Shutting down natural gas water heater for 2 to 3 weeks

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Ballvalve

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I think most of us had big asbestos exposure in our youth, even if only from contaminated mica insulation and basement pipes. I had the double indemnity of having a immigrant mens suit making family [talk about a lost US trade] that added a drycleaning plant with miles of steam pipes and asbestos insulation. Dont show any signs of lung issues and the rest of the gang made 80 years without a cough and smoking Camels like kids chew gum. Seems like the MFG. and mining process was the killer, and dry mining drilling in the older days. By the time it got to us it was partially bound.

Its all a health crapshoot. Seen non smokers for life get tongue cancer, and another non smoker that never worked near any toxins had lungs that the doctors said looked like she smoked for 80 years. Woody Allen got it right when he said I'll never go to a gym because god gave us a definitive number of heartbeats at the factory... why squander them.

I especially find it humourous to see the throngs of joggers along roadways and in the hearts of polluted cities. I'll risk a fog nozzle in my shower anyday over that. And when did the bicyclists decide that they have the right of way in the center of my lane of a rural hiway? Keep thinking about mounting a water fire extinguisher in the right side door in order to give a life saving lesson.
 

Dana

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Sure it's a crapshoot, but sometimes the odds can be calculated.

The risks of asbestos exposure resulting in mesothelioma has better studied & known odds than most things, even down to proximity to intersections where asbestos from brake linings are higher, when exposed as a child when growth factors are higher, etc. Most of us had SOME exposure, but BIG exposure is mostly limited to occupational exposures from mining, processing, installing, or removing asbestos materials. Installing pipe & boiler insulation had less associated exposure than the demolition & removal of same. Different asbestos types have different risks too. Getting it out of brake linings was the rigth thing to do, and cost effective. Stripping it from steam pipes in a school (rather than an encapsulate & monitor approach), maybe not.

Just 'cuz uncle Jeff made it to 98 smoking a pack a day doesn't mean any individual would beat the odds in the same way. Prior to 1850 lung cancer was extremely rare, and even in well-industrialized coal-fired 1850-1900 (prior to widespread cigarette use) MDs could spend a whole career and see but a handful of cases. Yes, non smokers get lung cancer, but their odds of avoiding it look a heluva lot better than smokers.

The urban air quality has much-improved since the Clean Air Act (if you disagree, visit any industrial Asian city, many of which have pollution levels comparable to 1950s industrial cities in the US.) Jogging in traffic and biking down the center line of a 50mph road should have a Darwin effect, but strangely that species continues to thrive...

There's ample evidence that Woody Allen got it wrong too, even on the lifetime heartbeat count: Periodic aerobic exercise at high heart rates causes most people's resting heart rate to drop, reducing the total number of heartbeats per day. A little bit of gym time goes a long way, and it takes a seriously endorphin-addicted gym rat/runner to actually INCREASE the total daily heart beat count. But they're not as entertaining as Woody Allen. :)
 
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