Finances in the Golden Era and today

[jamespowers]

Unless you're going to sit down and munch on it like a beaver it won't harm you. Just like asbestos and lead paint, if you don't rub it in your face and nose you'll be ok.

You don't have to eat the drywall it will come out and say hell to you through the air and infect your lungs, eyes, and anything else that comes in contact with its lethal rotting mess. *yucky*
I'll take lead paint on the walls any day over the walls falling down and infecting you---to death. :eusa_doh:

 

[Lincsong]

You don't have to eat the drywall it will come out and say hell to you through the air and infect your lungs, eyes, and anything else that comes in contact with its lethal rotting mess. *yucky*
I'll take lead paint on the walls any day over the walls falling down and infecting you---to death. :eusa_doh:

You mean like the asbestos in old houses?

 

[Mav]

You mean like the asbestos in old houses?

Actually, as you mentioned before, asbestos insulation (most of my experience is in old hvac ductwork insulation), is fine as long as you leave it the hell alone and don't try to "abate" it. But, it's a moneymaker for the asbestos abatement industry, and it's legally mandated.
I'm with James on the drywall thing, but for somewhat different reasons: the stuff is a mold- magnet. My place (built as a shack 1852, updated to Victorian in 1898) was sheetrocked sometime in the '50's. I tore it all out, which was a disgusting mess.

 

[Lincsong]

I was talking to a neighbor a couple weeks ago and we were talking about this house that was sitting empty while the landlord found a new tenant. Well the water heater burst, flooded the house, warped the floors and soaked the sheetrock. So the old guy, an original owner, said; "oh there's asbestos in that sheetrock" I looked at him and said; well in 55 years of living in your house, I'm sure you've done many remodeling and disturbed it, and your still around." lol

 

[bil_maxx]

Exactly. Just leave it. There are a huge number of buildings in Canada that have it and are perfectly safe.

 

[jamespowers]

Actually, as you mentioned before, asbestos insulation (most of my experience is in old hvac ductwork insulation), is fine as long as you leave it the hell alone and don't try to "abate" it. But, it's a moneymaker for the asbestos abatement industry, and it's legally mandated.
I'm with James on the drywall thing, but for somewhat different reasons: the stuff is a mold- magnet. My place (built as a shack 1852, updated to Victorian in 1898) was sheetrocked sometime in the '50's. I tore it all out, which was a disgusting mess.

That is exactly what I was thinking about asbestos. If you leave it alone it will leave you alone. No problems.
The sheetrock is indeed a mess. I have seen horror stories all over the place about the cheap junk they use for walls these days. :eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

I was talking to a neighbor a couple weeks ago and we were talking about this house that was sitting empty while the landlord found a new tenant. Well the water heater burst, flooded the house, warped the floors and soaked the sheetrock. So the old guy, an original owner, said; "oh there's asbestos in that sheetrock" I looked at him and said; well in 55 years of living in your house, I'm sure you've done many remodeling and disturbed it, and your still around." lol

Who the heck puts a water heater in the house?! The water heater around here is always in the garage or under the house---where it can do less damage to the house. I think there is a building code defining the problem too.:eusa_doh:

 

[LizzieMaine]

Who the heck puts a water heater in the house?! The water heater around here is always in the garage or under the house---where it can do less damage to the house. I think there is a building code defining the problem too.:eusa_doh:

It used to be pretty common to have the water heater in the kitchen or bathroom, actually -- my grandparents' house had a huge copper tank in the bathroom with a pipe that ran across the kitchen ceiling and into the kerosene stove, where it formed a coil over the burner and then ran back to the tank. Pretty clever system, and the thing was indestructible, with no fiddly thermostat to burn out. Of course, there were only two choices for water temperature -- ice cold or boiling hot -- and showers required a very delicate touch.

 

[jamespowers]

It used to be pretty common to have the water heater in the kitchen or bathroom, actually -- my grandparents' house had a huge copper tank in the bathroom with a pipe that ran across the kitchen ceiling and into the kerosene stove, where it formed a coil over the burner and then ran back to the tank. Pretty clever system, and the thing was indestructible, with no fiddly thermostat to burn out. Of course, there were only two choices for water temperature -- ice cold or boiling hot -- and showers required a very delicate touch.

Wow! I don't think I would want that. It could destroy your whole house if it went. :eusa_doh:
Mine is under the house in the basement. It can stay there.

 

[Lincsong]

Who the heck puts a water heater in the house?! The water heater around here is always in the garage or under the house---where it can do less damage to the house. I think there is a building code defining the problem too.:eusa_doh:

The water heaters were put into the house because if it's put in the garage, the fumes from gasoline could ignite when and if it comes into contact with the pilot light. Only cheap cracker boxes around here that are under 800 square feet had the water heater in the garage. There was no place to put it in the house. Unless the guy took it out and put a toilet in its place.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Many...

...older houses put water heaters wherever they could carve out or find room. These things were often retrofits. In my grandfather's house it sat in the corner of the kitchen. Everything was a retrofit in that house -- plumbing, electrical, everything.

What a happy, snug little house it was! So informal, comfortable, and practical.

As a side note. Basements here aren't really an option -- the water table is too high. Most builders either put water heaters in the garage or laundry area. A few have taken to putting them in the attic. Done right this is ok. Few do it right and then it's pretty risky.

Some of the newer houses are going to the tankless models. Some even are putting in several, each being near the major points of demand. For instance, one in the kitchen/laundry area, one in the master suite, and one for the secodary baths.

