Gas tubing fires linked to lightning raise concern

[Terry Beck]

For those who subscribe to Mike Holt's newsletter, you might have seen this link to an article in a Dayon OH newspaper.

"Gas tubing fires linked to lightning raise concern (http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/gas-tubing-fires-linked-to-lightning-raise-concern-1302773.html)"

"Reports of lightning-related fires and gas leaks in at least a dozen states have raised concerns about the use of flexible gas lines made of corrugated stainless steel tubing and have led to lawsuits, studies and efforts to better track the incidents."

I know in fact that installers almost never provide bonding to a home's electrical grounding system. Especially when the supply is from a LP tank. How many of you:
1. see proper electrical bonding?
2. see proper protective bushings where the pipe passes through metal walls of a furnace, fireplace, etc?
3. call out these issues?

I haven't searched the internet yet for any law suits against manufactures or installers. Are there any that you are aware of?

[Joseph Hagarty]

The product is defective as the Manufacturer released that the product was never tested...

At trial, Omegaflex argued TracPipe’s ability to survive natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tornadoes, far outweighed any disadvantage associated with the product, including its vulnerability in confronting indirect lightning strikes. Omegaflex also argued that a properly bonded CSST system could withstand the energy produced from an indirect lightning strike. Omegaflex's failure to ever test TracPipe’s ability to withstand such energy, when properly bonded, proved fatal to its defense.

JURY RULES THAT CSST IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT IN LANDMARK CASE : Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog (http://www.subrogationrecoverylawblog.com/2010/10/articles/products-liability/csst-1/jury-rules-that-csst-is-a-defective-product-in-landmark-case/)

[Jim Luttrall]

I know in fact that installers almost never provide bonding to a home's electrical grounding system. Especially when the supply is from a LP tank. How many of you:
1. see proper electrical bonding?
2. see proper protective bushings where the pipe passes through metal walls of a furnace, fireplace, etc?
3. call out these issues?

I haven't searched the internet yet for any law suits against manufactures or installers. Are there any that you are aware of?
1 - seldom
2- seldom
3 - Always - Although I call for iron pipe through cabinet walls, not bushings.

This is old news, as far as I know the class action lawsuit settlement payouts ended several years ago.

[Joseph Hagarty]

Lawsuits regarding CSST are just beginning....
You will here more over the next 5 - 10 years.