Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)

[Stanley Thigpen]

I have read negative reports recently about CSST in gas installations. I recently had a length of black iron pipe replaced due to rust-out because of contact with the soil (due to poor support in crawl space) under an old farm house in rural Miss. The service man from the local propane supply company used CSST for the repair. Is this not a professionally accepted method of gas plumbing? Thanks

[Markus Keller]

Whether it is or isn't acceptable would depend on whether or not your municipality has approved the material for use in your area.
If the gas company is installing it, my guess is that it is approved. Utilities probably have a lot of smart lawyers. I doubt they would be installing an unapproved product and opening themselves up to that much liability.
I don't keep up on CSST too much since it isn't approved in the City, only most burbs. However, the problems don't seem to be inherent to the product but more to the installation methods. With that in mind, is your gas system grounded? Did he properly support the run?

[James Duffin]

The latest and greatest concern with CSST is the lack of bonding of the gas meter to the electrical service. This is supposed to send any lightning strikes to ground rather than burning a hole in the CSST. This is now in the manufactures installation instructions.

[Stanley Thigpen]

Is bonding required in a rural installation where the gas source is an above ground propane tank?

[Markus Keller]

Required? don't know, what Code are you under? My guess is that lightning is not prejudicial as to whether it strikes in urban or rural areas, natural gas or propane. :p

[Jim Luttrall]

Is bonding required in a rural installation where the gas source is an above ground propane tank?
Yes absolutely. It is in the manufacturer's instructions and thus part of any code anywhere.
That said, most propane companies around here would not have a clue about what you are talking about and this is a job for an electrician.

Flexible Corrugated Gas Piping from Gastite: Underground Gas Piping Products and Accessories (http://www.gastite.com/bonding.php)

[Stanley Thigpen]

My follow-up question was not related to a code requirement, but whether the same lightning hazard exists with a stand-alone propane tank supply as a municipal natural gas system. Is the lightning hazard issue due to the thin gauge of CSST compared with black iron pipe or copper tubing? Thanks for your responses.

[Jim Luttrall]

My follow-up question was not related to a code requirement, but whether the same lightning hazard exists with a stand-alone propane tank supply as a municipal natural gas system. Is the lightning hazard issue due to the thin gauge of CSST compared with black iron pipe or copper tubing? Thanks for your responses.

Yes, thin tubing turns into a blow torch when lightening strike occurs. The nature of the gas supply is not a issue. All metal piping systems have been required to be bonded for years but only as a safety against being accidentally energized by the house current. The bonding requirement for CSST came about as a direct result of lightening strikes. A house that would otherwise likely survive a strike wind up being burned due to gas leak.