Posted by seahunt on June 26, 2001 at 22:02:37:
In Reply to: You're stating untested common knowledge." a contrdiction in terms posted by JB on June 26, 2001 at 10:37:29:
>You saw that ONCE being done by some idiot who is dead now.
Say what??? I've seen it done by a number of plumbers with no ill effect and I've done it on occasion years back.
>a "backlight" is when a outside source forces a combusting mixture into a
>volatile environment igniting even more fuel.
Needs Oxygen too. A flame in a steel gas pipe has no where to go. We're not talking gaping holes here, we're talking joints with pin sized leaks.
>The VAST MAJORITY of construction sites are ENCLOSED areas shows what you know.
I bet that's true on the east coast where weather is a problem. Not here though. Even in winter. heat is our problem, so areas are much more open. As you say, most gas piping is done and pressure tested in new construction before the building is sealed any, but much residential gas is outside (people love moving watre heaters into outside encloseures.. and various BBQ's) and where I saw it done inside was remodels.
>AND YES I DO gas piping in RESTAURANTS AND homes!
Boy oh boy, Did I step on your nuts.
***
OK. I'm wrong. I first saw the match method for finding small leaks when I was a child. (I sort of grew up on construction sites.) So it didn't shock me when I saw it done in the Bay Area or back in LA. I think I used the method a couple of times near 20 years ago.
OK. So there's going to be this flash back down the pipe and blow away the whole neighborhood. Well, I missed that, but I'm glad you told me about it, even though it's largely physically impossible. I thought positive pressure kept oxygen out of the pipe. Now I know better and will never light another pilot or bunsen burner. I'm surprised I never died when I used to make natural gas balloons in cleaner bags all the time... amoung other things I did with gas.
Now, I'm willing to take what you say, because... well you say it. You sound so sure of these horrible events (that I somehow missed noticing) that I assume you have seen these problems... probably repeatedly. Could you relate your experiences so that I could pass them on to a couple of friends that still use a flame for leak detection to this day. I'm sure that they would be interested... or at least tell me where this idea came from. It's certainly not one I have heard on the west coast.
If I believed everything I was told, I wouldn't be any smarter than the people round me. Just as the DIR folks check the conventional beliefs of the dive community. I test the common beliefs of our society. Do you believe everything doctors say... or mechanics, or.... I don't.
>if its common knowledge IT IS tested.
Wow! You really like common knowledge, but it's very often wrong. You have any kids? Or ask someone that does. You should hear what the pediatricians will tell you. It's a hoot.
Enjoy, seahunt