The other night at the San Antonio TAREI Meeting we had the Brennen Teel Foundation attend our meeting to discuss CSST Gas Lines. The Foundation that was created from his death in the Lubbock Area and Mark Goodson PE, Goodson Engr, 1500 Spencer, Denton Texas 76205 a PHD Forensic Engineer came to discuss his testing of the CSST Products and failures of the products.
This was a fascinating fact filled class on CSST with great data to back up the failures of the piping, I would urge everyone to make contact with the foundation and have them do a class for your inspectors association membership. Currently there are over 7 million homes in the USA with these defective gas lines and the manufacturers are not willing to do much to correct the problems, bonding alone is not enough to prevent fires. This problem is not limited to just the CSST pipe but is an issue all together with the flex connectors often used on all gas pipes even when used with ridged black pipe. Equipment grounding although somewhat allowed in the NEC will not provide proper grounding of any pipe when used with flex connectors at the appliances, a bond jumper across the flex lines should be used to prevent fires and explosions. This problem is not limited to just lighting strikes, fire often occur at gas furnaces from A/C compressors shorting out and going to ground, this can energize the Freon lines all the way back to the air handler and back to the gas piping causing a fire.
After the Teel Foundations presentation along with Mark Goodson’s fine work and research I made a motion to the SATAREI membership to donate $500.00 dollars to the foundation for their fine work and the membership agreed, not only did we donate to this great cause we threw our support in as a professional organization as backers for the Teel Foundation. This is very important, the money will merely fund a minute amount based on costs to conduct studies, but when the Teel Foundation works on pressuring the manufacturer of these products the sheer number of people that back the cause is essential.
I am challenging other inspectors associations to match the donation by SATAREI and offer their support for a great cause, there is so much that has gone on with the TEEL Foundation and the great success they have had to date against the CSST manufacturers that I could not begin to list it all here in a post. I am making this challenge to other groups all across the country, I’m urging you to throw your support behind this cause. I recognize the great work and fine people in the inspection industry and I know that if inspectors will back this movement other groups will follow and the consumer/home owner will get the push for public safety it deserves from a Profession that prides itself on the consumers safety and their best interest.
I am including the link to the Teel Foundation, please review the website and the great factual information and videos that are on their site.
The law suits from this dangerous product have been under way, as more people are injured or killed we have a responsibility as a profession, organizations and a citizen to know what we are faced with, we need to become educated to truly inform our clients of the dangers of all CSST and gas flex connectors.
I am asking the ALL INSPECTORS to please act on this challenge to support the Teel Foundation and to contact the foundation to provide essential information to your clients.
Thank you for your time on this matter.
Jeff Adams
210-823-8672
From Csst gas lines - InterNACHI Inspection Forum http://www.nachi.org/forum/f2/corrugated-stainless-steel-tubing-gas-lines-97569/#ixzz3Pleh7UZL