this post was submitted on 27 May 2026
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hmmm

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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.

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 171 points 1 week ago (36 children)

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.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 70 points 1 week ago (15 children)

This makes total sense but how does this not go boom? No oxygen in the gas line?

[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (9 children)

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.

[–] 8oow3291d@feddit.dk 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So when you say "Autoignition", then ignition of what? For natural gas to "ignite", as in burn or in other words oxidize, there need to be an oxidizer present.

[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

there could even be a leak…

Autoignition here is referring to the temperature at which it will ignite immediately upon mixing with oxygen. Below that temperature, they can mix and not burn (like what happens with a gas leak).

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