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We forgot how insane it is to pump explosive gas into our houses... Here in the developing country where I live the locals think Americans are insane for doing

We forgot how insane it is to pump explosive gas into our houses... Here in the developing country where I live the locals think Americans are insane for doing this. When I first moved here I thought they were backward because there is no gas piped around. It's all portable refillable tanks that you buy at the corner shop and hook up to your stove. Seems like a recipe for disaster, right? Well yes, there are accidents and an explosion now and then. But it's limited to a single house in most cases. They don't have whole neighborhoods erupting due to failing infrastructure. So maybe I'm changing my mind and being less developed has some very real advantages.

emodendroket 8y ago
I mean if you prefer that look for a house with oil heating, but it costs a fortune.
- geomark 8y ago
  I made a terrible oversight. Where I live there is no need for heating. Gas is only used for cooking. So my previous comment does not apply to a huge portion of the population. My bad.
  - emodendroket 8y ago
    Oh. Well... if you have oil heating (or no heating) you probably have an electric stove. I don't think I've ever seen a house with a gas stove that didn't have gas heat.
    - RHSeeger 8y ago
      If you don't have gas heat, you can get a (large) propane tank for use with a gas stovetop. My first house had such a setup (oil heat).
      - emodendroket 8y ago
        Hm. That's new to me. Seems like more trouble than it's worth.
        testvox 8y ago
        Some people are really attached to their gas stoves. I have seen this setup in western Massachusettes where gas-lines are not available.
    - kalleboo 8y ago
      Where I live [not the US] gas cooking is very common but heating is most commonly done by either heat pump (air conditioner set to reverse) or kerosene.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
tallanvor 8y ago
The US is not unique here. I suspect you'd find that an even higher percentage of homes in the UK are connected to gas lines. But these types of explosions are extremely rare, and most likely you'll find more accidents in less developed countries from people connecting the tanks incorrectly than you'll find from instances in the US, UK, or other countries of massive accidents like this one.

emodendroket 8y ago

I mean if you prefer that look for a house with oil heating, but it costs a fortune.

geomark 8y ago
I made a terrible oversight. Where I live there is no need for heating. Gas is only used for cooking. So my previous comment does not apply to a huge portion of the population. My bad.
- emodendroket 8y ago
  Oh. Well... if you have oil heating (or no heating) you probably have an electric stove. I don't think I've ever seen a house with a gas stove that didn't have gas heat.
  - RHSeeger 8y ago
    If you don't have gas heat, you can get a (large) propane tank for use with a gas stovetop. My first house had such a setup (oil heat).
    - emodendroket 8y ago
      Hm. That's new to me. Seems like more trouble than it's worth.
      - testvox 8y ago
        Some people are really attached to their gas stoves. I have seen this setup in western Massachusettes where gas-lines are not available.
  - kalleboo 8y ago
    Where I live [not the US] gas cooking is very common but heating is most commonly done by either heat pump (air conditioner set to reverse) or kerosene.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]

tallanvor 8y ago

The US is not unique here. I suspect you'd find that an even higher percentage of homes in the UK are connected to gas lines. But these types of explosions are extremely rare, and most likely you'll find more accidents in less developed countries from people connecting the tanks incorrectly than you'll find from instances in the US, UK, or other countries of massive accidents like this one.