Furnace Inspections A Must Under New Oilheat Regulations

  (NC)-The Canadian Oil Heat Association (COHA) is encouraging oilheat customers in Ontario to book inspections on their heating systems as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen delays or interruptions in service.

Basic and/or comprehensive inspections on oilheating systems are now required under new regulations from Ontario's Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). The new regulations will ensure that heating with oil remains one of the safest and most dependable home heating options.

"Basic and comprehensive inspections are mandatory and should be seen as a part of regular furnace maintenance," says COHA president John Butt. "They can generally be booked at the same time as your regular tune-ups and service checks."

Basic inspections involve a general, visual examination of the system. By May 2004, all fuel oil customers must have had at least a basic inspection performed by a certified individual.

Homeowners are also required to have a comprehensive inspection of their heating and delivery system by a certified oil burner technician (OBT). This inspection is required every 10 years. By May 2007 all fuel oil customers must have a comprehensive inspection.

"It is important for homeowners to remember that their fuel oil distributors are required by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority to complete the inspections, repairs and replacements within the prescribed timelines," says Butt. "Sometimes that can mean that service calls may take a little longer than usual, but homeowners should rest assured that they will be taken care of in a timely and efficient manner."

The following are a list of Frequently Asked Questions that TSSA has been receiving regarding these new regulations:

Q: What exactly is on the inspection checklist?

A: First, it is important for homeowners to realize that a fuel oil system consists of more than just a storage tank. It also includes a fill and vent pipe for oil supply and an outlet line with a valve and filter to supply oil to the furnace.

Some of the things a fuel dealer will look at during the course of an inspection include:

• Verifying that the tank has a proper gauge and vent whistle

• Checking whether the tank is leaning over and may topple

• Checking whether there are signs of leakage at the tank bottom

• Ensuring that the fill and vent are piped outside.

Q: What happens if the fuel oil supplier finds an unsafe installation?

A: Depending on the potential danger from the unsafe installation, a fuel supplier can specify a time period of up to 90 days for corrective action before the delivery of fuel oil must cease. If the unsafe installation is very dangerous, then a distributor must immediately stop the supply of fuel oil to the installation.

Q: I don't agree with my fuel supplier and I think that my equipment is safe. What can I do?

A: Homeowners can get a second opinion from other Oil Burner Technicians and other fuel oil suppliers to confirm whether or not there is an unsafe installation.

For more information on these regulations, please contact your Fuel Oil Dealer or visit www.tssa.org. To find an oil company in your area, visit www.coha.ca

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

 News Canada

More Articles 

Notions of Home Improvement - Tony Robinson
Home improvement is affordable at times, yet at other times, it could cost you a fortune. Home improvement plans do not have to be expensive, yet when homeowners let go of repairs it can lead to outrageous results. If you are considering...

The Home Decorator�s Guide to Wall Repairs - Pamela Cole Harris
Everybody has had one or two. You know, those little hole or indentations in the walls � behind a door, or behind a picture. If you live in a home, hang a picture, or have children � accidents happen! But repairing those accidents is easy. I...

Waterproofing Your Foundation? What Is The Right Choice? - Dagmar Rakos
What is foundation waterproofing? Waterproofing is Protecting your property foundation – be it residential or commercial – from cracks due to natural processes such as water damage, thermal movement, shrinking, settlement and other causes. ...

Carpenters - Larry Westfall
Carpenters are involved in many different kinds of construction activity. They cut, fit, and assemble wood and other materials for the construction of buildings, highways, bridges, docks, industrial plants, boats, and many other structures....

10 Important Things to Consider Before Designing a New Kitchen - Harvey Juric
Here are 10 important guidelines for your kitchen design project. For efficiency, the work triangle (the space between the sink, refrigerator, and stove) should measure 26' or less with no single side longer than 9', or less than 4'. In...

Home Repair Made Easy - Rudolph Jones
A perfect home is one which is perfect in every way. That means everything in the home should work normally and regular maintenance of all the items at home should be taken car off. Negligence of home repairs can in fact prove to be risky as the...

Buying Home Appliances The Smart Way - Duane Lipham
When you add up all the money that you can spend on home appliances and fixtures it becomes obvious that you need to spend wisely and carefully to keep costs under control. These items tend to be some of the larger ticket purchases around the...

Repairing Your Venetian Blinds - Low Jeremy
Venetian blinds are very ideal alterative for curtains made up of cloth. Venetian blinds have easy open and close mechanism to let and to bar light to pass through the windows. Venetian blinds are thin sheets of any material that are connected...

Home Seller - Make Needed Repairs - Roselind Hejl
Before a buyer considers your home seriously, it must meet his needs in many ways. It must be a suitable neighborhood, commuting distance, size, layout, etc. If most of these needs are met, the buyer will move toward making an offer for...

Do-it-self Kits to Home Improvement - Tony Robinson
Do-it-self kits generally have all the equipment needed to repair or improve a home. Costs of repairs and home improvement handled by subcontractors or contractors are regularly far above the ground, merely for the reason that a lot of people do...