No one would deny the absolute importance of life safety in the places where we live, work and play in our communities. Furthermore many, if not most, of our homes, schools, offices and other buildings where people congregate rely on natural gas for warmth in winter and an abundant supply of hot water. And, as everyone knows, one of the by-products of burning a fossil fuel such as natural gas is the lethal gas carbon monoxide, commonly referred to as the silent killer.

It would be perfectly understandable if one were to assume that every precaution would be taken to ensure the safety of people, and guard against the possibility of exposure to carbon monoxide gas leaks by using materials and equipment tested and approved for that purpose. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case.

The reality is that, today, there is a life safety issue that should be of concern to everyone. It involves the use of plumbing Solid Wall Schedule 40 or Foam Core Drain, Waste and Vent (DWV) pipe and fittings in Flue Gas Venting (FGV) applications.

Simply put, plumbing DWV products are NOT designed to meet the life safety standards of FGV applications and were never intended to be used in FGV applications. The reason the use of plumbing DWV products in FGV applications persists is because they are often the least expensive materials available.

System 1738® by IPEX is “Venting. ReInvented™” to safeguard against the dangers of carbon monoxide

Accompanied by an industry-leading, 10-year Product Warranty, System 1738® is the first engineered PVC Flue Gas Venting system certified to UL 1738. Rated for flue gas temperatures up to 149^oF (65^oC), it is a complete system consisting of pipe, fittings, termination kits and solvent cement manufactured to strict quality, performance and dimensional standards. It is available in 2”, 3” and 4” diameter pipe and fittings.

To achieve UL 1738 certification, it underwent extensive testing consisting of system performance requirements and material conditioning and test requirements. The rigorous certification process also included approval of all installation instructions and special marking and labelling requirements for FGV pipe, fittings and cement.

System 1738® pipes and fittings are black in color. Material type, application and temperature rating are included in the pipe print as well as on the orange and black certification labels applied to each fitting. All System 1738® products have been certified by Intertek, a leading 3^rd party certification agency, and carry an ETL mark as proof of certification. As required by the UL 1738 Standard, markings on pipe and fittings clearly differentiate it as a certified gas venting system from everyday, non-certified plumbing pipe and fittings. To be absolutely certain that the venting system you are choosing is certified for the application, ask for the UL 1738 certified solution, System 1738® Flue Gas Venting.

Additionally, System 1738® solvent cement is specifically formulated and certified for flue gas venting applications to provide permanent welded joints, and includes an optical brightener that is visible under a UV light for identification of the proper cement for the application. Primers are also available for applications where the system is to be installed in temperatures below 32^oF (0^oC). Cutting and deburring tools are also available as part of the comprehensive flue gas venting system.

Never mix different materials from different manufacturers with System 1738® Flue Gas Venting

No two systems are exactly the same. Different manufacturers have different materials, joining systems and/or cement solvents. System 1738® pipe fittings and cement are specifically designed, manufactured and certified to be used as part of a system and must be installed as such. DO NOT mix pipe fittings, solvents or jointing methods from different manufacturers and DO NOT use other IPEX products not certified as System 1738®. Doing so will void the certification and warranty and result in unsafe conditions that could lead to a failure in the venting system and, potentially, a carbon monoxide leak.

Always choose certified System 1738® for safety because it’s the right thing to do

When it comes to safety, there is no room for compromise. In fact, both the NFPA 54-18 and IFGC Fuel Gas Codes now recognize the UL 1738 venting standard across the United States.

Carbon monoxide detectors are an essential 2^nd line of defense to protect against the dangers of carbon monoxide, but our 1^st line of defense should be to always use a UL 1738 certified flue gas venting system like System 1738®.