CSST Safety
Important Safety Message for Maryland Gas Customers:
The Flynn and Laird Act of 2022 bans the use of non-arc resistant CSST (corrugated stainless steel tubing) for customer fuel lines in all new construction, effective October 1, 2022.
What is CSST?
Corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) is a flexible, stainless steel piping system used to supply natural gas and propane in residential, commercial and industrial structures. Standard CSST is coated with a yellow exterior plastic coating. It should be properly bonded and grounded in order to reduce the risk to your house or business caused from lightning activity.
Why is this important?
If lightning strikes on or near a structure, there is risk it can travel through the structure’s gas piping system and cause a leak, and in some cases a fire. Since 2006, all manufacturer’s instructions have required direct-bonding and grounding of yellow CSST in new installations. A bonding connection installed on a gas piping system, as with any metallic system within a house, will reduce the likelihood of electrical arcing to or from other bonded metallic systems in the structure, thus reducing the likelihood of arc induced damage.
What do you do if you find CSST?
- Inspect: If work has been performed on the gas piping system in your house or business since 1990, it’s possible that yellow CSST was installed but not to current installation requirements.
- Mitigate: If you find yellow CSST, it is strongly recommended that you contact a licensed electrician. The licensed electrician can make sure that your system is properly bonded.
