An apartment-wide gas odor alarmed a family in Colombia after they had a new water heater installed.
Here's what to know
Hot showers were under way when the family noticed the gas odor, the resident reported on Reddit's r/HomeMaintenance. It was the evening after the installation.
"It was very strong and went throughout the entire apartment," the original poster wrote.
The family turned off the supply and opened windows, and the smell dissipated.
"When the installers came back, they said the regulator was bad and they'd need to wait for the part, but they opened the gas valve partway so it was still supplying some gas so we could still use it," the OP wrote. "That didn't sit right with us and we still smelled gas anyway, so we just turned the gas completely off and haven't been using it.
"We were then told this model doesn't have a gas regulator part anymore and it's built in and that a repairman would come and look. I am very confused and I'm wondering what type of thing I should be accepting as far as repair when the repairman shows up."
More background
Heat pump water heaters move heat into water, using less electricity than conventional electric resistance water heaters, which can lower water-heating bills.
What would count as an acceptable repair remained unclear to the resident with just one response from Redditors.
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"They seem to have no idea what they're doing, and we are beholden to the building owner," the OP added.
For households considering a new water-heating setup, Cala offers configurable smart heat pump water heaters. Matching water-heating schedules to household demand can help reduce energy use and bills by tailoring operation to when hot water is needed. For a family whose demands include evening showers, that means configuring heating around those routines with Cala.
Where can I learn more?
Other homeowners and renters have also smelled gas while using a water heater or shortly after an installation.
• A homeowner returned two hours after a tankless installation to a house reeking of gas.
• A homeowner's tankless water heater installation involved a gas leak and code violations.
• A homeowner smelling gas from tankless exhaust learned about a missing test-port cap and its dangers.
• A new homeowner's water heater smelled up the kitchen, prompting plumbers to warn against gas odors.
• A renter smelled gas whenever hot water ran, and commenters warned against further testing.
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