Mau, Andrew E. "Self-flaring, split bushing pipe fitting and hose assemblies employing same." U.S. Patent 6,276,728, issued August 21, 2001. Flexible steel conduit is required where CSST is routed in "floppy sections" through building cavities where it cannot be secured away from cavity surfaces. Because it is flexible, the walls of the pipe have to be thin. This movement of electrons cancause arcing between the building materials that can carry electrical current. JoeForgive my griping but this sounds like a possible example of the OPM problem. Yes and fastened to wall has quick coupler connection. Thats it. [No additional manufacturer bonding requirements]. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. . He's talking about CSST (corrugated stainless steel tubing) gasline. The 2009 edition of NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code, includes new requirements for bonding CSST gas piping systems to the grounding conductor of the building's electrical system, to reduce the . All of this is worst-case scenario, and most of you will never have any trouble out of your CSST. House Fire Due to Faulty CSST Installation. It was invented in the 1980's in Japan. These supports basically hold the flex gas line in place and help prevent unwanted movement of the gas line. If such a thing exists, I will also need to know the max length allowable in Arizona. The bonding clamp and bonding conductor have already been attached to the black pipe. this is no longer required by the national fuel gas code. This article describes CSST: corrugated stainless steel tubing used for gas piping in buildings. Be sure to read those and the applicable standards that are given in the article above on this page as well as manufacturers own installation instructions. Are Flexible Gas Lines Safe? 1" OD X 60" Long X 3/4" MIP X 3/4" FIP Gas Flex Line Connector Kit, Weatheproof. No. The bonding jumper shall connect to a metallic pipe or fitting between the point of delivery and the first downstream CSST fitting. This new safety requirement will require training updates for fire inspectors and building inspectors, who may be acquainted only with the code requirement which states that gas piping shall not be used for grounding purposes; and for utility workers who may have been taught to remove ground clamps from gas pipes when they encounter them. It is kicked back, watching Netflix, waiting to be called into action. Most model and enacted building codes require that just about any building component, equipment or device should be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Notice I didnt use the ground wire at all in this example. Only a single point of attachment is required regardless of the length or complexity of the piping system. Explore all the benefits that ICC Membership has to offer, Buildings, Construction, Architecture/Design, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Pools/Spas, Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Resiliency, Bonding of Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) Gas Piping Systems. Ideally, you want to put the bonding clamp in a spot where the wire will be asshort as possible back to the electric panel. The 2009 edition of NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code, includes new requirements for bonding CSST gas piping systems to the grounding conductor of the buildings electrical system, to reduce the possibility of damage by lightning strikes by reducing the electrical potential between metallic objects and building systems, including gas distribution. endstream endobj startxref And no, you cant just wrap the wire around the pipe a few times like Ive had people ask. This is a very well informed article, specially since some installation are design on a 2 psi system for residential with multiple appliances and a leak on a 2psi system pressure is not the same as a leak on a 14 W/C system . Would appreciate some clarity on CSST bonding- a number of the posts I have read are confusing to me anyway. 0,`^! The most gemeinschaft agile gas line coding is that requirement with flooring and bonding. The bonding helps achieve an equipotential state between the CSST and other similarly bonded metallic systems (such as the water piping, structural steel, electrical raceways and coax cable). Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing, better known as CSST, is a flexible stainless steel tubing used to supply natural gas or propane in a home. Rising Tide Consulting, L. L. C., and L. L. C. Cutting Edge Solutions. Albino, Mark. Per client, the home was filed as a mother daughter home but does not have approval (C of O) for gas range installation. Where the clamp is attached to rigid pipe, the pipe surface must be clean and free of paint and coatings to enable a metal-to-metal connection. Can you tell me what the code is in terms of grounding the gas piping system, if say it uses black iron up until the point of appliance connection and then transitions to an FAC? GAS PIPING, FLEXIBLE CSST at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. Though this has always been a manufacturers requirement; the IRC code specifies this bonding requirement for all types of CSST since at leat 2009. This is a no-no. Portland, TN 37148 Flex Gas Line Should Not Be Connected To Movable Appliances, Protective Plating Should Be Installed When CSST May Be Punctured, The Maximum Allowable Bending Radius of Flex Gas Lines, Sediment Trap Will Likely Need To Be Installed, 10 Water Heater Installation Code Requirements (2023 Guide), Sewage Ejector Pump Code (2023 Requirements), Dryer Vent Installation Code (2023 Requirements), Toilet Clearance Code (2023 Requirements), Where To Place Smoke Detectors? IEEE, 2010. I am a licensed home inspector in Virginia and have inspected thousands of homes. It would seem to me that with all the taped and doped connections in the gas line there is a good possibility that there wouldnt be a complete electrical path back to the ground. Can csst be used outside. Since this path has really low resistance, it causes the amperage to rise in the circuit, and the breaker to trip. Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (ICC/ANSI 2.0), the . We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need. The photo suggests installation by an un-qualified installer. You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. If you have an older home with CSST, it is important to verify that the electrical bonding and grounding exists and is working properly. Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing. The 1988 commercial introduction of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) to distribute natural and LP gas within and throughout residential and commercial buildings was welcomed by the gas industry as a cost-effective means to deliver their product to consumers. Photo 1 shows a natural gas service entering a building, with a field-assembled manifold for connecting CSST to serve three gas appliances, plus a run of black pipe serving another manifold on the other side of the building. Furthermore, in most jurisdictions, gas lines are not allowed to travel beneath the slab of the residence (sidewalks, patios, etc, are ok, but not under the garage or living spaces) unless installed in a gas -tight conduit, sealed at each end. . U.S. Patent 8,251,085, issued August 28, 2012. Ive never done it, but I just may the next time I see it for fun. IT IS VITAL TO UNDERSTAND THAT NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH LIGHTNING PROTECTION FOR YOU OR YOUR HOME. As Mark Cramer says it depends. The IRC has two tables to determine pipe size in Chapter 24 for flexible gas lines. Minnesota's 2015 Fuel Gas Code uses the 2012 International Fuel Gas Code, which requires CSST to be bonded anywhere along the electrical service grounding electrode system. Read Also >> What Is The Code For Stairs? Just had a water heater installed and noticed the gas line was bonded to the heater water input line. Through csstsafety.com the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the CSST industry recommend that homes where gas piping has been installed or modified since 1990 be inspected for the presence of yellow CSST and that the electrical ground bonding in those homes be inspected. He retired from the city of Los Angeles in 2007 as a principal inspector after 21 years of service. Page 27 of the TracPipe CounterStrikeinstallation guideshows on table 4-3 (see image below) that the maximum allowed exposure of the CSST without the jacket is 1-1/2 2 inches. Chances are that it was not done at all, and you need to rectify that. I have a townhome built in 2006. SECTION 413 (IFGC) COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL-DISPENSING FACILITIES. They say go to the panel. Existing steel or copper piping systems must be retroactively bonded when modified by adding yellow (non-arc-resistant) CSST to the system regardless of the length of CSST added. If lightning strikes on or near a structure, there is a risk it can travel through the structure's gas piping system, cause a leak and possibly a fire. He retired from the International Code Council after 13 years of service. . DennisCSST is code-approved in Canada - though must be installed by a qualified installer. CSSTis a flexible gas line material that has been used in millions of homes across the United States and the world. Is this acceptable, according to your guidelines and any applicable codes? The manufacturer's reply was essentially that the CSST needed to be kept 3" away from finished surfaces or protected by nail plates if also within 5" of some constraint (like a penetration through a framing member). All electrodes used must be bonded together into one common grounding electrode system in accordance with IFGC Section 310.2.3/IRC Section G2411.2.3. Building Codes requiring bonding of CSST flexible gas lines came into practice no earlier than 2007. The multi-layer system is designed to conduct the arcing energy to ground preventing perforation of the tubing wall. The reason for the development of CSST was to improve the safety of gas line systems in buildings during earthquakes. If conditions such as overheating have damaged the entire piping then ick wider replacement is probably needed. Can US code flexible stainless steel tubing be used in canada. @Mark, Spell check must have changed it on me. One of the biggest dangers of buildings during earthquakes is gas leaks that occur after the shaking has stopped. Durham, M. O., and R. A. Durham. If you havent already done so, please go online and become a member of the PMG Official Membership Council. Omegaflex, Inc. (manufacturer of TracPipe and CounterStrike CSST gas piping), Omega Flex Incorporated, 451 Creamery Way, Exton, PA 1 Tel: 610.524.7272 Toll Free: 800.355.1039. The following summary highlights the various steps, hardware and practices needed for the successful electrical protection