Lubbock City Council May 12, 2016 CSST Lightning Issue u The threat - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Lubbock City Council May 12, 2016 CSST Lightning Issue u The threat of lightning damage to CSST has been solved u CSST industry offers CSST products with conductive jackets to disperse arcing electrical energy u Tested to national standard ANSI
May 12, 2016
CSST Lightning Issue
u The threat of lightning damage to CSST has been solved u CSST industry offers CSST products with conductive jackets to disperse arcing
electrical energy
u Tested to national standard ANSI LC-1 u Proven in the field
2002-2004
OmegaFlex develops CounterStrike – the first arc resistant CSST
2007
Second generation of CounterStrike introduced – increases arc resistance 50x more than yellow CSST
1999
OmegaFlex requires bonding
electrical arcing from lightning
2007 - 2010
Growing acceptance of CounterStrike CSST in the market – despite higher price Contractors value durable rugged construction and added safety
2011
OmegaFlex voluntarily transitions CSST business exclusively to CounterStrike CSST Gains wide market acceptance
OmegaFlex Commitment to Safety
2014
ANSI LC-1 – the only national standard for CSST – adopts testing for arc resistant CSST based on original CounterStrike tests Titeflex voted in favor of this change
Today
Over 125 million feet of CounterStrike installed – the leading CSST brand in the United States
Flawed Testing
u Tests relied on by city staff are flawed and unreliable u Tests conducted by persons having conflict of interest u Tests were not conducted per PMG LC1027 test criteria
u No required pretreating of samples u Did not use the correct lightning waveform u Did not replicate results over several samples
Flawed Testing
Flawed Testing
Flawed Testing
Flawed Testing
Flawed Testing; No Pretreating
Flawed Testing; Only 1 Sample
Flawed Testing; Improper Waveform
Patent Monopoly
u Titeflex has received
three patents for the FlashShield design and fittings
u US Patent No. 9,249,904, u US Patent No. 8,905,083 u US Patent No. 8,399,767
u Patents cover CSST multi-
layered jacket and fitting
Patent Monopoly
Patent Monopoly
Model Codes Advisory Board Report of the Special Fuel Gas Subcommittee
Addressing Lightning-Induced Failures of Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing; Tab K
Patent Monopoly
Patent Monopoly
u Goodson patent
infringement lawsuit
u Goodson patents for
multi-layered CSST
u US Patent 7,562,448
u US Patent 7,821,763
u Goodson advises the model
code committee
Flawed Testing; Conflict of Interest
Flawed Testing; Conflict of Interest
Flawed Testing; Conflict of Interest
Patent Monopoly
u Prior attempts for PMG LC1027
to become the standard
u Proposals rejected by national
and state code organizations
u National Fire Protection Assoc. u OK Uniform Building Code Comm
LC1027 Independent Testing
u Independent testing by Texas
Tech faculty shows:
u FlashShield does not meet
heightened performance standard proposed in Lubbock, TX
u FlashShield does not meet LC-1027
performance criteria
u FlashShield performance is degraded
when exposed to real-world conditions:
Lab Test Results
FlashShield Doesn’t Deliver
u Independent testing shows FlashShield cannot
meet the levels in proposed ordinance (85C)
u Lab tests are not the real world u Tested in strict accordance w/ LC-1027
u Galvanic corrosion at fittings affects
performance
u Dissimilar metals between fitting and mesh
causes corrosion
u Failure is just a matter of time
Independent Testing; Lightning
Lab Test
Lab Test
Lab Test
FlashShield Field Failure
Arkansas
FlashShield & 120v
FlashShield & 120v
Old Technology Less Safe
u Old technology using black iron or steel pipe is less safe
than CSST
u Black iron or steel pipe more likely to leak or break –
possibly causing fire or explosion
Examples of BIP Deaths
u Dobbin TX
u 2 women killed, one child hurt from
corroded BIP
Example BIP Deaths
u Atlantic IA
u Husband and wife killed in gas
explosion
u Leak in BIP caused leaking natural
gas
Examples BIP Deaths
u Hatboro PA
u Gas fired dryer in basement dislodged by
flooding
u Dryer pulled on BIP causing crack at elbow u Accumulated gas caused explosion killing 6
people
Example – BIP Lightning Failure
u Report by FL Bureau LP Gas Insp u Lightning fire St. Johns FL
u “Bottom side of the gas line in the
attic through a mirror. This hole is about ¼ inch dia. in a schedule 40 black iron pipe.
u “There was an electrical wire that
was running underneath this pipe as shown in the [insert].”
CounterStrike Development
u Counterstrike was developed beginning in
2002-2003
u Testing at lightning lab confirmed mode of
damage to CSST tubing
u Two different approaches tested
u Conductive u Insulative
u CounterStrike commercially introduced in 2004
CounterStrike – Tested in the Lab
u Further improvements resulted in improved
CounterStrike in 2007
u Electrical current from arc is dispersed along the
length of the conductive jacket
u No damage to inner CSST piping
CounterStrike - Proven in the Field
u Florida
u Direct lightning strike to home; extensive fire in
attic.
u Pressure test of CounterStrike – no leaks, no holes
u Texas
u Direct lighting strike to home; electrical
appliances and TVs damaged
u No damage to CounterStrike CSST
CounterStrike’s Capabilities
u Computer simulations based on work with
NFPA, Gas Technology Institute, and Texas Tech
u Tested CounterStrike CSST at lightning lab for
data on lightning performance
u Simulated direct lightning strikes to home
with CounterStrike CSST based on lab results
u No electrical arcing damage to CounterStrike
CSST
ANSI LC-1
u Testing for arc-resistant CSST was
recognized in ANSI LC-1 in 2014
u This culminated in seven year
effort by OmegaFlex for recognition of this technology in the CSST product standard
u Over 10 years – 125 million feet has
proven success record
u Lightning problem has been solved
by ANSI LC-1
u LC-1027 is a solution in search of a
problem
u Lightning problem solved with ANSI
LC-1
u LC-1027 allegedly higher
performance levels are surplus
u Reasons to change the standard are
non-existent