CSA B214 and National Building Code

Constance Wrigley-Thomas

The CSA B214 Installation Code for Hydronic Heating Systems will be referenced in Part 6 (Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning) of Canada's 2005 National Building Code. We anticipate that the provinces will also adopt this standard into their codes. This is good news and it will augment and support the delivery of hydronics training (at technical colleges) and certification.

CSA B214 will not, however, be referenced in Part 9 (Housing and Small Buildings) of the NBC. The Part 9 committee felt that the standard was "too prescriptive" and that it set too high a standard. This is regrettable considering that the standard was designed to protect consumers from sub-standard installations.

CIPH and the Canadian Hydronics Council are currently trying to get this issue back on to the NBC agenda and have requested an opportunity to make a submission and presentation to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes at their April meeting. We understand that the CSA B214 will in fact be on the agenda due to pressure from a couple of the provinces that support the standard.

A letter outlining our concerns on the exclusion from Part 9 of the NBC is attached.

We will try to keep you posted of any developments through this forum.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas
Program Manager
CIPH

leo g_92

constance

what about the open systems (heating with potable hot water from a hot water tank) that B214 allows? how does this part of the standard set too high of a standard?

if you are a regular reader of this board, you have probably come to realize, that most of the contributers here, feel that open systems are a danger just waiting to happen. why have we (canadian code officials) allowed this practice? it is totally banned in europe, is bad plumbing practice, and could put a larger strain on our already overtaxed health delivery system!

how do i request an opportunnity to make a submission to the CCB&FC? whom do i address my concerns to at CIPH? at CHC?

are you aware that the RHWHA of BC guidlines outlaws these systems? and if B214 is adopted, does that mean that our guidlines hold no more authority? you must realize that here in the lower mainland of vancouver where these guidlines have been in place for a number of years now, that we are experiencing a hydronics boom! why? because the customer can feel confident that their systems are of good quality and SAFE!!!

i have spoken to many of our plumbing inspectors out here in the greater vancouver area, and they are aghast that such a system was even considered, let alone adopted! they have all, to a person, said to me that the will not allow such systems into their areas.

to also let you know, i have sent my concerns to the BC CDC, and if this part of the standard is accepted, i will be going to my local health board and raising this issue. the health of my customers MUST come first, before the idea, of saving a few hundred dollars (another circ, heat-exchanger, and backflow and prv!) is put before their health.

leo g

Brian

Constance

> The CSA B214 Installation Code for Hydronic

> Heating Systems will be referenced in Part 6

> (Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning) of

> Canada's 2005 National Building Code. We

> anticipate that the provinces will also adopt

> this standard into their codes. This is good news

> and it will augment and support the delivery of

> hydronics training (at technical colleges) and

> certification.

>

> CSA B214 will not, however, be

> referenced in Part 9 (Housing and Small

> Buildings) of the NBC. The Part 9 committee felt

> that the standard was "too prescriptive" and that

> it set too high a standard. This is regrettable

> considering that the standard was designed to

> protect consumers from sub-standard

> installations.

>

> CIPH and the Canadian Hydronics

> Council are currently trying to get this issue

> back on to the NBC agenda and have requested an

> opportunity to make a submission and presentation

> to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire

> Codes at their April meeting. We understand that

> the CSA B214 will in fact be on the agenda due to

> pressure from a couple of the provinces that

> support the standard.

>

> A letter outlining our

> concerns on the exclusion from Part 9 of the NBC

> is attached.

>

> We will try to keep you posted of

> any developments through this forum.

>

> Constance

> Wrigley-Thomas Program Manager CIPH

Brian

Constance

I received the code book shortly after it came out and was looking forward to it's arrival because I hoped that certification would not be far behind.I found the code to be very straight foward and hardly complicated.There needs to be some form of guidance for the trades and inspectors.Without this the reputable contractors are losing jobs to the "Weekend Warriors".Even though the code is not being adopted, could you answer a question that was hottly debated on "The Wall".Why did they allow use of a water heater as a Combo heat source without a heat exchanger? Even though you required intermittent circulation it would seem that for safety reasons one should still be required.If there are any studies that have been done ,lord knows we Canadians love our studies,could you post them.Also do you know if Ontario is going to come up with there own code like we did with our plumbing.