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

Who the heck puts a water heater in the house?! The water heater around here is always in the garage or under the house---where it can do less damage to the house. I think there is a building code defining the problem too.:eusa_doh:

When I visited friends in England they had the water heater in their bedroom closet and had a switch in the kitchen that turned it on and off as opposed to all the american houses I have been in where we let it run 24/7. So I think that it depends on where you live too on what the practice is on where its placed and how its used. Here in Minnesota we have basements so the generally go in the basement.
I think it would be interesting to hear from other loungers about the practice of placement and use.

 

[Puzzicato]

Our water heater is under the breakfast bar in the kitchen, with a storage tank upstairs in the bathroom. The thermostat is set for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening.

 

[LizzieMaine]

When I visited friends in England they had the water heater in their bedroom closet and had a switch in the kitchen that turned it on and off as opposed to all the american houses I have been in where we let it run 24/7.

My mother always kept ours shut off unless we needed to take a bath, in which case it was turned on half-an-hour before bath time and then shut right off again. To this day I feel guilty I don't do that with mine.

When I moved into this house, it had no separate heater at all -- the hot water pipe went into the furnace and heated the water there. But when we had a plumber replace the bathroom sink, he got all messed up with the pipes and ended up fracturing something in the furnace that couldn't be fixed -- and I ended up needing a separate electric tank in the cellar. Which I hate -- it's the biggest electricity hog in the house. And there isn't even an easy way to switch it off.

 

[jamespowers]

The water heaters were put into the house because if it's put in the garage, the fumes from gasoline could ignite when and if it comes into contact with the pilot light. Only cheap cracker boxes around here that are under 800 square feet had the water heater in the garage. There was no place to put it in the house. Unless the guy took it out and put a toilet in its place.

That is ridiculous. You would have to accumulate a ton of gas fumes to have such a thing happen. You could literally close the doors on the garage and let the car run for hours without causing the heater to blow up. You would likely just extinguish the pilot light first. That is why water heaters have a thermocouple. We are talking gasoline fumes here not the gas that is used in your gas stove. Having a water heater in a kitchen near a gas stove is a much more extreme hazzard. :eusa_doh:

 

[Puzzicato]

Wow! I don't think I would want that. It could destroy your whole house if it went. :eusa_doh:
Mine is under the house in the basement. It can stay there.

A lot of houses in England don't have a garage or a basement!

 

[Lincsong]

:eusa_doh:

That is ridiculous. You would have to accumulate a ton of gas fumes to have such a thing happen. You could literally close the doors on the garage and let the car run for hours without causing the heater to blow up. You would likely just extinguish the pilot light first. That is why water heaters have a thermocouple. We are talking gasoline fumes here not the gas that is used in your gas stove. Having a water heater in a kitchen near a gas stove is a much more extreme hazzard. :eusa_doh:

Ridiculous? :eusa_doh: Is it just late at night while you post such things? Are you not thinking first? Think about what you just posted.

Gasoline, paint thinner, turpentine etc. are highly flammable gases. Why do you think there are NO SMOKING signs at gas stations? :eusa_doh: In addition they accumlate and travel low which makes it extremely dangerous for them to be near an open flame such as a pilot light. Why do you think the building codes require water heaters to be elevated 3 feet from the floor when they're installed in garages?

"Literally close the doors on the garage and let the car run for hours"???? Are you on some type of drugs? lol That is just too laughable to reply.

So you are saying that the natural gas used to operate both a stove and a water heater is an extreme hazard to each other? :eusa_doh: Now, that is RIDICULOUS! Think before you post.

 

[handlebar bart]

water heaters

Also,most older homes had no garage, or the garage was detached. Putting the water heater in a detached garage in cold climates requires extra precautions and expense that is needless when placed in the house.

 

[jamespowers]

Ridiculous? Is it just late at night while you post such things? Are you not thinking first? Think about what you just posted.

Gasoline, paint thinner, turpentine etc. are highly flammable gases. Why do you think there are NO SMOKING signs at gas stations? :eusa_doh: In addition they accumlate and travel low which makes it extremely dangerous for them to be near an open flame such as a pilot light. Why do you think the building codes require water heaters to be elevated 3 feet from the floor when they're installed in garages?

"Literally close the doors on the garage and let the car run for hours"???? Are you on some type of drugs? That is just too laughable to reply.

So you are saying that the natural gas used to operate both a stove and a water heater is an extreme hazard to each other? :eusa_doh: Now, that is RIDICULOUS! Think before you post.

I think you must live in a Three Stooges movie. Gasoline, paint thinner, turpentine etc. are highly flammable gases if you leave them in open containers! All of those things come in or are obtained in tightly sealed containers. If you have that stuff open in your garage then you deserve to be blown up. lol
No drugs. When my mother was on Chemo, she forgot a few things. One of them was turning the car off before going into the house. NOTHING happened.
No, I am not saying those two gases are hazzardous to each other. I am saying that the gas used to operate a stove is much more mobile, flamable and open to affect a pilot light than auto gas fumes---especially if the stove is next to the water heater. That would be ridiculous.
Building codes are as they are because some pulled a Three Stooges moment and showed exactly how something shouldn't be done. Put your water heater where you want but I am not responsible for the house being launched into orbit. :eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

Also,most older homes had no garage, or the garage was detached. Putting the water heater in a detached garage in cold climates requires extra precautions and expense that is needless when placed in the house.

That actually reminds me of a neighbor of my mother's that put the water heater in a "closet" outside the house. That guy was a genius.
I could see problems with the water heater being outside in cold climates. I was speaking of in California where that really isn't a problem. [huh]