Peace be upon all of us,
On 10th of March 2022, a couple was found dead in their flat unit at Taman Puncak Tringkap, Brinchang, Cameron Highlands. Based on the post mortem, the couple is believed to have died from electrocution.
The water heater used was actually LPG (Gas) type water heater and not the electrical type instant water heater. Up to today, there has been no official investigation report on the cause of the incident i.e. how the gas water heater could have became Live with electricity.
LPG Type Water Heater
The LPG water heater uses gas as a fuel source to heat up the water. When the water reaches the magnetic switch, the sensor notifies the solenoid valve, which then turns on the gas pipeline. Once the gas flows into the burner, it triggers the igniter. The igniter sparks and gas flames appear. The cold water flows into the heat exchanger, which is then heated. For more details on how it works, please refer here.
The only electrical part within the LPG Water Heater is the igniter, which normally uses 1.5V or 3V battery as the ignition source.
So, what are the possible causes for LPG Water Heater to become electrically Live?
Above is a typical electrical system in an apartment and its earthing interconnection. There
