CSST
Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing
& Lightning Protection
Overview
What is CSST?
„ Composition
„ History
„ Manufacturers
„ Lawsuit
„ Standards & Requirements
„ Damages/Hazzards
„ Recent Events
„ Future
„
What is CSST
A flexible stainless steel piping material
used for natural g
gas & propane
p p
installations.
„ Utilized in commercial & residential
construction.
construction
„ Sizes range from 3/8” up to 2” diameter.
„ Bendable
B d bl andd easy to install.
i
ll
„
Typical Installation
Entry a larger
pipe(CSST or
black iron)
„ Runs to manifold
„ Distributed to each
point
i t off use. One
O
pipe for every
application
li ti
„
Composition
Usually yellow jacketed.
„ Thin,
Thin stainless steel,
steel wall tubing.
tubing
„
– .008” thick on most products
History
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Introduced to US in the early 1980’s from Japan.
First recognized by NFPA 54 (Nat’l Fuel Gas Code)
i 1988.
in
1988
Int’l Association of Plumbing & Mechanical
Officials(IAPMO) rejects CSST in 2000.
2000
IAMPO finally accepts CSST in 2003 into Uniform
Plumbingg Code(UPC)
(
) & Uniform Mechanical
Code(UMC).
During all the standards development, no testing for
li h i resistance
lightning
i
or reaction
i within
i hi buildings.
b ildi
Biggest selling point is labor savings for Contractors.
E ti t att over 55 million
Estimates
illi linear
li
feet
f t sold
ld per year.
Manufacturers
Trade Name
W dfl
Wardflex
Tracpipe, Counter-strike
Gastite
Parflex
Proflex CSST
Diamondback Flexible Gas Pipe
Class Action Lawsuit
„
Most people aware of the settlement and
associated program?
Settlement
„
„
At time, national
standards veryy
vague on how to
ground.
Court settlement
bonding
requirements
i
t
exceeded the
codes.
codes
National Standards,Codes &
Manufacturer’s
Manufacturer s Requirements
„
NFPA 780
780--2008
– Section
S ti 4.14
4 14 Common
C
Grounding
G
di
„
NEC: 250.104(b) Other Metal Piping
„
“Wh installed
“Where
i t ll d in
i or attached
tt h d to
t a building
b ildi or structure,
t t
a metal
t l
piping system(s), including gas piping, that is likely to become
energized shall be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the
ggrounded conductor at the service,, the grounding
g
g electrode conductor
where of sufficient size, or the one or more grounding electrodes
used.”
» **Not mandatory requirement to bond CSST directly to
grounding system**
„
NEC 110.3(B) Installation & Use
„
“Li d or labeled
“Listed
l b l d equipment
i
shall
h ll be
b usedd in
i accordance
d
with
i h any
instructions included in the listing or labeling.”
» **Pretty Vague**
National Standards,Codes &
Manufacturer’s Requirements
„
NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1
Z223 1 2009 Edition
– Section 7.13
„
„
„
„
“7.13.1 Pipe & Tubing other than CSST”
CSST”
“7.13.2 CSST. CSST gas piping systems shall be bonded
to the electrical service grounding electrode system at the
point where the gas service enters the the building. The
bonding jumper shall not be smaller than 6 AWG copper
wire or equivalent.”
“7.13.4 Lightning Protection Systems. Where a lightning
protection system is installed, the bonding of the gas
piping shall be in accordance with NFPA 780, Standard
for Lightning Protection Systems.”
Systems.”
Manufacturers
Manufacturers’ Technical Bulletin
All Manufactures of CSST have a technical
bulletin that mirrors NFPA 54 for bonding.
What to
look
for!
Damages & Hazzards
CSST blown out of black iron
Attic Space
CSST run bbeneath
h peak
k
in attic space
CSST above master Bedroom
Air
Terminal
Another view of
A.T. at peak
Melted 3/8 Copper Air Terminal
Recent Events
„
Massachusetts
– Nov. 26, 2008 Board of State Examiner of Plumbers & Gas
Fitters Temporarily rescind approval of all CSST products in
State.
