Omega Flex CSST

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

This was sent to me by another plumbing contractor in the Bay Area who picked it up on a plumbing forum and I don't have any details as yet. I don't even know if it happened at all or if it's a smear campaign, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm posting it here to see if it has any validity. If so, it poses many questions.

"Our plumbing contractor for a new construction used Omega Flex gas lines through out the building. when we finally received our occupancy permit and wanted to turn on the gas a few months after the gas installation was complete the whole system was leaking almost every where near every connector. When Omega Flex came and took multiple samples of the pipes and sent to a lab they said it was chlorine damage. They claim that the small amount of chlorine in the household soap used to leak check the lines has cause every bit of the pipe to develop holes and leak. Has anybody experienced any thing like this before?"

Lyle {pheloa} Carter

Recently after the "gas incident" in North Andover. I was asked to to be present for the turn on of a gas system in building in the unimpacted area. This building contained an indoor swimming pool, mechanical room, workout room,and community room. A small leak was found in the building which stopped after the line containing the CSST with shut off. The two ends of the CSST, one in the mechanical room where the pool equipment was, and the other in an attic in the other part of the building, had pinholes due to the chlorine in the air. Neither had been sealed with silicone tape as is required today.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I don't care for CSST at all. Gas is dangerous and shouldn't b etaken for granted

kcopp

I think all the csst mfg specifically say to not use dish detergent on the CSST... Only use the approved gas leak tester liquid.

mattmia2

kcopp said:

I think all the csst mfg specifically say to not use dish detergent on the CSST... Only use the approved gas leak tester liquid.

that is definitely a problem if exposure to mild chemicals can cause pinholes. It maybe isn't a terrible idea if made out of the right alloy.

mattmia2

Or probably a much better idea would be to run higher pressure and small diameter iron or copper and regulate it at the appliances instead of running essentially ductwork because we use a supply system that was designed for lighting.