Lowe's customer baffled by 'potentially deadly' appliance installation: 'That needs to be reported'

When you enlist a big box store to install an appliance, you expect to get high-quality work from its technicians even if the work is farmed out.

One tenant shared to the r/Plumbing subreddit why it's worth double-checking the work.

Their landlord hired Lowe's to install a new water heater, and the renter correctly had alarm bells going off in their head after seeing the results. They shared a couple of photos that alarmed the community.

"I feel like the gas and exhaust are poor at best," they assessed. "How'd they do?"

The answer was "quite poorly," according to the subreddit. The images showed unnecessary jury-rigging of the gas line. Instead of getting a sufficiently long hose to connect all the way, the installers had put two together, creating a loop-to-loop. This mistake, at least, would be mostly aesthetic if the connection stayed solid and there weren't any leaks.

The same couldn't be the same for the exhaust vent. Redditors were alarmed that it was installed with a large loop, creating a risk for dangerous carbon monoxide buildup. In a perfect world, the vent should go straight up, but at the very least, an incline upward is a must to allow gases to flow out safely.

Carbon monoxide has a well-earned reputation as the "silent killer." While outdoor generators draw a lot of attention for being a top household risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, improperly installed appliances can similarly pose major hazards.

The sloppy work by the contractors could have also been avoided by forgoing a loop altogether with what appears to be a flexible vent material. For that reason, it seems likely these installers weren't properly vetted and qualified to handle the job.

Redditors were up in arms about the installation, and suggested the OP act quickly before the situation got dire.

"That needs to be reported to the building inspector and stop this company from killing people," one insisted. "No way they were licensed installers."

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"Gas line no bueno," another suggested. "Vent even worse, potentially deadly."

Fortunately, the OP revealed they were working toward a resolution.

"The gas company came by and Red-Tagged it for the gas line and vent, and gave me proper documentation to give to the leasing agency," the OP revealed. "They disconnected it and capped it, allowing the meter to stay on for the rest of the house."

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