– Feb 4, 2009 Board reinstates previously approved CSST in MA.
Citing evidence provided in form of results from testing at
Lightning
g
g Technologies.
g
„
New York State
– Julyy 24, 2008 Building
g Code Council emergency
g y adoption
p
of
new bonding requirements for CSST.
„
IN, VA, MN & GA code changes for bonding of CSST.
Moving Forward
„
Scope of work
– Plumbing installer to subcontract grounding work to electrical?
„
LSA proposal to NFPA Research Foundation
– Try and find arc sensitivity value.
„
Lightning Technologies
Tested
d Tracpipe
i
Test Data requested by the LSA twice…no response
„
As an industryy – We should exceed what all the
current Codes & Standards require.
– USE THE SETTLEMENT SCHEMATIC AS OUR
GUIDELINE FOR BONDING TOP & BOTTOM!!
Credits
„
„
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„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Torbin,Robert, “CSST:
CSST: Direct Bonding Required For All Brands
Brands”,, Dec 2008
Mass.Gov, Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, “Official Notice of
Board of State Examiner of Plumbers and Gas Fitters” Nov. 26, 2008, Feb 4,
2009
Circuit
Ci i Court
C
off Clark
Cl k County,
C
AR,
AR Case
C
No.
N CIVCIV-2004
2004--211 “S
“Stipulation
i l i andd
Settlement Agreement.
Bonded Lightning Protection, Argyle, TX “ Grounding and Bonding
requirements
q
of TPV as specified
p
in Settlement Agreement”
g
NAHB Research Center, Report Number 57375737-01 080307 “Corrugated
Stainless Steel Tubing for Fuel Gas Distribution in Buildings and Concerns
over Lightning Strikes,” Aug 2007
New York State Dept of Code Enforcement and Administration,
Administration Andrews,
Andrews
Raymond, Asst. Dir. Code Development, Emergency Meeting Minutes, July,
2008
Carmody, Mike, “Concerns about CSST Gas Lines – “Grounded in Reality?”
FAQ Titeflex.com
“TB2008--01, Technical Bulletin”, Gastite System, Titeflex Corpration, July
“TB2008
15, 2008.
“Lightning
Lightning Safety Recommendations for Gas Piping Systems
Systems”, Omegaflex,
Omegaflex
Power & Systems Innovation, Inc, Orlando, FL
Goodsen, Mark, Hergenrether, Mark, “Investigating the Causal Link between
Lightning Strikes, CSST and Fires”
Credits
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code,
Code, 2009 Edition
NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, 2008 Edition
NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, NEC 2008
IAMPO, Uniform Mechanical Code 2006
IAMPO, Uniform Plumbing Code 2003
Tru--Flex Technical Bulletin,, “Electrical Bondingg ProTru
Pro-Flex CSST,, Julyy 25,, 2008
Product Alert – Ground and Bond, Parflex Flexible gas Piping System, Parker Hannifan
Corp.
“Design and Installation Guide, Gastite Systems”, Titeflex Corp, November 2008
“Technical Bulletin - #TB8029
#TB8029--07”, Metal Fab Inc., March 2, 2007
Wardflex Technical Bulletin
Photo Credits
„
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„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Bonded Lightning Protection, Argyle, TX
Charles Ackerman, East Coast Lightning Equipment, Winsted, CT
Donan Engineering Co., Louisville, KY
WE Energies, “Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing Policy Requirements
David McAfee, PE, SFPE, Fire Protection Engineering
“Design and Installation Guide, Gastite Systems”, Titeflex Corp, November
2008
“Lightning Safety Recommendations for Gas Piping Systems”, Omegaflex,
R b Cooper,
Robert
C
A
Associated
i d Li
Lightning
h i Rod
R d Company,
C
Millerton,
Mill
N.Y.
NY
Goodsen, Mark, Hergenrether, Mark, “Investigating the Causal Link between
Lightning Strikes, CSST and Fires”, Fire and Materials 2005 Delegate
Handbook San Francisco
Handbook,
Francisco, CA
Wardflex Website, www.wardflex.com
Tracpipe Website, www.tracpipe.com