Directive: Obsolete gas appliance replacement parts/components

Directive

Directive: Obsolete gas appliance replacement parts/components

November 13, 2014

Directive
Gas

Reference Number:

D-GA 2014-05

Revision Number:

Revision 2



This Directive is being issued by a provincial safety manager pursuant to section 30 of the Safety Standards Act.

General details 

Section 4.3.4 of the CSA B149.1 Natural gas and propane installation code stipulates, “Before installing any replacement part of an appliance, the installer shall ensure that the replacement part provides operational characteristics at least equivalent to those of the original part.” 

When an original manufacturer’s replacement part/component is no longer available or have become obsolete and are not manufactured, it may be necessary to replace a part with one other than the appliance manufacturer’s recommended parts.  It is the installer’s responsibility to ensure that replacement parts do not alter any gas appliance beyond what is permitted in section 68 of the Safety Standards Act (SSA) and that the appliance meets the original certification standard after repair. 

Definitions 

Alterationany change including adding to, replacement or removal of parts in the appliance that modifies the equipment such that it ceases to meet the standard that the appliance must meet for the certification obtained by the appliance’s original manufacturer. 

Obsolete - no longer produced or used; out of date. 

Repair - any work necessary to restore an appliance to a safe and satisfactory operating condition, provided that there is no deviation from the original design and certification standard.  

Specific Details 

A replacement part/component for an appliance must provide operational characteristics at least equivalent to those of the original part, e.g. - approved to the same/equivalent standard, have the same approved flame failure response time as the original part, or meet any other requirements of the certification agency, or any successor of that agency, that authorized the use of its certification mark for the regulated product. 

If a replacement part/component meeting the above requirements is no longer available and a certified upgrade part/component/system with the same or improved operational characteristics is available from the manufacture as a recommended/certified and tested replacement part/component/system, then the appliance may be upgraded using the recommended/certified replacement parts. These parts/components/systems shall have installation instructions that bear the mark of the appropriate Canadian certification. 

Alternatively if replacement parts/components certified to the same/equivalent standard are not available for an appliance or the licensed and qualified individual cannot confirm that the replacement part/component for an appliance provides the same operational characteristics at least equivalent to those approved under the same/equivalent standard, then the client may utilize the CSA B149.3 Code for the field approval of fuel related components on appliances/equipment. In these cases the gas design registration and product approval process for the replacement parts shall be obtained from BCSA prior to commencing the replacement of parts. 

Any appliance that cannot be repaired/altered as described in this directive must be taken out of service as indicated in section 54 of the Gas Safety Regulation. 

Gas Safety Regulation 

Unrepairable appliance 

54 (1) A person who finds any appliance or gas equipment beyond repair or in an unsafe condition must:

(a) place the appliance or gas equipment out of service, and;

(b) promptly notify a safety officer of its condition and location. 

(2) If the initial notification under subsection (1) (b) is verbal, it must be promptly confirmed by a written statement setting out the facts. 

Safety Standards Act 

Alteration of regulated products 

68 (1) A person must not alter a regulated product if the alteration would or is likely to: 

(a) result in the product ceasing to meet the requirements of the regulations, or 

(b) result in the product ceasing to meet the standards 

  1.                 i.    required to be met by the certification agency, or any successor of that agency, that authorized the use of a certification mark for the regulated product, or
  2.                ii.    applied to that regulated product by a provincial safety manager in issuing an approval under section 10

 

 

Brad Wyatt
Provincial Safety Manager, Gas 

 

 

References:
Safety Standards Act
Gas Safety Regulation
CSA B149.1 - Natural gas and propane installation code
CSA B149.3 - Code for the field approval of fuel related components on appliances and equipment

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