Corrugated
Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)
CSST Gas Pipe
Material Class Action Settlement
DISCLAIMER: It is beyond the
scope of a Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) home inspection to provide product recall or litigation information.
TREC does not require identification of gas line materials. The following is
provided as limited and supplemental information.
Do not become
panic stricken if your home has CSST. Simply contact
www.csstsettlement.com or a
plumber for further evaluation.
CSST is used to transmit gas in
residential, commercial and industrial structures. CSST consists of a
continuous, flexible, stainless steel pipe, and typically is covered with a
yellow exterior plastic coating. In the case of one of the products is covered
with a black exterior coating with yellow lettering. CSST typically is routed
beneath, through and alongside floor joists, inside interior wall cavities and
on top of ceiling joists in attic space from a gas source to an appliance.
CSST does not
include gas-appliance connectors
The lawsuit claims that CSST poses
an unreasonable risk of fire due to lightning strikes. Plaintiffs allege that
the CSST tubing is not thick enough to prevent damage to the CSST in the event
of a lightning strike and that Defendants failed to warn consumers about these
alleged dangers. The Settling Defendants deny these allegations and assert
that their CSST is safe if properly installed in accordance with local codes
and the manufacturers’ instructions.
Lightning is a highly
destructive force. Even a nearby lightning strike that does not strike a
structure directly can cause systems in the structure to become energized.
Proper bonding and grounding may reduce the risk of damage and fire from
certain lightning strikes. If systems that could become energized by lightning
are not all properly bonded, the differences in potential between such systems
may cause the charge to arc from one system to another. Arcing can cause
damage to CSST. Bonding and grounding CSST will help reduce the risk of
arcing and related damage. Many early CSST installations were not bonded.
Keep in mind that the home must be
struck by lightning or have a nearby strike that transmits the energy to your
home. Any home, even those with lightning suppression systems, can catch on
fire from a lightning strike. Lightning suppression systems are rare in North
Texas. CIS does not inspect them if encountered.
The Settlement Class consists of any
and all persons and/or entities who own structures in the United States in
which CSST manufactured by Settling Defendants was installed as of September
5, 2006 (“Settlement Class Members”).
For detailed information on CSST
Settlement go to
www.csstsettlement.com.
If you do not feel qualified to
determine if your gas pipe system contains CSST we can inspect your system for
a fee of $75 to $95 dollars if you are in our travel area. Crawlspace areas
are an extra charge. Look at the pictures below to see if your home has CSST.
Call us if you are unsure.
Click on photo to enlarge. If it does not enlarge turn on your
pop ups.
