Back to NewsHappy Spring! The Planning & Development department’s Safety Codes branch is pleased to share the following updates with you, as we continue to support our community and be of assistance to you.
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Electrical Updates |
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Electric Vehicle Information There is a lot of information in the news about Electric Vehicles (EV’s). This is a new concept to Canadians and more so in Northern Alberta. With the proposed federal government changes supporting and encouraging EV’s, we expect this vehicle choice to become more prevalent in our region, with some homeowners wanting EV home charging stations. This will certainly lead to an increased demand on home electrical systems. Prior to installing any type of home charging station(s), permits are required. These permits must be applied for by licensed contractors only, to ensure compliance to the Canadian Electrical Code and allows the contractor to review the service demand to the home. The permit application requires information such as a catalog cut of the proposed charger being installed and may also require load calculations. Did you know, an EV Energy Management System (EVEMS) can allow charging of an EV without adding to the service demand. These are becoming common, and information should be available at your supplier. We recommend, where possible, all new electrical services are inspected as part of the rough-in to the home/business. There will be times that the initial construction will not permit this to happen, and we would be happy to discuss. Personal Services Contractors working on commercial Personal Services installations need to ensure that owners fill out a Patient Care Form prior to any installations. Please email our Safety Codes Office at inspections@rmwb.ca for the form and a detailed information document. Devices must be approved by Health Canada as certified medical devices for contact between the patient and the device. If there are any questions regarding Personal Services installations, please contact our office and ask to speak with an Electrical Safety Codes Officer at 780-743-7813. |
| Plumbing & Gas Updates |
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New Plumbing Code There is a new plumbing code that is in affect April 1/2023! There are few modifications. The code is available to download free. Backwater Valves Backwater valves provide protection against the backflow of sewage into a building. The National Plumbing Code 2015 requires fixtures located below the level of the adjoining street subject to backflow, to be protected. The acceptable means of protection can differ depending on the installation and application. Builders, designers, and installers are reminded that when such protection is required, a normally open back water valve may be utilized on a building drain or branch, provided it does not serve more than one dwelling unit. Secondary suites are considered a separate dwelling unit per the definition found in the National Plumbing Code 2015 as they operate under a single tenancy. On existing installations, where a normally open backwater valve is installed and it serves more than one dwelling unit, it may be necessary to remove, reconfigure, or install backwater protection to meet the minimum requirements of the National Plumbing Code 2015. Proper back flow prevention for all new builds with secondary suites or future secondary suites is important to ensure protection from the main dwelling and street backups to the secondary suite. You can speak to our Plumbing Safety Codes Officers for more information by calling the office at 780-743-7813 or email inpections@rmwb.ca. RWSS and Service Connections Our Plumbing & Gas Safety Codes Officers advises all plumbing contractors and service connection contractors to call in (780)743-7813 or email inspections@rmwb.ca for your inspections before it comes time to cover the work. Failure to comply can lead to extra fees as well as the work being uncovered. Those doing work on weekends can speak to the SCO’s ahead of time about arranging after hour inspections. There are new Design Guidelines for the RWSS program that are expected to be released by the RMWB mid-April and will be available on the RMWB website. Those working on the RWSS program need to familiarize themselves with the new guidelines when they become available prior to the 2023 construction season. The requirements for all documentation and permits are still a big part of the guidelines and most notably drill shot reports. Temporary Gas Installations With all new construction requiring temporary gas, a temporary gas permit is required. A regular gas permit is not used for this type of installation. Furnace and boiler changeouts For contractors doing furnace and boiler changeouts see below information on chimney liners taken from the code. 8.19 Chimney connections 8.19.1 The entrance of a vent connector into a chimney shall be above the chimney clean-out opening. 8.19.2 The vent connector shall not protrude into the chimney and obstruct the chimney flue. 8.19.3 A sleeve shall be used to facilitate removal of the vent connector for cleaning. 8.19.4 The space between a chimney and chimney liner shall be sealed at the point of entry of a vent connector. Other information Ensure that you are ticketed for CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) when installing and follow the manufacturer’s tables for pressure drop. |
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Building Updates |
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Hydronic Heating System Requirements Section 9.36 of the Alberta Building Code introduced new energy efficiency requirements for buildings. This has affected the CSA 214-12 Installation Code for Hydronic Heating Systems and permit requirements. Specifically, hydronic heating systems that are designed as the building’s primary heat source or secondary heat source (e.g., a house heated with a forced-air furnace that has hydronic radiant under floor tube in the basement). An additional Hydronic Heating Insulation Standata has been published by the province that varies and reduces the requirements of 9.36 of the code for insulation required under a concrete slab. Submission requirements for Hydronic Systems are further covered in the Standata for Hydronic Heating Submission Requirements and details on who can prepare the drawings. Hydronic Heating systems require inspections, as do all heating and ventilation systems. These systems are normally inspected at the rough in stage, prior to drywall and at the final inspection stages. In many cases however a separate hydronic inspection will be required when piping will be covered by a slab or other assembly. In this case the inspection must requested as a standalone HVAC inspection. Inspection requirements
Design requirements Hydronic heating systems may be: A pre-engineered package or Custom designed by: a. A professional engineer licensed in Alberta, or b. An individual who holds one of the following qualifications: i. A hydronics designer, certified by the Canadian Hydronics Council, or ii. A residential hydronics design technician, as certified by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada Pre-engineered packages must include basic generic system specifications and installation details prepared by a professional engineer, and any additional system design data and floor plans, specifically applicable to the project. The additional specific system design must be performed by: 1. A professional engineer licensed in Alberta, or 2. An individual who holds one of the following qualifications: a. A hydronics designer, certified by the Canadian Hydronics Council, or b. A residential hydronics design technician, as certified by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada Plan and specification requirements For all hydronic heating system designs, the plans and specifications must include, but are not limited to: 1. The schematic arrangement of the system and the equipment specifications including, but not limited to: boilers, pumps, expansion tanks, zone controls, mixing valves and other system components, such as supplementary baseboard and/or fan-coil units, water heater, etc. connecting to the system. 2. Boiler room layout, and if required, venting and combustion air provisions for all gas appliances. 3. Piping specifications, spacing, sizes, maximum loop lengths and pipe support details. Floor plans showing a general layout of the piping loops are required for each room or space and the location of the main headers, if applicable. 4. Locations, sizes, and specifications for all heat terminal units, such as baseboard heaters, radiators, fan-coil units, etc., if applicable. 5. Cross sections through typical floor assemblies, to show piping loop locations and the type of insulation to be provided. 6. System operating parameters including supply and return water temperatures, design flow rates and heat output coefficient of individual piping loops. Note: Examples of hydronic heating systems would include, but not limited to: • Poured-floor radiant tubing • “Staple-up” radiant tubing • Convective-plate in-floor tubing • Radiators • Baseboard heaters • Fan-coil units Upcoming New Alberta Codes Editions On March 28, 2023, the government issued new standatas for upcoming new Alberta Codes editions. This is to inform interested parties that the province is updating its construction codes based on the 2020 National Building Code, National Fire Code and National Energy Code for Buildings, which were published by the National Research Council in March 2022. The standatas can be found here: If you have any questions regarding the updates, please contact our office by calling 780-743-7813 or email inspections@rmwb.ca and speak with a Building Safety Codes Officer. |
The Safety Codes branch is committed to supporting safe work across our region. If you have questions or concerns please contact our office at 780-743-7813 or email us at inspections@rmwb.ca – we are always happy to help!
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