief valve shut in.

S.W.A.T. · Sep 17, 2018

Stg2Suby said:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4450377/gas-explosions-massachusetts/

Any idea or theories on what technically happened here? I'm not familiar with residential gas distribution but doesn't the regulator outside your house protect high side overpressure from getting past the regulator into the home and blowing **** up?

Fake news, trump says it didn't happen and blames Obama

Stg2Suby · Sep 18, 2018

NTSB has released a statement indicating the distribution piping system got pressurized to 12 times the normal operating pressure of 0.5 PSI (6 PSI recorded). Sounds like construction activities led to control system pressure transmitters incorrectly connected to a de-pressurized line giving false readings and allowing the over-pressure to occur. Class-action lawsuits are in progress, probably be a long silence from here on in..

Caper11 · Sep 18, 2018

Their gas systems must be designed differently than ours. Must not be regulated at the house meter, i don’t understand fully how that’s possible.

Stg2Suby · Sep 18, 2018

I don't understand it either, I'm surprised their distribution piping runs at such a low pressure, basically close to utilization pressure of your home appliances. The service regulator at the house (if there is one) would have to be sized for a very low pressure ratio and may not handle an inlet pressure spike very well.

skegpro · Sep 18, 2018

Caper11 said:
Their gas systems must be designed differently than ours. Must not be regulated at the house meter, i don’t understand fully how that’s possible.

Saving money on regulators. Lol

Caper11 · Sep 19, 2018

skegpro said:
Saving money on regulators. Lol

Lol yep, saving money on something. Must be using plastic gas lines or something inside the house that wont take 6psi.
Would the gas valve on the appliances fail open when they saw that pressure. Max inlet to the appliance gas valve is usually 10.5”WC.

Toyboy · Sep 19, 2018

If that was the case all the houses would have blown up. I'm thinking just the ones that had appliances that were running and the gas valves were open when the pressure spiked.

skegpro · Sep 19, 2018

Toyboy said:
If that was the case all the houses would have blown up. I'm thinking just the ones that had appliances that were running and the gas valves were open when the pressure spiked.

That makes sense, pressure spiked put out the flame and then filled the house with gas till something lite her off?

Toyboy · Sep 19, 2018

That's my guess. Thermocouple wouldn't close the gas valves till it cooled off. Depending on how big the appliance was is how much gas would escape before the valve closed and how long the pressure was up could increase the volume of gas enough to blow the windows out. Gas valves might not even close with more pressure than they were designed for.

skegpro · Sep 19, 2018

Toyboy said:
That's my guess. Thermocouple wouldn't close the gas valves till it cooled off. Depending on how big the appliance was is how much gas would escape before the valve closed and how long the pressure was up could increase the volume of gas enough to blow the windows out. Gas valves might not even close with more pressure than they were designed for.

Or a manual valve on a gas oven or cook top.

Massachusetts gas explosions

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