Yet another CSST rust through.

[Brandon Whitmore]

We've been seeing more and more CSST leaks due to corrosion. Not to mention finding lots of leaks from nail penetrations, crappy installations, etc.

Here's one from today.

Click to Enlarge

78.37 KB

Download Attachment: 20160217_151030.jpg

415.42 KB

[Jim Katen]

What's causing the corrosion?

Would it help if the jacket were left intact right up to the fitting?

[Brandon Whitmore]

What's causing the corrosion?

This was in a pool house. There was a piece of plumbers tape securing the CSST to the wall at the rusted area (dissimilar metal issue along with chemicals/corrosive environment?).

I believe that leaving the jacket in place and taping the exposed steel would help, but this is just a hunch.

[Jim Katen]

I can't remember if I ever showed you this one. It was in a relatively recent house in Rockaway, in the attic.

It looks like a flaw in the CSST metal itself. Nothing else in the attic was corroded.

Click to Enlarge

44.69 KB

Click to Enlarge

38.49 KB

[Brandon Whitmore]

I think you posted that one on here a while back; I've seen several very similar to that one since.

I'm a fan of black iron piping. No nail penetrations or manufacturing defect issues that I've seen, and less installation errors. I'm sure if a framing nail hits just right, it could penetrate, but so far the only projectile I've seen penetrate the stuff was a bullet (guy was cleaning his gun in SE).

[Brandon Whitmore]

If all corrosion/ leak issues are occurring at the exposed portions, it makes we wonder how it can be prevented? Perhaps by requiring not just exterior portions, but all areas with the missing jacket be taped?

Then again, I've seen a brand new 75' run of CSST fail air test x3. They ended up having to yard out the pipe and start over. The only connections were at the furnace and near the meter, and there were no leaks there.