Can A Gas Yard Line Puncture Be Repaired With A Clamp

Flexible Gas Pipe And Proper Grounding Of Flexible Gas Piping

WARNING:  IF You lot SMELL What you feel is a GAS or propane fume — LEAVE YOUR HOME & LAWN. THEN Call 911 & YOUR LOCAL GAS SUPPLIER.

This article details a potential run a risk related to Flexible, Yellowish, Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) Gas Lines within your domicile. Information technology besides describes a safety hazard and code changes due to the history of firm fires associated with CSST when lightning strikes nearby, or worse yet, the home itself.

The risk is tremendously reduced when CSST flexible gas lines are "bonded " (BONDED DEFINED: Connected with wiring to take electrical current abroad from CSST flexible gas lines in the event of a lightening-strike on or near the domicile).  Lightning-strikes have a documented history of creating holes in CSST gas lines, assuasive the gas to escape and dramatically increasing the risk of gas-fueled fires in the habitation. Bars gas fumes that are in a airtight room or an unoccupied home can atomic number 82 to an explosion.

Connecticut Edifice Code has allowed CSST gas lines since the 1990'southward. Building Codes requiring bonding of CSST flexible gas lines came into practice no earlier than 2007. This lawmaking came in every bit a response to damage to flexible gas lines and fires in homes struck past lightning. As you lot tin can come across, there is a significant multi-year gap in which Edifice Codes did not require proper bonding of flexible gas lines.  Building Codes, including Plumbing & Electrical Codes were updated based on the growing incidents of house fires.

Homes built with CSST flexible gas Lines before the Building Lawmaking required bonding were congenital correctly to the Building Code at the time they were congenital.  Only that does not hateful they are safe.  These homes may, or may non have bonded gas lines.  Only an inspection will determine if the gas lines are safely bonded as required past today's Building, Plumbing & Electrical Codes.

If you own a dwelling that has CSST flexible yellow gas lines and was built prior to 2007, this burn-run a risk may be in your home.  Most homes have gas lines in their cranium, walls & basements.  CSST flexible gas lines in the cranium are a prime candidate for damage from lightning strikes. Especially if they are not protected with Bonding to ensure electric energy is carried away from the pipe (versus carried past the pipe).   The dwelling needs to be inspected, and proper bonding (if not already nowadays) must be installed to yellow flexible gas lines to aid protect the home in the upshot of a lightning strike. Many fire experts are confident that a lightning strike's electric-energy can run through the electrical wiring in a house, then jump (or arc) onto CSST gas lines where information technology creates holes into the tubes, releasing gas & mayhap creating a gas-fueled fire and / or explosion.

There are documented incidents where severe lightning has struck homes. A lightning strike to a steel chimney cap, can extend into the house.   For case; Lightning can enter the home through a metal chimney cap extending the electric-energy through copper electrical wiring, copper water piping, the wooden construction itself and, if available and not protected, the flexible CSST gas line.  Electricity will have the easiest path or the path of least resistance. If a lightning strike is large or close enough, the electrical current can jump betwixt products in search of the ground.

In some areas, equally of 2022 Abode Inspectors became required to notify their clients (in writing & on the inspection form) of the presence of CSST gas lines that do non have proper bonding.

If yous own a dwelling house congenital since 1990, your abode may have unbonded flexible gas lines.  Many homes have gas lines in their attic and buried in walls.  If your concerned, the domicile needs to be inspected, and (if not nowadays) proper bonding must be installed to CSST gas lines, to help protect the home in the event of a lightning strike.

Gas Coming to your Dwelling

Underground natural gas lines are primarily polyethylene.  Propane lines coming to the home are either copper or polyethylene. Polyethylene flexible gas pipe is engineered and certified for underground installations.  These lines are made in many sizes, from quite big to residential-service lines going to private homes or a home's exterior equipment like puddle heaters or backup generators.

The dielectric yellow jacket is believed to actually increase this problem.  In response, some manufacturers of CSST flexible gas piping at present have black coated versions that are more than resistant to lightning strikes.

CounterStrike® or FlashShield® is a patented CSST innovation based on existing yellow CSST flexible gas pipe products.  It is engineered to significantly decrease the potential for lightning-induced impairment to fuel gas piping systems IF, installed correctly.

