April 4, 2007, minutes
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MEMBERS PRESENT: |
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Russell Brickell, Tim Kaufman, Larry Frost, Jeff Oliver and Daniel Beebe
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MEMBERS ABSENT:
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Jeff Hardie and BJ LaBounty
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STAFF PRESENT: |
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Phil Burke and Mark Mills |
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PUBLIC PRESENT: |
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None present |
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Chairman Frost called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Frost recognized Mark Mills in attendance; Mills is the Plumbing Inspector for the City of Lawrence.
Minutes
The minutes of the March 7, 2007 meeting had been emailed to all members. All members present had viewed the minutes prior to the meeting; Oliver took a few minutes to review a copy. Brickell made a motion to accept the minutes Frost seconded the motion, the motion passed unanimously.
Correspondence
There was no correspondence.
Unfinished Business
An agenda item regarding a letter sent to Contractors about the requirement to bond all gas piping that contains any CSST flexible piping had been placed on the agenda for discussion. A copy of the letter had been forwarded to Members prior to the meeting.
Frost asked if the requirement was a problem caused by a lightning strike or something to that effect.
Staff responded that according to his information a class action law suit had been filed because of damage to the piping system by lightning or some other type of surge. He is not sure of the exact problem encountered, but all indications alleged the metallic liner became punctured as a result of this event and the subsequent bonding of this material may reduce the hazard significantly.
Frost asked if other types of flexible CSST systems were manufactured.
Mills responded that other manufacturers beside Gastite® market the CSST piping system.
Frost questioned if the letter addressed bonding all gas lines or just those that contain CSST piping systems, or just those with Gastite® installed.
Staff has suggested to those contractors he has had contact with it would be much easier to bond the gas line regardless of the installation of a CSST product.
Mills responded that he had been requiring contractors to provide the bond on all systems that contain CSST piping regardless of the manufacturer.
Frost stated the Code requires the gas line to be bonded whether flexible or not.
Staff stated that to his knowledge the Department had always considered the gas line bonded by the equipment grounding conductor of the circuit that supplies the equipment utilizing the gas supply, in most cases the furnace circuit.
Frost reiterated that before the City didn’t require the gas line bonded, now if it contains Gastite® it must be bonded, but if it is something else it might not apply.
Staff responded that it could be interpreted as that, but the real intent was to provide a bond to gas lines that utilized the CSST system in any amount, regardless of the brand.
Frost stated that according to the NEC gas lines are required to be bonded, isn’t that correct?
Staff responded that the NEC does require gas lines to be bonded and also has a provision for the bonding to be done through the equipment grounding conductor of the circuit supplying the equipment. Staff thought that at one point in the past the City had required the bonding of gas lines.
Frost questioned why it wasn’t done before, was the gas company against it? The majority of homes have some flexible gas line connecting the fireplace, what do you think Mr. Oliver?
Mills excused the interruption but he had an example of a contractor calling in for a permit to install some CSST piping and the contractor asked if he would need to list an electrical contractor on the permit. Mills advised him that he would need to do just that.
Frost raised the concern that someone could very easily add this piping system and without the original bond it would be subject to the same hazard that brought this whole thing forward. Not all plumbers are going to show the insight as the one that contacted Mills.
Oliver stated that the easiest method would be to require all of them to be bonded and that would eliminate the issues being discussed.
Beebe asked what size of bonding conductor would be considered sufficient.
Staff stated the letter mentioned#6 awg and in almost all cases that would be sufficient
Frost queried the Board as to their thoughts on making a recommendation to the Building Safety division for the enforcement of bonding all gas lines with a minimum of a #6 awg copper. The members agreed a recommendation would be an excellent idea and directed staff to create an appropriate worded recommendation and submit it to his Supervisors for consideration as an enforcement practice.
New Business
Brickell had been unable to attend all of the contractor licensing meetings lately and was not able to offer a report. He did mention that the Commission has charged the other Boards to have their respective International Code ready for adoption within the next 6 months. The International Fire Code is pending approval by the City Commission.
Frost suggested to the membership that meetings could easily be suspended until some business comes before the Board requiring them to convene.
Staff mentioned that he had not heard of anything pressing that would be headed the way of the Electrical Board.
Brickell made a motion to suspend meetings until such a time it is deemed necessary by the Chairman to convene or no later than September 5th 2007. The motion was seconded by Oliver and passed by majority with Beebe casting the lone nay vote.
Adjournment
Chairman Frost asked for a motion to adjourn, Kaufman made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Oliver and Beebe, motion passed unanimously and meeting was adjourned at 6:18 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Phil Burke
Secretary
Submittal
The Board agreed to recommend that gas lines be bonded with a minimum #6 awg copper conductor and installed in accordance with the 2005 NEC and meet the provisions of NEC 250.104 (B) irregardless of the presence of a CSST product. The Board expressed a concern that CSST piping may be installed at a later time without a permit and a means would not exist to verify the correct bond had been installed. The Board agreed that the language in the 2005 NEC exists to support this installation and subsequent enforcement of the requirement.