We had a home near us in the last decade where the propane tank exploded. I don't know the details, there are a lot of things that go into something like that happening, but one of the things found during the investigation was that, per the building code, the propane tank was too close to the house.
The news went on to say that some non-trivial percentage of residential propane tanks were positioned in a way that wasn't up to code. Because most manufactured homes don't have traditional financing, they aren't subject to the same code inspections, yadda yadda, house goes boom.
The risk of a fire with a home battery system might be lower, but the outcome is an unknown. I've had engines and stoves and fryers and furnaces and chimneys start on fire on me. I know how to deal with those things, even if they are scary. A battery fire, I have no idea how to deal with. Coupled with code standards that are probably not as mature as they should be, and may not see the enforcement they should, and I am content to wait.
In some places. In others it isn't law, but your insurance company will put it in the contract and so the courts will side with the insurance company denying claims if you violate it. Some places have a different law, and some insurance companies have different things in their contract.
Only if using the propane for power. Parent talked about manufactured homes and non-traditional financing, I would be hazard they are talking about single and double wide trailers. In this case, the propane would most likely be used for heating and cooking.
> per the building code, the propane tank was too close to the house.
I doubt that was a material contribution. It's hard to make inside go boom when the fuel is dumping outside except by freak circumstances (bowl shaped property, wind shadow putting a slight vacuum on the structure, etc).
Because banks don't want your house to burn down and insurance to refuse to pay out - if that happens almost everyone will declare bankruptcy and the bank is then out the money they loaned on the house. Thus banks will do some checking before letting you get a loan. When you buy a house the fine print (several pages of it which you are supposed to read before you sign) will say things like this because the bank demands it.
Most likely a water heater. Those explode and can level a house. Propane tanks are almost impossible to make explode - though a leak may start an explosion it typically isn't actually the tank.
If he was a goldsmith, I would assume oxygen and acetylene tanks as they are often used in jewellery making but water heaters are also known to explode.
The news went on to say that some non-trivial percentage of residential propane tanks were positioned in a way that wasn't up to code. Because most manufactured homes don't have traditional financing, they aren't subject to the same code inspections, yadda yadda, house goes boom.
The risk of a fire with a home battery system might be lower, but the outcome is an unknown. I've had engines and stoves and fryers and furnaces and chimneys start on fire on me. I know how to deal with those things, even if they are scary. A battery fire, I have no idea how to deal with. Coupled with code standards that are probably not as mature as they should be, and may not see the enforcement they should, and I am content to wait.