How does an inspector spot ungrounded CSST lines?
The proper bonding and grounding of CSST can be difficult to confirm for a Home Inspector. Depending on the LDZ designation of the city/town, the requirements will differ.
It’s best just to defer to manufacturers requirements, and make home owners/buyers aware that there may be required uprgrades for the bonding and grounding systems where CSST is concerned.
[you’re not gonna try to sell me something now, are you? ;)]
I have only send them twice on all of the homes I have inspected. They are not as common as you would think given that we are the lightning capital of the United States.
Could someone refresh my memory? CSST?
Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing used for gas line.
It’s very common in my area in the last few years.
That’s right… I remember now. Thanks Mike.
Shouldn’t fault the manufacturers on this one. Great product. Pretty tough to expect them to have forseen the problem with it being too thin to carry a lightning strike.
You should all know csst has gone through a redesgn Trac pipe is now making counter strike to withstand lightning strikes no bonding required.
Rarely used due to the cost. Most install the traditional yellow piping, which requires a bond.
It’s actually pretty easy to determine whether or not the system is bonded. The bond has to be to solid steel piping, and connected to either to the main ground rod or to the main ground bus. If I don’t see a GEC run from near the meter to either of those locations, I assume the system is not bonded and say so in my reports.
Bonding is required in most areas for all gas piping.
**Additional bonding **is not required for counterstrike.
Some elecricians are adding the additional bond anyway during construction. They are smart to do this.
The counterstrike is not new, its been around for at least 5 years.
Nick, you need to make sure the video uses the correct terminology.
Don’t use “ungrounded” use “not bonded” or “no additional bonding”.
Also, every one of these CSST threads has someone that does not know the difference between additional bonding and regular bonding.
All gas pipes must be bonded and already are through the gas furnace cabinet to the 15 amp branch circuit equipment ground. The gas pipe bonds itself through the furnace’s valve which is connected to the cabinet. This is the weak bond that was found to be ineffective so they started requiring an “additional bond”.
The newer code about “additional bonding” is the one we can easily inspect since it is a large wire and clamp to the main gas pipe to the meter, main panel or GEC.
CSST gets used most often as a short run in my area. The black iron will stop below or near the fireplace and the then the CSST will continue up. If there is no bond on the visible run, it’s not bonded in my report or it needs confirmed. I’ve seen one house in eight years with a proper bond on CSST, but it only appears a few times a year.