This circumlocution ss from the TracPipe Manufacturer: "TracPipe® CounterStrike® is a patented CSST innovation that is engineered to significantly decrease the potential for lightning induced harm to fuel gas pipage systems. TracPipe® CounterStrike® has been designed with a proprietary jacket material in place of the standard yellowish jacket. This blackness jacket has energy dissipating properties that volition aid protect the TracPipe® CounterStrike® stainless steel pressure liner also as other fuel gas system components if the TracPipe® CounterStrike® becomes energized due to lightning."

** Annotation: This is not an endorsement of this product past JNR Plumbing LLC. This information is provided only as a courtesy to our readers.**

There are documented fire inspections where information technology was believed a lightning-strike caused damage to unbonded CSST, resulting in gas-fueled burn down harm.  In response, CSST manufacturers developed electrical bonding requirements staring every bit before long as 2007.  Their testing shows bonding will largely mitigate the run a risk for only "indirect" lightning strikes (those that do not hitting the home).   Yellow flexible gas lines were used in the testing.

Electrical Bonding Must Be Present In Homes With Csst Gas Lines — to Reduce The Risk Of Fire Or Explosion Resulting From Damaged Gas Lines In The Event Of A Lightning-strike

CSST flexible gas piping must exist bonded to reduce the risk of impairment due to a lightning strike on the home.  The most common effect that home inspectors discover is the CSST system is not being properly bonded.

You lot can see that the bonding clamp is over the yellow sheathing which will not enable a proper bond.

When this type of gas-distribution organization is installed, without being properly bonded to current standards, at that place is an increased hazard for damage.  A Damaged gas or propane line can leak gas, causing a burn down and / or explosion.  All manufacturers of CSST began implementing Specific Bonding Requirements as before long as 2007.

What most existing homes? Building-Codes have something called 'grandfathering'.   This means when something was installed in compliance to Edifice-Codes at the time of the installation — it is accounted correctly installed moving forrard in fourth dimension, even if Building-Codes change significantly.

If CSST was installed (in compliance to code) before CSST manufacturers had made the special requirements for bonding, that installation however meets code today.   A Dwelling Inspector will (or should) specify the need for a safety-upgrade based on today's Building-Codes and Safe-Practices.  ** This should non be dislocated with unbonded CSST flexible gas lines existence safe. Just that it met building code requirements at the time it was installed.

Proper CSST Bonding

CSST Bail Wires or Clamps Shall NEVER Exist Connected to:

• Natural gas meters or facilities.

• A ground that is contained of the electrical service grounding system.

• Thecorrugated stainless-steel portion of the flexible CSST pipe (Clamps must exist attached to: the contumely fitting, steel manifold, or other rigid steel pipe).

CSST bond wires or clamps shall E'er exist connected to:

• Customer pipage — as close to the natural gas meter as applied.

• A CSST brass plumbing fixtures, a steel manifold or rigid pipage component continued to a CSST fitting.

• The electrical service grounding organisation.  This connection may be made at either: the ground rod, the footing-wire running to the rod, or in the electric service-panel (too known every bit Circuit-Breaker Box or Panel).

CSST Gas Lines Versus Flexible Appliance Connectors

At that place is a difference between CSST Gas Lines and the similar looking yellowish Flexible Appliance Connectors (to exist known here out as "FAC").  While both CSST and FAC are made with stainless steel & comport gas — that'due south where their similarities stop.  CSST is a Gas-Distribution Arrangement.  FAC is a brusque length of tubing designed to connect the gas-distribution pipe to the gas-burning device.

How else to Identify FAC:

• FAC does non crave bonding. This is because they are connected to a bonded (if properly installed) gas-distribution arrangement.

• It is betwixt 1–vi feet long.

• FAC are commonly establish between the home'south gas-supply lines and the gas equipment OR appliance.

• FAC corrugation is highly visible.  As compared, CSST is sheathed and the corrugation is not highly visible.

We at JNR Plumbing LLC want our clients and our readers to sympathise the prophylactic involved within your abode. Nosotros practise realize that Bonding must be installed by a licensed professional person, peculiarly an Electrician. We practise not await Electricians to know what pipes and which pipes require Bonding which is where your licensed Plumbing contractor, or home inspector can provide. If you need a licensed professional person to look over your gas piping and the installation of your gas piping, feel free to give us a call. Afterwards all, we only have licensed technicians specifically trained in servicing residential homes and commercial properties.

Source: https://www.jnrplumbing.com/bonded-gas-lines-and-csst/

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