Romex and CSST NG line

[aschauer82]

I am working on an older a house. I found that the wiring in general was less than professional. In the crawl space I see that the romex was zip tied to the csst line. I have no way to tell if the gas line if it is bonded and grounded. Would you call that out( I did) and how would you write it up.

I said something to extent that with out knowing if gas line is bonded and grounded this poses a safety risk. I advised to have romex secured to the flooring.

Thoughts?

[Marc]

Romex should run alongside, and be secured to, a structural member.

I'd mention it but not make a big deal of it. Can't think of a reason to.

Marc

[Jim Katen]

The CSST should be bonded regardless of whether or not it's zip tied to a piece of Romex.

What's your concern?

Inadequate support of the cable?

The cable being used to support the CSST?

The risk of arcing between the two?

?

[brric]

Indiana Code requires that ALL wiring methods maintain a separation of at least 2" from CSST except where the bonding connection is made.

[Jim Katen]

Indiana Code requires that ALL wiring methods maintain a separation of at least 2" from CSST except where the bonding connection is made.

Is that in the electrical code?

[brric]

Indiana Code requires that ALL wiring methods maintain a separation of at least 2" from CSST except where the bonding connection is made.

Is that in the electrical code?

675 IAC 17-1-1.8-13

http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/T06750/A00170.PDF

[Jim Katen]

Indiana Code requires that ALL wiring methods maintain a separation of at least 2" from CSST except where the bonding connection is made.

Is that in the electrical code?

675 IAC 17-1-1.8-13

http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/T06750/A00170.PDF

Thanks. Do you have any idea how they came up with two inches? It doesn't seem to be in the CSST manufacturers' documents. Did they just make it up?

[brric]

Indiana Code requires that ALL wiring methods maintain a separation of at least 2" from CSST except where the bonding connection is made.

Is that in the electrical code?

675 IAC 17-1-1.8-13

http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/T06750/A00170.PDF

Thanks. Do you have any idea how they came up with two inches? It doesn't seem to be in the CSST manufacturers' documents. Did they just make it up?

I have no idea.

[aschauer82]

How many codes do you think they just make up cause it sounds good?

[Jim Katen]

How many codes do you think they just make up cause it sounds good?

Actually, very few. If you study the codes carefully, you'll find very few things that are just picked out of thin air. Lots of stuff is based on engineering, and modern codes have stolen much of their content from other codes and standards and from an aggregate of manufactures' instructions. (That's why the two-inch thing surprises me. It doesn't seem to actually come from another source. It seems like some committee just threw up their hands and said, "how about two inches?" Is there something magic about two inches? Why is it better than one inch or three inches?)

Of course, there's also a strong political element at work. Codes are written by committees, which are composed of members who represent a range of political concerns. But even when a code provision is motivated by a political concern (perhaps even more so) it has a rational basis - even if it can't always stand up to careful scrutiny.

Older codes seem to have been based on engineering principles and on traditional practice. In that sense, you could say that many of their traditional-practice provisions were "made up" but they were, nonetheless, sound rules. It's fun to read them because they were written with the assumption that the reader was intelligent, experienced, and knowledgeable about his craft.