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Gas Line Poses Big Risk

Photo provided by ANGIE'S LIST

Corrugated stainless steel tubing -- CSST -- has been used in new home construction since the late 1980s.

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By ANGIE HICKS Special to the Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2008

Living in the lightning capital of the United States, Hillsborough County residents may not give it much thought when storm clouds roll in. But one in four could be harboring a fire risk that makes one well-placed lightning bolt especially dangerous.

Corrugated stainless steel tubing was approved for use in this country in the late 1980s. It quickly became the preferred method for piping natural gas into newly constructed homes. It's flexible and easier to install than traditional black iron pipe, thus reducing the amount of labor required.

When installed properly, the corrugated tubing is safe, durable and offers fewer risks for gas leaks than threaded piping. Trouble arises when it's not installed correctly. If lightning strikes improperly bonded and grounded tubing, it can damage the tubing, which has led to natural gas leakage and house fires.

In 2007, four corrugated tubing manufacturers settled a class-action lawsuit that claimed the tubing caused an unreasonable risk of fire because of lightning strikes. Since the settlement, industry standards have been tightened. Now, American National Standards Institute guidelines require licensed plumbers and electricians to bond and ground the tubing, but they must first be certified by any manufacturer whose product they install.

"Whether it's corrugated tubing or any other line, if it's not grounded properly, obviously it can be a conduit to an electrical strike," said Ray Yeakley, spokesman for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. "That could eventually cause a fire. It's happened a couple of times here."

The most recent incident was when lightning struck a gas line under a tree in front of a house. It created a gas leak, which led to a fire, he said.

More than 35,000 homes have been built in Tampa since 1990, according to census information. With nearly 150,000 housing units altogether, that's a fourth of homeowners who may have the stainless steel tubing running through their homes.

A recent poll of Angie's List members showed that 44 percent of them don't know what type of gas piping they have.

Lance Horton, spokesman for Peoples Gas, said his company worked early on with corrugated tubing manufacturers to make sure the product was properly installed when contractors in the area began using it.

If you're not sure whether your tubing is grounded, Horton recommends contacting a qualified electrician, the product manufacturer, or the Tampa Building Department.

"The systems are safe," he said. "I would encourage anybody to recognize if they do have it, as a caution, to call the proper people and investigate to make sure it's grounded properly. Once they've done that, they should feel they're as safe as anybody else.

"There have been issues, so it is worth people's time to check and make sure their system is installed properly."

DO YOU HAVE CSST?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

If your home was built or renovated in the past 20 years and you have natural gas, you may have corrugated stainless steel tubing. You'll typically find the thin, flexible gas line encased in a yellow plastic covering running along your attic floor joists.

WHAT TO AVOID:

Don't try to ground it yourself. Contact a qualified electrician who is certified to work on corrugated stainless steel tubing to ensure it is properly bonded and grounded. If not bonded and grounded, the tubing poses a fire risk from a lightning strike.

IF LIGHTNING STRIKES:

If your home is struck by lightning, turn off the gas at the main shutoff valve, evacuate the house and call emergency services.

For information on the tubing lawsuit settlement, visit www.pddocs.com/csst/.

Angie Hicks is the founder of Angie's List, www.angieslist.com.

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