Tourists warned of danger of gas-powered water heaters

[webfact]

Tourists warned of danger of gas-powered water heaters

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has warned tourists visiting high-altitude attractions during cool weather in the North and Northeast to beware of gas-powered water heaters at accommodations as 21 incidents have caused illness or death in the past decade.
 

During 2008-2017, 24 people fell ill and seven were killed in the 21 incidents involving the use of gas-powered water heaters, said DDC director-general Suwanchai Wattanayingchareonchai.

 

He said most of the cases took place in the North during December to January and it was found that many of the water heaters were of substandard quality, were installed poorly, or the bathroom had poor ventilation.

 

The latter problem contributed to sickness as a gas-powered heater with incomplete combustion will cause the victim to be exposed to odourless and colourless carbon monoxide. This can cause dizziness, headache, fainting, respiratory difficulty, vomiting, unconsciousness and even death, especially among those at risk such as children, elderly persons and chronic illness patients (heart disease, high blood pressure and respiratory disease), he said.

 

He urged accommodation owners and related agencies to inspect the condition of devices to be safe and that ventilating fans be installed along with warning signs and advice on how to use the devices.

 

He also advised people not to take a lengthy shower and have at least a 15-20 minute gap between one person's use of the shower after another user.

 

He said that anyone experiencing dizziness or respiratory issue during a shower should open the door, turn off the heater and leave immediately.

 

For more information, call the department's hotline 1422.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30357656

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-01

[keith101]

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said most of the cases took place in the North during December to January and it was found that many of the water heaters were of substandard quality, were installed poorly, or the bathroom had poor ventilation.

So put the fault to the installers of the heaters and the Retailers for selling the substandard ones . Gas water heaters are usually very good and economical to use .

[kotsak]

Since there are many risks for tourists maybe this welcome sign would be appropriate at every entry point.

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by kotsak

[Ralf61]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

21 incidents have caused illness or death in the past decade

That's the per-hour rate on Thai roads...

[trigpoint]

It's usually the flue (blocked) or poor ventilation that's the cause, not the boiler or installation. If you already feel dizzy and a headache it's to late, you have carbon monoxide piosoning already and will die. No treatment.

[MekkOne]

because the electric one, installed by sentient monkeys are perfectly safe...

[Thian]

Or just ask a farang how to use those heaters.

[observer90210]

Gas fed appliances always make me uneasy.

 

Useful indeed when the electricity gets shut down, but still.

 

Electric seems safer when installed by qualified workers.

[BigBadGeordie]

8 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Gas fed appliances always make me uneasy.

 

Useful indeed when the electricity gets shut down, but still.

 

Electric seems safer when installed by qualified workers.

So it will be cold showers in Thailand, I guess!

[Bill Miller]

Wow. I have used one for years at my cabin in Arizona without problems.
The heater should be installed outside of the shower area and properly vented to the outdoors. I bet that is the trouble, that they are installed ;like an electric unit in the shower room, and no flue to the outdoors.

 

[natway09]

You got it Bill.

The actual burners & flue MUST be outside to be safe 

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Gas fed appliances always make me uneasy.

 

Useful indeed when the electricity gets shut down, but still.

 

Electric seems safer when installed by qualified workers.

If gas appliances are installed correctly, including the means of ventilation and smoke discharge I find them more trustworthy as the mix of electricity and water in electric boilers.

[maxisrael]

Having gas heaters for many years already but service them each year and they are mounted outside of the bathrooms !

Good quality heater Rinnai  (heater unit made of copper) excellent hot water even in the coldest days and low cost to use unit just over 10.000 baht ( 5.5 ltr hot water / minute)

[heybuz]

Gas can be produced with an odour (not farting)gas in my town has an odour added,as a safety measure.

[Classic Ray]

1 hour ago, heybuz said:

Gas can be produced with an odour (not farting)gas in my town has an odour added,as a safety measure.

It’s not the unburnt gas leaking that is usually a problem, it’s when it has burnt incompletely, producing carbon monoxide, or when the flue gases leak into a poorly ventilated room. The odour they add to unburnt gas disappears when it burns, and the poisonous gases are odourless.

[DrTuner]

4 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Electric seems safer when installed by qualified workers.

And the grand 100000000000 baht prize for finding a qualified worker in Thailand goooooeess toooo ...... [silence]

[Foexie]

9 hours ago, trigpoint said:

It's usually the flue (blocked) or poor ventilation that's the cause, not the boiler or installation. If you already feel dizzy and a headache it's to late, you have carbon monoxide piosoning already and will die. No treatment.

You're so very wrong. You only die if you pass out and nobody will come to save you from that room. As long there is still enough oxygen in the air you will survive.

 

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.

[dyertribe]

These heaters are meant to be installed outside with just the water piping coming through the wall.

 

Because they are a small (instantaneous) unit, many people in Thailand install them like the small electric ones, which are made to go inside.

 

There is nothing wrong with the heaters, they are not "sub standard" they are just misunderstood ????

 

 

[MekkOne]

16 hours ago, Thian said:

Or just ask a farang how to use those heaters.

SHUT UP! And show me your passport! You criminal!

[MekkOne]

11 hours ago, DrTuner said:

And the grand 100000000000 baht prize for finding a qualified worker in Thailand goooooeess toooo ...... [silence]

The biggest problem about it is that even if you're a 'qualified' worker (that means that you went a couple of times to school and somebody, somehow, gave you a diploma) you cannot quiet put to the ground this heaters as most of the electric systems in Thailand are not (or really badly) grounded. So long story short, a life switch will work fine but it will trip anytime you're using to much the heater, a breaker will be to big, you have to put to ground every heater (imagine if you're living at the 10th floor ????

[mikebell]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The Department of Disease Control (DDC)

What's it to do with them? They should stick to killing rabid dogs and/or their owners.

[trigpoint]

10 hours ago, Foexie said:

You're so very wrong. You only die if you pass out and nobody will come to save you from that room. As long there is still enough oxygen in the air you will survive.

 

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.

hardly wrong, totally right,  as in the symptoms of CO poisoning state. I only gave a brief summary of it. I am a retired gas engineer and consultant for various housing association in the UK BTW. 

[moontang]

3 hours ago, MekkOne said:

The biggest problem about it is that even if you're a 'qualified' worker (that means that you went a couple of times to school and somebody, somehow, gave you a diploma) you cannot quiet put to the ground this heaters as most of the electric systems in Thailand are not (or really badly) grounded. So long story short, a life switch will work fine but it will trip anytime you're using to much the heater, a breaker will be to big, you have to put to ground every heater (imagine if you're living at the 10th floor ????

I did a new install in my 27 yo condo on a high floor.  The instructions say five times..DO NOT DO A TWO WIRE INSTALLATION..and I did three wire... ,but more than 90% of them are two wire jobs..now if your service box is not grounded..you ground to a pipe or piece of steel.  Funny how many will tell you to stick a 2 meter copper rod into the ground, when most of BKK lives on upper floors.

Edited November 2, 2018 by moontang