Thai man demands responsibility for explosion after fridge repair

[webfact]

 

A Thai man demanded a home appliance manufacturer take responsibility for an explosion at his home after a technician came to repair a fridge.

The Thai man, Rattapol Yotinupamai, shared the details of the explosion to his followers on Facebook on December 3. Rarrapol explained that he contracted a technician from the appliance company to fix a refrigerator at his home on December 1. They arrived and started repairing at 1.15pm, and the explosion occurred at around 2pm.

 

According to Rattapol’s girlfriend, the technician was working in the kitchen when the woman heard a high-pitched squealing noise. She looked into the kitchen and saw the flame inside. The glass door and windows in the kitchen began to warp and the explosion took place.

The woman ran out of the house in shock, with wounds from broken glass on her legs and arms. The technician was injured by the flame and broken glass on his arms and face.

The technician told Rattapol that the fire in the septic tank in the kitchen was caused by hydrogen sulphide in the tank. The technician also insisted that it was not his fault and that he had nothing to do with the repairs.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via Facebook/ Rattapol Yotinupamai

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-27

 

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[BE88]

It is definitely more convenient to buy a new one than to ask for damage to be repaired after the coolants are eco-friendly.

[flyingtlger]

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

The technician told Rattapol that the fire in the septic tank in the kitchen was caused by hydrogen sulphide in the tank

A likely cause....

[2baht]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

septic tank in the kitchen

Interesting! 

[NoDisplayName]

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

the septic tank in the kitchen

 

Ah.  That explains fish sauce.

[Celsius]

Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation

[sammieuk1]

Was the technician re-gassing the tank via his anus ? it would explain the hydrogen sulphide and the high pitched squealing noise 🤔

[Fruit Trader]

19 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Was the technician re-gassing the tank via his anus ? it would explain the hydrogen sulphide and the high pitched squealing noise 🤔

 

A video capture of the scene clearly shows brazing equipment which is used make connections on refrigerant lines. Near to the gas bottles is a concrete cover which has lifted and was likely covering a septic tank. Very common in Thailand for people to extend property over drains and septic tanks.

 

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, 2baht said:

Interesting! 

Aren't they usually buried underground?

[brianthainess]

An added on kitchen over septic tanks Mmmm nice. 🤮 a properly vented tank would not have a build up of gas.

Edited December 27, 2023 by brianthainess

[2baht]

25 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Aren't they usually buried underground?

Not here it seems...it's in the kitchen! Obviously something lost in translation!

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The technician told Rattapol that the fire in the septic tank in the kitchen was caused by hydrogen sulphide in the tank. The technician also insisted that it was not his fault and that he had nothing to do with the repairs.

It weren't me I tell you.

[hotchilli]

28 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Aren't they usually buried underground?

That't costs money.

[Peterphuket]

Yes, my septictank is outside, underground and with a ventilationtube, 5 mtr away. But I don't have a fridge outside.

[rwill]

Home owners insurance and business liability insurance.

 

Cooking on top of a septic tank, yummy!!!

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, 2baht said:

Interesting! 

But convenient if the food has caused 'Dehli Belly'

[herfiehandbag]

6 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

But convenient if the food has caused 'Dehli Belly'

 

The fridge repair chappie may have inadvertently discovered "perpetual motion"!

[brianthainess]

 

2 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Aren't they usually buried underground?

It is underground isn't it its not free standing is it, and was probably outside until some dickhead build a kitchen over it and I would imagine the vent pipe no longer exists hence the build up of gas.(or as my dad used to call it the stink pipe).

[cowellandrew]

I keep my fridge in the septic tank under the tiled floor, keeps the wife out of it,

😂

[Jenkins9039]

Oh boy.. 

 

got one under the old garage (converted to a gym/maid bedroom)

got one under the patio (connected to an Annex bedroom)

got one under the garage

Got one beside a new bedroom

 

If just one goes off i'd imagine we'd have 30mb of damage.

[Jing Joe]

On 12/27/2023 at 4:29 PM, brianthainess said:

An added on kitchen over septic tanks Mmmm nice. 🤮 a properly vented tank would not have a build up of gas.

Agree Brian. And the brazing equipment was on the tank lid, the hissing was probably the expanding start of burning of the H2S in the tank, which got too much so then half that lid lifted in the following fiery explosion. Its a wonder a small stinky leak hadnt been detected before but "H2S is slightly denser than air", and   "Hydrogen sulfide (also known as H₂S, sewer gas, swamp gas, stink damp, and sour damp) is a colorless gas known for its pungent "rotten egg" odor at low concentrations. It is extremely flammable and highly toxic."     So if no vent, the toilet was flushed, a slight buildup of tank pressure pushing H2S slightly upward, through a gap in the cover, no floor coverings there, bad timing, the brazing tech got burnt, and the rest was history except for the ongoing blame dispute.   Sounds feasible to me but at the start the story had so many incongruencies.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Jing Joe
edit

[RocketDog]

On 12/27/2023 at 4:39 PM, brianthainess said:

 

It is underground isn't it its not free standing is it, and was probably outside until some dickhead build a kitchen over it and I would imagine the vent pipe no longer exists hence the build up of gas.(or as my dad used to call it the stink pipe).

Methane much more likely cause than hydrogen sulfide.

[Jing Joe]

3 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Methane much more likely cause than hydrogen sulfide.

Ah yes RocketDog that is more plausable.     Methane is an odorless, colorless, flammable gas.   and its density is about half that of air and had there been a vent it might not have been there in the tank, so it had been leaking into the kitched for yonks just waiting for someone to braze over that gap. What bad luck. . .  (The flamma­bil­i­ty lim­it of the gas is a con­cen­tra­tion in air from 5 to 15%.)          So the householders actually may never have smelt H2S, and the fridge technician may have only smelt and blamed  H2S after the disruptive explosion but the real culprit could have been CH4 methane.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Jing Joe
edit

[RocketDog]

19 hours ago, Jing Joe said:

Ah yes RocketDog that is more plausable.     Methane is an odorless, colorless, flammable gas.   and its density is about half that of air and had there been a vent it might not have been there in the tank, so it had been leaking into the kitched for yonks just waiting for someone to braze over that gap. What bad luck. . .  (The flamma­bil­i­ty lim­it of the gas is a con­cen­tra­tion in air from 5 to 15%.)          So the householders actually may never have smelt H2S, and the fridge technician may have only smelt and blamed  H2S after the disruptive explosion but the real culprit could have been CH4 methane.

Indeed, it's commonly called 'sewer gas' or 'swamp gas' and in mines 'firedamp'.

In the 1800's it was used for streetlamps powered by sewer tanks under the streets. Needless to say there were frequent explosions.  

Of course we've all heard about cow farts and as youngsters we lit our own  farts with a lighter (yes, it did singe our asses). Gross I know, but we did it gleefully. All the uses of Methane!

Butane and propane are close cousins having two or three carbon atoms respectfully, bonded to hydrogen; Much less volatile than Methane.

[jacko45k]

On 12/27/2023 at 1:26 PM, mikeymike100 said:

Aren't they usually buried underground?

Yes, but they will have a cover  and access hole to allow them to be pumped out. Seen quite a few small houses where the kitchen is build over such a tank and brass covers over the access holes in the tiled floors. Possibly once an open area Thai style kitchen that was later enclosed. 

[HighPriority]

From the above article… 🤣

 

”… The technician also insisted that it was not his fault and that he had nothing to do with the repairs.”

 

🤣🤣