SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION / JANUARY 2020
Important Lightning Safety Warning
1
PROPERLY BONDING
and grounding the
Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) system
may reduce the risk of damage and fire from a lightning
strike. Lightning is a highly destructive force. Even a
nearby lightning strike that does not strike a structure
directly can cause systems in the structure to become
electrically energized. Differences in potential between
systems may cause the charge to arc between systems.
Such arcing can cause damage to CSST, including holes.
Bonding and grounding should reduce the risk of arcing
and related damage. The building owner should confirm
that a qualified contractor has properly bonded the
CSST gas system to the grounding electrode system of
the premises. Refer to Section 4.10 Electrical Bonding/
Grounding in the Gastite
®
Design & Installation Guide
for details on bonding & grounding CSST.
2
ALL OWNERS
should consult a lightning safety
consultant to determine whether installation of a light-
ning protection system would be required to achieve
sufficient protection for all building components from
lightning. Factors to consider include whether the area
is prone to lightning. Areas with high lightning risk in
-
clude but are not limited to: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexi-
co, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
One currently available source of information regard-
ing areas more prone to lighting than others is the flash
density map provided by the National Weather Service
which can be found at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.
gov/lightning_map.htm. Lightning protection systems
are beyond the scope of this manual and installation
guidelines, but are covered by National Fire Protection
Association, NFPA 780, the Standard for the Installation
of Lightning Protection Systems, and other standards.
3
THE OWNER should confirm with the local
gas supply utility company that a suitable dielectric
union is installed at the service entry of the structure
between underground metallic piping and the gas
pipes going into the building as required by code.
LIGHTNING SAFETY WARNING
4
NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE (NEC), Sec-
tion 250.104b, states that “bonding all piping and metal
air ducts within the premises will provide additional
safety.” Gastite recommends that all continuous metallic
systems be bonded and grounded. The owner should
confirm with an electrical or construction specialist
that each continuous metallic system in a structure has
been bonded and grounded by an electrical professional
in accordance with local building codes. This should
include, but is not limited to metallic chimney liners,
metallic appliance vents, metallic ducting and piping,
electrical cables, and structural steel.
5
DIRECT CONTACT
between continous
metallic systems and Gastite
®
yellow CSST is prohibited.
Maintain as much isolation/separation as reasonably possible
when planning and installing gas piping from other
continuous metalllic systems. Refer to sec. 4.3
Routing, in the Gastite
®
D&I Guide for installation
techniques. Consult local building codes as to required
separations for CSST from such continuous metallic systems
including metallic chimney liners, metallic appliance vents,
metallic ducting and piping, and insulated or jacketed
electrical wiring and cables. See for instance the Indiana
Residential Code, section 675 IAC 14-4.3-155.5 Section
G2411.1; gas pipe bonding.
6
LOCAL BUILDING CODES are controlling,
however, as a general practice, fuel gas piping, including
CSST, should not be installed within a chase or enclosure
that houses a metallic chimney liner or appliance vent
that protrudes through the roof. In the event such an
installation of Gastite
®
yellow CSST is necessary and conforms
to local building codes, the metallic chimney liner or vent must
be bonded and grounded by a qualified electrical professional,
and a separation distance, as specifically permitted by the
applicable local building code between the CSST and
the metallic chimney liner or vent, is required. Physical
contact between CSST and the metallic chimney liner
and/or vent is prohibited. If this physical separation
cannot be specifically identified in the local building
code and achieved or any local building code require-
ments cannot be met along the entire length, then
rerouting of the CSST is required unless such installation
is specifically permitted by the local building inspector.
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www.gastite.com