Water Heaters - dangerous water heater?

dangerous water heater?

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my nat gas water heater which reads 'do not convert' all over it, has been converted to propane. what are the consequences of this?
i learned of this because when i moved in, none of the gas appliances worked correctly and there were leaks. after a month i talked the landlord into paying for the propane co to send a guy over. he finished the conversions on the stove and heater, but refused to touch or light the water heater to avoid liability.
i had to light the water heater myself, because i need hot water.
my landlord knows about all this but doesnt care.
so...what will happen?

It helps us and also helps you to stay in one post . For the same thing.
As I said in the other post.

but refused to touch or light the water heater to avoid liability.
He did right if not converted to propane. for sure dont turn it on and light it.

ED ;)

sorry ed, i need to email someone to delete the other post, as its under the wrong forum heading.
anyway, can you give more details please? the water heater CAN be used, i've been using it since august, and whoever lived here before was using it. i am wondering what may happen if i leave it lit. if i turn it off, i have to live with cold water till my lease ends in august.

Not there and dont know the whole story on the water heater So why did he not light it??????

but refused to touch or light the water heater to avoid liability.

This makes it all come back to you. Id have the landlord come and light it then.


ED ;)

i assume he wouldnt light it because it says on it not to convert, but somebody has anyway. the landlord lives on the other side of the country, and basically expects me to do or pay for anything wrong with the house. shes real hard to deal with and offers no help. shes still mad she had to pay the gas guy to come over and fix the leaks.
its a state select model pr65obrtd nat gas water heater...i guess i could try contacting state select.
it DOES run and make hot water, its just horribly inneficient.
i wondered what the consequenses of using it are (explosion, fire, or simply waste).

Id check with the heater company then . But as I have said ITS ALL ON YOUR BACK if you light it

If the water heater was converted, it should say "LP" somewhere on the gas control valve. If it wasn't converted, is should say "NAT". What does it say on the valve? Aside from the gas valve the pilot orifice and main burner orifice would need to be changed.

The gas guy did the right thing. If there was nothing on the water heater that indicates it used for LP I wouldn't touch it either. Numerous times customers have told me that their appliance was converted, but there was no documentation that said differently. Most conversion kits include a label to affix to the appliance to indicate the conversion was made and the party responsible for doing it.

What are the consequences of a water heater not converted to LP? It likely wouldn't blow up, just burn improperly possibly causing illness and death.

what type of illness and death? from propane fumes or carbon monoxide?
i guess i can break the lease and move. thats my only option really.
anyway, there is no sticker, but it has been converted to some degree. there is a yellow hose to it with newer fittings that dont look like an origional part of the unit. when the gas guy came over he didnt detect a leak there (there was a leak on the heater). the carbon monoxide detector doesnt go off. what could be leaking that would casue illness?
i just emailed the manufacturer, maybe they will tell me something, too.

what type of illness and death? from propane fumes or carbon monoxide?
i guess i can break the lease and move. thats my only option really.
anyway, there is no sticker, but it has been converted to some degree. there is a yellow hose to it with newer fittings that dont look like an origional part of the unit. when the gas guy came over he didnt detect a leak there (there was a leak on the heater). the carbon monoxide detector doesnt go off. what could be leaking that would casue illness?
i just emailed the manufacturer, maybe they will tell me something, too.


If you are leasing, the landlord should be under some sort of legal responsibility for keeping the
property habitable! I think in most states you
can have someone come in and do the repairs,
and deduct the cost from the rent. Consult
with a lawyer to see what YOUR RIGHTS are!
You don't have to put up with that sort of nonsense. Your local city building inspector would be a good place to start for information!

What they're try to say is lp works at a higher pressure.the flue gases don't get hot enough to draw. Does the flue go to double wall pipe or achimney? Chimney water could condense out of the gas and eat up morter. If you are going to use the water heater get a good Co detecter.

Carbon Monoxide would be my concern.

In my opinion, even the "best" carbon monoxide" detectors aren't very good for situations such as this. Carbon monoxide detectors usually won't alert of an issue until there is 70 PPM (parts per million) concentrate. They are best for detecting high levels of CO.

A house hold CO detector will not usually detect chronic low levels (<70 PPM). The best way to avoid low levels of CO from your appliances is to have them all checked by a pro.

the water heater is being replaced
thanks for all the help

Thanks for telling us.