A homeowner who was lucky to sniff out an electrical fire saved their new house from burning to the ground before a night out.
They detailed the event on Reddit, explaining that their water heater caught fire as they were preparing to leave the house, which they had been living in for just one year. When suddenly they smelled the beginnings of the conflagration, they were prepared with multiple fire extinguishers, using one to snuff it out.
The situation is terrifying enough on its own, but similar stories by commenters make it extremely alarming.
"This same s*** happened to me last Spring," one wrote. "All of a sudden, I'm smelling a funky smoke smell and hearing water dripping. I have a picture just like yours! We're twins."
Another said: "Same thing happened to mine last night. Nearly burnt my house down. Had you recently pressed the reset button?"
The poster said yes, and the commenter relayed that it was a precursor to fire, with a filament burning out and then another superheating and catching fire after the reset.
Instead of replacing the gas-powered water heater, the poster could have turned to an appliance that runs on electricity. Heat pump water heaters cut out open flames, do not produce polluting gases, and mitigate much of the risk of disaster.
The devices are two to three times more efficient than traditional options, mitigating a significant source of home energy use. Savings can add up to $550 per year. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, you can also get 30% off the installation cost up to $2,000.
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Cala is one company that offers such a solution. Its customizable smart heat pump water heater adapts to your habits, heating water so it's ready when you need it. The technology monitors when energy is cheapest and cleanest, lowering your utility bills and your pollution production.
And, of course, you avoid the danger these Redditors faced.
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Price 💰 "This is one of my biggest fears," someone else wrote. "Where I live apartments have a personal boiler, and you turn it on 3 hours before you want to take a shower since it takes some time to heat up. In my old apartment it caught fire and it was terrifying, melted plastic dripped in the bath tub and ruined it forever.
"I always fear leaving the boiler on so I can shower in the morning and it catching fire while I'm asleep or while I'm out / at work. I envy the USA for their shared boiler systems and having hot water whenever they want it."
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