black gas lines and electrolysis

[BSSTG]

Greetings all

Geez our new local high school has a major electrolysis problem. The bright spot is that prior to school opening one of the maint. guys found the leak before it started a fire in the high pressure gas line. Big one too. It's my understanding that a MEP engineer has been brought in to find out why these gas lines are eaten up in a school only 8 years old. Now since I don't have any real history with this stuff as I have only been doing plumbing inspections for a few years, I find this interesting and troubling at the same time. Now I'm curious what else is being eaten up within the structure as well. I have only talked to the local plumber who was called in to do a temporary fix on the gas to make the place operational which was ok.

There have been some other issues with this school as well regarding other structural issues. Come to find out it was not inspected by the local inspector here as an engineer was supposedly overseeing the project and signing off on it. Spooky huh?

Glad I wasn't anywhere around here then. On the other hand, maybe I should have been.

BS

 

[mtlogcabin]

Foriegn steel. Disimmilar metals in contact with each other. A lightning strike to name a few causes.

 

[TimNY]

Any markings on the piping? Is it propane, natural, oxygen?

 

[BSSTG]

natural gas. stray voltages/currents have been detected. Sounds like some really messed up electric equipment and ground path issues. I've been a master electrician for a really long time and I have never seen anything like this unless it was related to shipping docks and such.

BS

 

[SCBO1]

Gas pipe being used as ground because of easier access?

 

[peach]

not all natural gas is created equally... some has corrosive components (sulfur, etc).

 

[FyrBldgGuy]

I would be looking for the grounding. Someone may have looked at the black pipe and thought it looks like a water line.