# CSST and Lightning Strikes



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Has anyone else read this?

Jesus H Christ on a bicycle -- I've got miles of this stuff installed all over Western Washington.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Never heard of it.... 

http://www.plumbingzone.com/search.php?searchid=448208


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Yes we've talked at length about lightning striking a bldg, causing a rupture in CSST, and igniting a gas leak which then is essentially a blow torch in someone's house. I'll try to post a link to a good article if I can find it.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

It's like déjà vü!


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## Ruudplumber (Feb 21, 2011)

Have ran into this problem 3 times with gas smell in a house. The original installers had a 18-4 read out wire ran right next to a 1 inch csst coming into the house. the lightning strike put a pin hole in it every spot the wire was near it. Now we have to put a #6 grounded at the meter or grounded inside back to the panel. makes for alot of work.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

Yes I have heard, we have to ground csst per code in Minnesota very few use because of this. Copper too expensive..we can run copper gas lines because we have clean nat gas in Minnesota no sulfur, bought in Canada. Black pipe wasn't so bad after all.:no:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Yes we've talked at length about lightning striking a bldg, causing a rupture in CSST, and igniting a gas leak which then is essentially a blow torch in someone's house. I'll try to post a link to a good article if I can find it.


 Sorry, I searched 'csst lawsuit' before making my post but neglected to search 'csst lightening'.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> Sorry, I searched 'csst lawsuit' before making my post but neglected to search 'csst lightening'.


 



I posted before reading all of your post, sorry. But we have actually discussed both of those topics here; CSST being hit by lightning and some jury verdict regarding CSST. Makes me glad I don't install the stuff. I have installed galvanized steel, never done the CSST.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Strict liability means you can't pass the buck. For example, if I keep a 550 pound lion in my back yard, and he gets loose, I can't blame the contractor who built the enclosure. Even if the fence wasn't adequate to hold back a lion despite me telling the fence contractor that the fence needed to hold back a lion.

So the CSST manufacturers cannot blame plumbers, electricians, etc. for the install.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

Can we control where lighting hits.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> Can we control where lighting hits.


 



Yes, we can control lighting, it's the lightening we can't control...:laughing:


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> Yes, we can control lighting, it's the lightening we can't control...:laughing:


Quick one you are :laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> Quick one you are :laughing:


 



Sorry, I couldn't resist that one...


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> Yes, we can control lighting, it's the lightening we can't control...:laughing:


Wow, I skipped right by that... Quick as a whip! Help protect us from lighting!!! Lol


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> I posted before reading all of your post, sorry. But we have actually discussed both of those topics here; CSST being hit by lightning and some jury verdict regarding CSST. Makes me glad I don't install the stuff. I have installed galvanized steel, never done the CSST.


 Well, like I said, we've literally installed miles of this material.

Very sobering to read just how dangerous this material is.

One silver lining is that lightening storms in Western Washington are the exception, rather than the rule -- But that's a very small comfort.

We've done some crazy ass **** over the years in the name of making a buck -- Tapping live water lines at the Pike Place Market, shutting down the main Ave on Capital Hill and the University District to core new sewer connections and cutting into live 6" sewers at 3:00am after the bars have closed in Belltown during torrential downpours -- But those were things that put us in harms way or in a position of liability that didn't hurt other people.

I'm probably making mountains out of mole hills yet again, but this is the kind of **** that wakes me up in the middle of the night.

I retire in three years -- Knowing that we've inadvertently installed a powder keg in hundreds of homes scares the crap out of me.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> Yes, we can control lighting, it's the lightening we can't control...:laughing:


Wow, I skipped right by that... Quick as a whip! Help protect us from lighting!!! Lol


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