Thank You
Brian Dobbyn
Dobbyn Plg.& Htg.

hydronicsmike

I may be way wrong here leo...

...but I think it (B214) is a minimum standard that will be followed. If your Provincial Standard is higher, it will stay in place.

Am I wrong? I think it is great to have some guidance. The Water Heater issue is discussed many times. Although I strongly agree with your concerns, those have to be brought to the right peoples attention. We can all complain about it over and over again, but unless we stand up and come up with hard facts, they will not listen to us. Why don't we have the paperwork ready before we argue?

How did someone on here put it the last time this went through the wall?? "Show me the bodies!!"

CUDOS CIPH and CHC and everyone involved!!

Constance Wrigley-Thomas

CSA Process

Neither CIPH, nor CHC, own the CSA B214. We were, however, an integral part of its development, but ownership of the standard belongs to CSA alone. We promote the standard; we sell the standard; and the hydronics curriculum that has been developed by NAIT and BCIT (technical colleges) is based on the competencies of the Standard.

CSA (www.csa.ca) has a well-established process for registering concerns or proposed changes to standards.

At the back of each standard (CSA B214 included) is a form where you can identify the relevant clause, table and/or figure number(s), wording on the proposed change and reationale for the change.

Standards are fluid documents and undergo revisions all the time.

If you have concerns about anything in the standard or you don't agree with it, there is a mechanism to have your say.

And trust me, this process does work.

Constance Wrigley
Program Manager
CIPH

leo g_93

thanks for the info

constance, i shall order my copy of the standard right away.

leo g

Glen

Keep at it!

It is my thinking that the CSA code or the guidelines as set out by the RHWHAofBC are neither prescriptive nor rife with problems. When both are considered - it forms the basis of sound practises needed to standardize this industry. The engineering donkey that submitted the dunning report and subsequent recommendation should be run out of the country (not south - you guys don't need him either!). CIPH and all the organizations that have sponsored the code should be commended for all the hard work - once the politics are sorted out it will be a damn fine start. There may be a few items that I would hesitate to use (water heaters?? open systems??) but that can be sorted out as time goes by. The process as a whole does work. Keep it up and thanks for all the hard work.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas

Update on update

We have been successful in getting the CSA B214 back on to the National Building Code agenda and will be in attendance at the meeting of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes on Monday, April 5 in Victoria, BC.

Support of industry is critical. We have been requesting letters from members of the hydronics heating industry to help us build a case for the inclusion of the CSA B214 in Part 9 of the 2005 National Building Code.

If you want to help, drop me a line at wrigley-thomas@ciph.com for more information.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas
Program Manager
CIPH

Weezbo

standards..

codes are not what "guide" me particularily....you may have a good idea however my thought goes like this you keep your codes and when they catch up to my Standards perhaps you will appreciate good work, trustworthy craftsmen,who un Prompted by government intervention will continue to do things right.and do thier own thinking. codes are written i belive to sell books almost as pathetic an enterprise as colleges and univesities that close the engineering dept. that the original founders had first started the educational centers upon in the first place.....setting a good example is an old idea . It is insulting to people who are doing thier work correctly to pay some government agent with a degree in forestry, asking us to pay for some phoney bureaucratic post concocted that he or she might have some sorta job...i am sad for the governments of countries all around the world today...it is difficult for me to see even one of them that is actually "Getting any better" as the years roll by ,See ya..wouldnt wanna be ya. sometimes i wish Alaska would just Ceed from the union and start a new country with two or three laws ,liberate the potential from their seats down in government hand them a few tools and have them actually do something worthwhile.