groundin a flexible gas pipe

Status
Not open for further replies.
If it's black iron pipe EVERYWHERE, you can consider it grounded by the EGC. However, if there's ANY CSST on the entire job, even a short piece behind the stove, It must be bonded with a #6 copper. You have to attach your bond to a rigid pipe, or fitting, not the CSST. I've done lots of jobs requiring gas pipe bonding being inspected. Ons surprise I ahd was, One PArticular Manufacturer demands a Bond to be the same size as the GEC for the service. So, I ahd a #6 bond on a 200 amp service, and he made me put a #4 to bond it. It was only five feet of wire so it was no big deal.
 
martim1 said:
can you quote an artical in the code that shows this?
Click to expand...
The NEC is silent on this matter other than 110.3(B). The bonding requirement for CSST comes from the CSST manufacturer's instructions.

In a nutshell, there is litigation in progress (for a period of years) that is centered on early CSST installations, bonded only by equipment ground conductor(s), that were affected by lightning. Manufacturers, under guidance of council, I am sure, crafted electrical bonding requirements that were all over the place, and resulted in feedback from the trades.

Bottom line, the language that one sizes the CSST bonding conductor from is the CSST manufacturer for the actual CSST installed on the job site.
 
martim1 said:
has anyone had to ground a flexible gas pipe?
where can I find in the code the proper way to do this?
has anyone done this and been inspected?
Click to expand...
I just had a basement remodel / new laundry room inspected by both the gas & electrical inspectors. Single story owner occupied dwelling, 100 Amp 120 / 240 V service. Plumbing alterations removed the original GEC requiring the run of a new GEC to the water service entrance (municipal copper pipe). Three different lengthy segments of CSST were extended off of a black iron pipe trunk. It was convenient to put a pipe clamp on the natural gas black iron pipe, on the house side of both the gas meter and house side shut off valve, and slide the last 15' of GEC through the clamp. That left the bond in a place that is readily visible, and likely to be visible in the future.
 
martim1 said:
can you quote an artical in the code that shows this?
Click to expand...

The NEC considers it bonded by the EGC of the equipment that is likely to energize the pipe. However, the manu. did get it into the USBC and the IBC has since adopted it and will be in their next code book, so we pretty much gotta get used to bonding all gas pipes that have CSST.
 
mcclary's electrical said:
if there's ANY CSST on the entire job, even a short piece behind the stove, It must be bonded with a #6 copper.
Click to expand...

Just so that there is no confusion, the manufacturer's requirement comes into play if there is any CSST in the piping system. This does not mean the short flexible gas appliance connectors. If what you see behind the stove is a listed flexible gas appliance connector, this does not invoke the requirement for bonding.
 
I posted this is another post. It applies here it seems.
*************

The 2009 edition of NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code, includes new requirements for bonding CSST gas piping systems to the grounding conductor of the building's electrical system, to reduce the possibility of damage by lightning strikes by reducing the electrical potential between metallic objects and building systems, including gas distribution.


"7.13.2 CSST. CSST gas piping systems shall be bonded to the electrical service grounding electrode system at the point where the gas service enters the building. The bonding jumper shall not be smaller than 6 AWG copper wire or equivalent."


"7.13.3 Prohibited Use. Gas piping shall not be used as a grounding conductor or electrode. This does not preclude the bonding of metallic piping to a grounding system."


"7.13.4* Lightning Protection Systems. Where a lightning protection system is installed, the bonding of the gas piping shall be in accordance with NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems."
 
Here is the washington state electrical rule on CSST:
(10) For flexible metal gas piping, installed new or extended from an existing rigid metal piping system, either:
(a) Provide a copy of the manufacturer?s bonding instructions to the inspector at the time of inspection and
follow those instructions; or
(b) The bonding conductor for the gas system must:
(ii) Terminate at:
(A) An accessible location at the gas meter end of the gas piping system on either a solid
iron gas pipe or a cast flexible gas piping fitting using a listed grounding connector;
and
(B) Either the service equipment enclosure, service grounding electrode conductor or
electrode, or neutral conductor bus in the service enclosure.
 
NJ

NJ

IF you are from NJ, you may find this of interest:

....from Winter '07:
CSST Bonding ? What is Required?
There is confusion on what is going on with CSST,
flexible gas piping, since the manufacturers have been
sending out revised installation instructions with their
material. The revisions were a result of a lawsuit in which
the court stated that the manufacturers must provide a
means to protect the CSST from lightning. The revised
instructions are requiring that the CSST be bonded to the
grounding electrode conductor.
The installation instruction requirements are not
in compliance with the currently adopted codes. The code
requires that CSST be bonded, not grounded or used as a
grounding electrode. Section 250.104(B) of the 2005
National Electrical Code (NEC) states that the equipment
grounding conductor is permitted to serve as the bonding
means for the gas piping. Otherwise, bonding is required
to be from the CSST connector coupling to the water piping.
The size of the bonding conductor is based on the rating
of the circuit likely to energize the piping system. Table
250.122 in the 2005 NEC provides the conductor size
based on the ampacity of the circuit. For example, if there
is a gas heater with no electric at all to it and the service to
the dwelling is 200 amperes, Table 250.122 states that 6
AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminum is required for the
bonding conductor.
The clamps installed on the water and CSST pipes
must be listed and labeled in accordance with Section 250.8
of the 2005 NEC. The clamps may be a dissimilar metal,
provided they are approved and listed for the use.
In conclusion, no additional bonding is required
where there is electric to any gas appliance, since Section
250.104(B) of the 2005 NEC permits the equipment
grounding conductor to serve as the bonding means for a
gas piping system.
Click to expand...
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Volume 19--Number 3 {pdf 147k}


...a follow up from Winter '08:
CSST Bonding Follow-Up
Since there appears to be continued confusion on
bonding of gas piping, specifically Corrugated, Stainless-
Steel Tubing (CSST), this article expands upon the Winter
2007 Construction Code Communicator article, ?CSST
Bonding ? What is Required?? and Section 250.104(B),
Other Metal Piping, of the 2005 National Electrical Code
(NEC/2005).
Section G2411.1 of the 2006 International
Residential Code (IRC/2006), Gas Pipe Bonding, which
applies to Group R-5 occupancies, and Section 310.1 of
the 2006 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC/2006), Gas
Pipe Bonding, which applies to all occupancies other than
Group R-5, state the following:
Each above-ground portion of a gas piping system
that is likely to become energized shall be electrically
continuous and bonded to an effective ground-fault
current path. Gas piping shall be considered to be
bonded when it is connected to appliances that are
connected to the equipment grounding conductor
of the circuit supplying that appliance.
Referenced model codes supersede the
manufacturer?s recommendations. Therefore, contrary to
some manufacturers? installation recommendations, the
above sections prevail. No additional bonding is required
where there is electrical connection to any gas appliance;
the grounding conductor serves as the bonding means of
a gas piping system. If the installation meets the
manufacturer?s recommendations for bonding, this would
be considered above code requirements and acceptable.
Click to expand...
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Volume 20--Number 3 {pdf 111k}

NOTE:
Above based on the '05 NEC....
However, as 250.104(B) remains unchanged for the '08, IMHO the information remains valid.
[/FONT]
 
usually where the gas line enters the building there will be a solid connecting point. this is where i ground all of my flexible gas lines.
 
I agree with klineelctric...that seems to contradict the 2009 edition of NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code requirements for CSST. For my application of the code I think I'll stick with the stricter code requirements.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top