of the CSST gas piping system using both approaches. Home-Flex 1/2 in. Usually no more than a few feet long. TracPipeCounterStrikehas been shown to be up to 400 times more resistant to the damaging effects of electrical energy than conventional CSST. (Since the connection to the contractors heater is only temporary, the bonding clamp and conductor have not yet been installed.). The reason for the development of CSST was to improve the safety of gas line systems in buildings during earthquakes. Its worth noting that there is a newer versionof CSST that has ablack jacketon it that has been available for the past few years. Of course there are protection, routing, electrical grounding and other requirements for such piping to be safe and functional. Some CSST manufacturers will require a minimum of flex line support every 4-feet, but other companies may only need support every 8-9 feet. Since CSST is a custom install cut from long rolls and made on site, there is no store boughttag on the line or ANSI rating on thenuts. You run the risk of crushing or damaging the CSST tubing when you place the clamp on it and that is a bad thing. what is the best practice for fixing a punctured CSST line? The early reports were not always considered credible, even though firefighters recognized the breaks in the system and the burning gas. I wonder if you would do an article on it? You are in the right spot! The photo, from a Generac generator manual provided in our articles on that topic, shows a prohibited flexible connector (that example isn't CSST) at a generator.. We have not found "CSST" mentioned at all in the backup electrical generator installation manuals that we reviewed. "Standard Yellow CSST" such as shown below (adapted from csstsafety.com) may appear in homes where gas piping was installed or modified since 1990. Original source: https://tracpipe.ca/wp-content/uploads/FGP_001_DI_Guide.pdf Also seeCAN-CGA-B149.1 Natural gas installation book used in Canada. Hi, I'm Ben, and I inspect houses. CSST has the same style body, but you can barely make this out because of the thickheat-shrink style jacket that is covering the tubing. The electrical protection afforded by the arc-resistant jacket has been shown to be equal or greater than the electrical protection provided by the bonding conductor. It is estimated to be used in more than half of the homes built today. the other end of the CSST would run through the attic and down . Ideally, you want to put the bonding clamp in a spot where the wire will be asshort as possible back to the electric panel. If you were to introduce electrical current on one of the wires, the bonding will spread things out and keep thevoltage from wanting to arc (or jump) from one conductor to another. Electrically bonding the CSST will ground the gas line and help prevent damage and subsequent fire risk. "Industry PR Efforts Prompt Media Coverage of CSST / Gas-related Lightning Fires". Can plumber split in a joint connector, or does the whole line need to be replaced? Each aboveground portion of a gas piping system other than CSST that is likely to become energized shall be electrically continuous and bonded to an effective ground-fault current path. We have sent an email to the address you provided. (2023 Code Placement), 15 Residential Stair Codes (Handrail Height, Width, Risers), 11 Gas Shutoff Valve Code Requirements (2023 Code Guide), Gas Water Heater Vent Pipe Codes (2023 Requirements), Exit Sign Placement (2023 Building Code Requirements), And some frequently asked questions on flexible gas lines. An older home is likely exempted (grandfathered-in) from current CSST gas line code, but homeowners that have flexible gas lines should have it evaluated by a qualified plumber or electrician. The gas supply is on the east end and the electric panel is on the west end. This stops the danger of the situation and lets you know something is wrong. U.S. Patent 5,799,989, issued September 1, 1998. This is because of the greatly reduced installation labor compared to using conventional black pipe with threaded fittings. If you have black CSST in your home, and the jacket has been removed more than 2 in, I encourage you to reach out to TrackPipe for detailed instructions on correcting this installation. This guide isn't meant to detail every code, and I have summarized a few of the most important codes for flex gas lines from the IRC Chapter 24 Fuel Gas. Most FACs are painted yellow from the factory. I am looking to bond out CSST gas line which is in our crawl space of the house (dirt floor) and the copper water pipe is close by. However, it's not nearly as durable as a black iron pipe. You can also see the pipe sizing chart for the manufacturer Gastite here. 2009 International Residential Code G2414.5.3, ANSI Z223.1 / NFPA 54 National Fuel Gas Code (2015), SA listed to ANSIZ21.75 /CSA 6.27 standard Connectors for Outdoor Gas Appliances & Manufactured Homes (file #204593), CSA listed to ANSIZ21.24 /CSA 6.10 standard Connectors for Gas Appliances (file #204593). One or more of the grounding electrodes (ground rods) for the electrical system. Albino, Mark, and Edwin E. Pike. arrow_right. It is used frequently in construction in lieu of black iron pipe today, which is the traditional material used for gas distribution (both natural gas and propane). Ive not heard of any failures from the black stuff, but its still early. Treichel, Steven A. 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