[Shop-talk] Mythbusters sucks! [rant] (was: water heater (grandfinale?))

[Karl Vacek]

> And how did that tank launch itself so perfectly straight up?  Should have 
> blown at a weld on the end caps or fittings and gone sideways-ish. Did 
> they create a weak spot right on the bottom center to blow out and launch 
> it vertically?


Because the bottom of water heater tanks is concave, and as they noted, it 
became convex, it seems reasonable that the change from concave to convex at 
high pressures introduces lots of stress particularly around the edges, and 
thus the bottom becomes the weakest point.  Wonder if that's purposely 
designed in ?  Might be to direct a potential explosion, as there's less 
chance of hitting someone directly above rather than everywhere around the 
heater.  I bet the old riveted tanks often blew more spectacularly.

That said, I watch Mythbusters for Kari, who is indeed hotter in the older 
episodes.  Maybe due to married life and motherhood now ??

Karl