That piece of gas flex has become the only neutral current path for the electrical service to the house. This occurs when the electrical service's neutral conductor fails, and there is no good bonding of the gas service at it's entrance point, and the water service to the building is plastic.
hmmm
For things that are "hmmm".
Rule 1: All post titles except for meta posts should be just plain "hmmm" and nothing else, no emotes, no capitalisation, no extending it to "hmmmm" etc.
This makes total sense but how does this not go boom? No oxygen in the gas line?
Exactly that.
So you're saying you should poke a hole in the line?
That would just make a jet fire. Which may eventually result in the catastrophic failure of the pipe but if you really want to see a house jump cut a slot. Much more area for gases to mix. It's only 1psi probably so a hole may not be enough.
Autoignition temperature of natural gas is above 500c. Need a spark, or enough heat, there could even be a leak and this not be enough heat to ignite.
I’m pretty sure if it’s red hot it’s close to if not over 500°C but I guess it depends on the metal.
My understanding is that it doesn't really depend on the metal much. It's just the blackbody radiation associated with that temperature. So basically anything glowing red from heat is probably over 500°C.
"As the object increases in temperature to about 500 °C (773 K; 932 °F), the emission spectrum gets stronger and extends into the human visual range, and the object appears dull red."
The intensity does depend on the emissivity of the material, and emissivity is a bit counterintuitive:
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/emissivity-coefficients-d_447.html
But less than you’d think, given the extreme coefficient, as human perception of brightness is nonlinear. An object twice as bright as another looks pretty similar to the eye.
So electrician/plumber/HVAC/gas co/exorcist? What are we looking at here?

Just preheating the gas a bit, it’s for better thermodynamics.
It's concerning that there's more than 1 image of this happening
It’s common, that’s why building codes exist, and why you don’t hire the cheapest contractor, since they probably aren’t licensed.
I’m wondering if we’re at a safe distance?
I would have taken one and run out.
Spicy rope
Forbidden red vines
I'd recommend turning off the power before someone goes from blue to well done
Good news: The water heater is working
Bad news: The water heater is working
Oh hell yeah, you guys got the Gamer Tank™ with RGB lighting!
Well r at least
Yeah, imma go turn off the main breaker in the panel and just gtfo and go sit in my car down the street while I calm the fuck down for an hour. Lol fuck that. Gat damn electrified gas line what the fuck.
Holy shit thats a gas line? I thought it was some wild water pipe or something. Yeah thats a GTFO now moment for sure.
That's not a "take a picture" moment.
Well that is ... sub-optimal.
Heading towards super-critical?
Kinda hot ngl
Nope Hose
Early example of a Cyberpunk water heater
I submitted this photo to chatgpt and it said my toaster was improperly wired.
Vaporwave water heater.
Water heater operating at 110% efficiency.
100% water, 10% heating. Its like in floor heating but faster. Direct atmospheric transfer of heat so you can heat while you heat so your heat puts you in heat.
I'm sure it's fine don't worry about it.
/S
How the hell is that pipe holding up the pressure
Lick it. See if it tastes like strawberry. /s Please don't actually do it. :D
Back when I was married, I would not have been surprised if my water heater line looked like this when my (now ex-) wife took showers. That woman would take insanely hot showers. 😅
As an aside, she also had an insane sense of smell too.
Come to think of it, maybe she is an X-Men mutant.
Which means my kids are going to be X-Men.
Oh boy.
Wow same with mine! Super long, super hot. She would do the same with our kids and get annoyed that we couldnt all bathe (excluding me since im a morning shower person) and have enough hot water for everyone. Hmmm i wonder why... explaining this was just met with eye rolls and that it shouldnt be that way. I just made the plunge for divorce as well so I just keep thinking of all the things that will be normal again. This, plus not needing 30 packs of toilet paper every month alone will probably save me a fortune and thats just the tip of the ice burg.
Well that ain't supposed to happen.
Good think that is not a gas line or anything.....
That's how lightsabers are made.
STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT!
You walk downstairs and look at your water heater to feel that unexpected, familar piece of thought.
"Grip"