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DIPTUBE.INFO - 1965 N.C. WATER HEATER EXPLOSION

One of our website visitors forwarded on this newspaper article from 1965 that documents a catastrophic water heater explosion. It amazes me that they attributed the explosion to a plastic dip tube. Why? When working, the dip tube brings cold water to the bottom of the tank. This does nothing to cause overheating or an explosion. If the dip tube breaks, then it makes the hot water at the top of the unit tepid, thus reducing the explosivity of the unit. In my opinion, this article is a perfect example of reporter ignorance in action. Explosive water heaters make for incredible newspaper reports, as there is nearly always major catastrophic damage as the unit shoots up through the roof of the home and into shallow orbit only to be found a football field away. The further investigation in North Carolina revealed that a “pressure relief” valve was installed instead of the preferred “temperature and pressure relief” valve. The explosion had nothing to do with the dip tube.

NORTH CAROLINA NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Water Heater Blasts Off in N. Carolina; Dip Tube Is Blamed

Dec. 10, 1965 - Fayetteville, N.C. - An explosion of a water heater severely damaged the home of an Army doctor, ond debris damaged four nearby houses last month.

The water heater tank was found some 100 yards away from the house of its owner, Dr. L. E. Reaves III. Damage to the house was estimated at $5,000.

PLASTIC DIP TUBE

Investigators were reported to have put the blame for the explosion on the water heater’s plastic dip tube, which they said was similar to dip tubes blamed for water heater explosions in other North Carolina cities last year.

The Raleigh Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contactors, however, has maintained that earlier explosions were caused by faulty installations, because in each case the heaters had been installed by handymen and unlicensed individuals (Contractor, Oct. 15).

Plastic dip tubes do not make water heaters explode unless something else goes wrong first, it was said.