| Today, natural gas lines have developed very | | | | the iron pipes is much more difficult and |
| much. Thus, you may have the surprise that the | | | | complicated to do, as it requires professional |
| pipelines installed in your house may not be the | | | | precise measurement, cutting, and threading of all |
| usual heavy black iron ones, but new flexible pipes | | | | natural gas lines, taken each in its turn. In addition, |
| made of stainless steel. The new piping systems | | | | all of these steps are time consuming and if you |
| install very easily with very little mess, similarly to | | | | consider adding natural gas lines later, you will |
| electrical wires installation. Such natural gas lines | | | | have to deal with a lot more mess. However, the |
| contain corrugated stainless steel tubing, also | | | | good thing about the old method is that you do |
| known as CSST. This material has received | | | | not need to anticipate the addition of more lines |
| worldwide approval for residential use and the | | | | when installing the original system. |
| system used consists of an ingenious method of | | | | Another very important advantage of using |
| supplying natural gas to different devices, such as | | | | corrugated stainless steel tubing is that it |
| fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, dryers and any other | | | | minimizes potential gas leaks. The old iron pipeline |
| appliance that works on gas. | | | | system is much more complicated, as it has |
| Moreover, adding natural gas lines on a later date | | | | many ninety degree, tee and coupling fittings. All |
| is very easy to do as long as you plan for this | | | | these fittings are useful whenever a change of |
| possibility when installing the original installation. | | | | direction is necessary and they are quite a |
| Nowadays, state and local authorities throughout | | | | common source of gas leakage. In addition, the |
| the world permit the use of these natural gas | | | | threaded joints also constitute potential leakage |
| lines and more and more contractors start to | | | | points. On the other hand, the corrugated stainless |
| embrace it, as it is a much safer and functional | | | | steel tubing is much more flexible and instead of |
| method. | | | | needing cutting, it simply winds around corners |
| This material first appeared as useful during the | | | | and obstructions in one piece. Thus, you will not |
| late 1980s and, in the beginning, people were | | | | have to deal with more fittings, just one at each |
| afraid to use it, as even some contractors of | | | | end of the natural gas line. Moreover, in case of |
| natural gas lines considered the method rather | | | | leakage, the CSST fittings are very easy to |
| unsafe. However, the arguments sustaining the | | | | access for adjustments. |
| lack of safety of these pipelines have never | | | | However, the idea that corrugated stainless steel |
| benefited from support. The professional | | | | tubing is a do-it-yourself type of installation is not |
| contractors realized that they have been already | | | | accurate. It is true that the installation of this |
| using similar brass appliance connector tubing in | | | | method is much easier and less time consuming, |
| situations when adding natural gas lines was | | | | but it still needs professional installers accustomed |
| necessary for clothes dryers or gas ranges. Thus, | | | | with the small nuances of this new gas tubing |
| the method was not all that new, just that its | | | | system. The person who attempts installing such |
| introduction functioned as a replacement of the | | | | a system should have an authorized license to |
| old iron natural gas lines. | | | | practice. There are two methods of installing the |
| The corrugated stainless steel tubing is much | | | | CSST system: the series and the parallel ones. |
| more advantageous than the older method. One | | | | The first method is the same as the one used |
| of the biggest advantages of the CSST method | | | | for installing the iron gas lines and it is usually the |
| is the labor savings. The traditional lines take a | | | | easiest method, as a larger pipe supplies natural |
| much longer period to cut and thread. The new | | | | gas to other smaller branches that feed different |
| material is much lighter in weight and a lot easier | | | | appliances. The parallel method is, however, |
| to install, as the system functions the same as | | | | superior, as it installs as a wire system, all lines |
| the one associated with the electrical wires. The | | | | starting from a central distribution point. Adding |
| material only needs pulling between two points | | | | natural gas lines in such a system requires extra |
| and then cutting to the necessary length, by using | | | | gas ports located on the manifold within the panel. |
| simple tubing cutters. On the other hand, installing | | | | |