This is what happens when a small amount of water leaking from a hot water element gets into the electrical connections. One of our staff was in the right place at the right time to capture the blow up. The water caused a dead short which tripped the circuit breaker and cut the power, preventing a fire. This cylinder was installed inside the roof space, which used to be quite common, but these days is not recommended, due to the damage that can be done when things go wrong.
If your hot water cylinder is located anywhere inside your house it’s a good idea to do a regular check for leaks as they usually start slowly and can go for a long time undetected, and rot out floors, ruin carpets and sometimes eventually fail suddenly causing a major flood.
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