Convert Gas to Electric?
 

In the July '14 POA Bulletin one of our Calumet Grove neighbors in a Letter to the Editor was describing what she considered a contributing factor to her home being destroyed by lightning, namely the CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing). The CSST is the piping that carries the Gas into many homes through the attic. The CSST piping originally went through a series of qualifying tests before acceptance into building codes in 50 states. Lightning strikes was not one of the tests. Lawsuits in Texas have resulted in rulings that "CSST posed unreasonable risk of fire due to lightning strikes". I have this CSST line in my attic supplying my Gas Water Heater and Gas Dryer. I have been told one solution is to replace the CSST with either black iron or galvanized pipe. Another is to replace the Gas appliances with Electric, totally eliminating the gas in the attic issue. Can anyone that may have dealt with this issue give any suggestions regarding a solution?

I will be very interested in any replies you receive. I am in the last village that has gas and with all the lightening lately, it concerns me. I have replaced my gas stove with electric but that doesn't matter. I would have to have furnace replaced, dryer, and all lines taken out of my home. Sounds costly!! I do wish I had all electric.

Can someone tell me why they were put in the attic in the first place?

In the attic because there are no basements in Florida to run the gas lines

gas dryer is a huge firetrap with the lint that is something I would never have always use an electric dryer vent is cooler and you're able to just not have the problem of the lint collection through the vent

How is the lightning igniting gas inside the CSST? The lightning directly, or proximity to a burning roof? Or a power surge to the gas controllers?

Would lightning rods / home surge protector mitigate the risk?

That is code in this part of the world. It is done to code. At least that is what everyone has explained to me overtime.

I am really curious about this. Perhaps people are just saying that the homes are built to code but perhaps that doesn't necessarily mean that is the way they had to do it, that there weren't other options like under the house. I have heard putting them in the attic was less expensive. I am just wondering can someone explain this better or know if houses had to be built this way?

CSST pipe is flexible and can go around corners easily making the time and expertise for install much less. After installation a "yellow information card" is supposed to be posted that states in part "CSST's wall thickness make it more likely than than rigid steel pipe to be punctured by a nail or other sharp object or by extraordinary forces such as a lightning strike." All this was a result of the 2007 class action lawsuit that found "CSST poses an unreasonable risk of fire due to lightning strikes". Another safety feature of copper and black pipe is that they can act as grounding lines in case of a lightning strike. For myself I do not feel comfortable with CSST and will pursue changing to a wall pipe for my gas in the attic. If anyone has had any experience with this changeover please post what you did and who you used.

This discussion is very interesting. Up North, when I replaced a gas device, I was told to run a copper ground wire in parallel with the corrugated gas line, and bond to the black iron pipe and the gas device. NOW I do not recall if this was required for the Grey colored gas line or the yellow colored gas line. As I recall this was done to keep electrical fault current off the gas line, in both cases the gas device was properly grounded as the supply connection. I have no idea if this would be suitable for Florida, perhaps one of the inspectors, or code people, or local gas/electric companies could comment.

I guess if you do not mind seeing the pipes, you could do as a previous poster suggested which is to replace the csst with iron pipe. Routing the vertical piping outside of the walls may cut down the cost, if this is legal and acceptable.......

Just my thoughts..............Good luck.

CSST gas lines can fail if you experience a direct lightning strike or even an indirect lightning strike that does not hit your property. Depending on the intensity of the strike it energizes everything that is conductive as the strike seeks the least resistant path to ground. Lightning has been know to energize CSST gas pipe resulting in arc that is capable of breaching the gas pipe with a small hole releasing gas that ignites because the surface of the pipe is so hot. This is what the class action lawsuit was all about as explained in the July POA Bulletin, page 11 or on line at poa4us.org

Question, we had lightning rods installed probably 8 years ago maybe more and I do not remember who did it. Who can I contact to see if they were installed properly. I believe it was a company that did many of my neighbors. I'd rather get an unbiased person to look at it and tell me. Also how does one replace the CSST gas lines or can they be replaced? Thanks for any info in advance.

[QUOTE=rdhdleo;907417]Question, we had lightning rods installed probably 8 years ago maybe more and I do not remember who did it. Who can I contact to see if they were installed properly. I believe it was a company that did many of my neighbors. I'd rather get an unbiased person to look at it and tell me. Also how does one replace the CSST gas lines or can they be replaced? Thanks for any info in advance.[/QUOTE

Select firms that are listed by Underwriters Laboratories who employ installers who have at least passed the first two of the five exams as a member of the Lightning Protection Institute. There are three such firms known to be working in The Villages; A-1 Lighting, Central Lightning, and Triangle Lightning. Caution; just because a firm is in the yellow pages or tells you they use UL components does not mean they meet the aforementioned criteria.

[quote=Lightning;917560]Is it possible to get a third party qualified inspector to review a lightning rod installation?

One of my very dear friends in Ashland was one of those hit by lightening. The lightening hit the side of their home, traveled right through the attic (where the gas lines are) and out the other side of the home. The gas pipes ruptured but because it was not contained did not explode but did cause an extremely hot fire. Their car and golf cart were nearly melted to the garage floor. We now, are very leary of having gas and would consider changing to electric, if it is even possible the way our homes are built.