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Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)

This excludes appliance connectors

Corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) that has been used in residential, commercial and industrial buildings after Sept. 5, 2006. The tubing is used to transmit gas throughout the structure in lieu of hard pipe gas lines. CSST does not include gas-appliance connectors.

According to the plaintiffs in the case, tubing manufactured by Titeflex, Ward, OmegaFlex or Parker Hannifin poses an unreasonable risk of fire from lightning strikes. The tubing in question is stamped with one of the manufacturers' marks.

CSST is a continuous, flexible, stainless steel pipe that typically is covered with a yellow plastic coating. It is usually installed along floor joists, above basements, in attic spaces or connected to exposed appliances such as water heaters.

The suit alleges that the tubing is not thick enough to prevent damage in the event of a lightning strike and that the manufacturers have failed to warn consumers about this alleged danger.

Under the proposed settlement, those who qualify, which includes home owners will receive payment vouchers of between $200 and $2,000 to defray the cost of buying and installing a lightning protection system, or between $75 and $160 to install a bonding and grounding system.

Participants who plan to make a claim must submit a claim form to the CSST Settlement Administrator by Sept. 5, 2007.

A hearing to determine whether the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate will be held in the Circuit Court of Clark County, Ark. on Feb. 1.

For more information, visit www.csstsettlement.com, call the CSST Settlement Administrator at 800-420-2916, or write the administrator at P.O. Box 4349; Portland, Ore. 97208-4349.

Since 1989 over 150 million feet has been installed in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. During 2002, approximately 45 million feet of CSST was sold and installed in the U. S. - an indication of the rapid increase in use of CSST in recent years.

Corrugated stainless steel gas tubing (CSST) consists of a continuous, flexible, stainless steel pipe with an exterior PVC covering. The piping is produced in coils that are air-tested for leaks. It is most often installed in a central manifold configuration (also called parallel configuration) with "home run" lines that extend to gas appliances. Flexible gas piping is lightweight and requires fewer connections than traditional gas piping because it can be bent easily and routed around obstacles.

Note: TREC does not require identification of gas line materials. Do not become panic stricken if your home has CSST. Simply contact www.csstsettlement.com or a plumber for further evaluation.