04
Editorial
Managing editor
Sharon Rainsbury
Editor
Michelle Robertson
Contributors
Michelle Robertson
Michael Weber
Neil Fraser
Enzo Alfonsetti
John Stolk
John Murphy
Anthony Bottegal
Goran Sokoleski
Len Varker
Steve Cronin
Stephen Nolan
Jason Treseder
Angela Brown
Naveen Kapoor
Loc Vuong
Editorial assistant
From the
editor
The holiday quiet of suburban Frankston
was shattered early in January when a hot
water service exploded, demolishing the
back of a house.
As residents gathered in the street to
examine a projectile that landed hundreds
of metres from the blast site, it soon became
apparent to ESV investigators and Police that
this was a case of do-it-yourself that had gone
horribly wrong.
The home owner didn’t call a licensed
plumber when he realised he had a leaking
temperature relief valve on his hot water service
—he decided he would replace it himself using a
standard tap fitting. It was only a matter of time
before the pressure built-up and it exploded
with dramatic results.
This is an incident that so easily could have
had tragic consequences. It is a miracle that no
members of his family or neighbours were killed
by the force of the blast.
The lesson from this incident is
simple—always call licensed, experienced
tradespeople when you need to do any
Janice Williams
Design
Aer Design
Authorised by
Energy Safe Victoria
Building 2, 4 Riverside Quay
Southbank, VIC 3006
P 03 9203 9700
E [email protected]
Printed by
Flow Printing
plumbing, gas or electrical work around
the home.
This man’s attempts to save a few
dollars have now cost him tens of thousands.
And in addition to the huge repair bill, charges
are pending for endangering his family and
neighbours and breaching the Gas Safety Act.
This was only one of the incidents
ESV investigators responded Ѽ