The Plumbing Pipeline

Transcription

1 The Plumbing Pipeline Lond A on DA The Plumbing Pipeline is a semi-annual information newsletter publíshed by the City of London, Building Division, for the plumbíng and drainlaying industry. City of London Building Division This is lhe 22nd bulletin provided by the City of London Building Division for the licensed plumbers and drainlayers of London. The intent of this bulletin is to keep the industry abreast of the changes in the Ontario Building Code as well as the City of London's policies, and to receive feedback from you regarding questions or concerns about your trade. We want to encourage a better line of communication between our Building Division staff and the plumbing industry. To do this, we will keep you informed of changes in the Building Code, City by-laws, common inspection problems, acceptance of new material and Building Division changes. We request that you also keep us informed of your concerns regarding code changes or interpretations. Please copy this bulletin and distribute to your staff. E-SERVICES The ability to apply for building permits online! Have you registered to use E-permitting? We continue to see an uptake in the number of users using E- permitting to apply for their plumbing and drainage permits. Using e-permits can help you run your business more efficiently and save you valuable work hours. lf you have not registered to use this great system, please visit our web site at wvrnv. london,ca and register today.

2 PLUMBING INSPECTION CONCERNS & CLARIF'ICATIONS I nstallation of Backflow Prevention Devices The plumbing inspectors, when inspecting backflow prevention devices, are tasked with the responsibility to ensure these devices are installed in accordance with the CAN/CSA Standard. This Standard's general requirements are as follows: All backflow prevention devices shall be installed in readily accessible areas to facilitate inspection, field testing, and maintenance The following minimum clearance shall be provided (manufacturers' recommendations shall be used if greater): (a) Double check valve (DCVA/DCVAF), reduced pressure (RP/RPF) assemblies, and single check valve assemblies (SCVAF) shall be installed with a centreline height of between 750mm and 1500mm above the floor. Pressure vacuum breakers (PVB) shall not be installed with a centreline height of more than 1500mm above the floor. Any installation with a greater height shall be provided with a fixed platform. (b) All RP/RPF devices shall have a 300mm minimum clearance between the bottom of the relief valve and the floor. (c)all PVB, DCVA, DCVAF, SCVAF, RP, and RPF devices shall have a minimum of 300mm clearance above the assembly. (d) A minimum of 750mm of clear space shall be maintained between the front of all PVB, DCVA, DCVAF, SCVAF, RP, ANd RPF assemblies. (e) A minimum of 20mm of clear space shall be maintained from the back side of all PVB, DCVA, DCVAF; SCVAF, RP, and RPF devices to the nearest wall or obstruction. Note: this clearance may have to be increased for devices with side-mounted test cocks or relief valves. Please ensure that when you are installing any of these devices that they are installed in accordance with the Standard and manufacturer's requirements Backflow Prevention for Boilers Boilers installed in commercial industrial, institutional or apartment buildings will require a Reduced Pressure Backflow

3 Prevention device. The higher ' protection is required because of the possibility of chemicals being added to the system. A single family residential boiler would only require a non testable backflow device if there are no chemicals in the system. Always remember to call for the permit inspection after the installation is complete. Backflow Prevention Devices lnstalled in Dwelling Units lf a testable backflow prevention device is installed in a dwelling unit under the erect building permit, the final test report will be required prior to an Occupancy Permit being issued for the residence. Alternatively, a separate permit may be obtained to install the backflow prevention device if the system is to be made operational after the residence is occupied. Although not an Ontario Building Code requirement, it is highly recommended that an expansion tank be installed, when premise isolation is required, to prevent the hot water tank relief valve from spilling water onto the floor. Tankless Water Heaters Tankless water heaters are to be installed with a pressure relief valve which is piped down to within 150mm- 300mm of the floor. Tankless water heaters, if not provided with a mixing valve, should be preset with a factory defa u lt water temperatu re setting not greater than 49"C. The inappropriate use of Tankless water heaters in hydronic applications may cause health and safety concerns. With the permission from the Canadian lnstitute of Plumbing & Heating, we have attached an lnformation Bulletin which is very informative on the use of water heaters for hydronic heating (see attached). Chem ical/soap Dispensers on Mop Sinks When installing a chemical/soap dispenser on a mop sink faucet, a device is required to prevent the faucet from being left on continuously. The atmosphêric vacuum breaker installed on the faucet is not to be under pressure for more than 12 hours. There could also be a problem if the hot water migrates into the cold water.

4 Sump Pump Discharge Lines. Sump pump discharge lines on the exterior of houses are required to have positlve fall, maximum horizontal length of 900 mm and are to be installed without any sags or depressions in order to prevent freezing. Correct lnformation Required on Building Permit Applications It is very important that the correct information be provided on the building permit application. For the Project lnformation section of the application, the unit number is very important, especiall if the work is within a mall. The name of the business where the work is to take place should also be provided in the box named "plan number/other description". The plumbing inspectors can save significant time if they do not have to search for the proper location. Non-approved Vent Caps Recently we have come across vent terminal caps which are not CSA approved. These caps reduce the effective area of the vent stack and they are not approved for use in the plumbing system unless approved under an Alternative Solution. Fixtures Connected at Base of Stack We continue to find fixtures connected within 1.5m of the stack in 2 storey homes. The following Sentences from the Code prohibits this scenario (21 The connection of a so/ or waste pipe to a nominally horizontal soil or waste pipe or to a nominally horizontal offset in a so/ or waste stack shall be respectively at least mm measured horizontally from the bottom of a so/ or waste stack or from the bottom of the upper. vertical section of the so/ or waste stack that, (a) receives a discharge of 30 or more fixture units, or (b) receives a discharge from fixtures located on 2 or more sforeys. Correction Regarding Food Prep Sinks requires equipment discharging waste with organic solids to discharge through a food scrap interceptor, which does not necessarily apply to a food prep sink. This was incorrectly stated in the October 2011 issue.

5 Backflow Testers Recertification Requirements A Tester that was certified in 2007, regardless of the date, will have until December 31,2012 to become receftified. Similarly, Testers certified in subsequent years will have until December 31 of the fifth year to become recertified. Testers that fail to recertify by December 31 of the year in which they must recertify will be required to successfully complete the full Cross Connection Control Tester Course. Time to Remove Test Caps establish a medium where you, the industry, could ask, questions or seek clarification and provide the City of London's Building Division a way to communicate Code changes, Code interpretations and express any concerns the plumbing inspectors have identified. I hope you have found the newsletter i nformative and please feel free to contact any of the people listed on the follow pages regarding any concerns you may have or clarification you may require. Now is a good time to remove any test caps still left on the roofs. The plumbing inspectors will leave a notice for the homeowner whenever they see a cap not removed. The notice asks them to contact the builder or plumbing contractor to remove the test cap. New Manager of the Plumbing lnspections Area and the New Editor of the Plumbing Pipeline Drago Macar, P.Eng. our mechanical engineer is the new manager for the plumbing inspection area of Building Controls and, therefore, will also be the editor of the Plumbing Pipeline newsletter in the fall. l, Owen Clarke, created the Plumbing Pipeline newsletter 10 years ago to provide a forum for the plumbing and drainlaying industry. The goal was to

6 ç- City of London Contacts Doug.Webster Plumbing lnspector Rudy Gilgen Plumbing lnspector Drago Macar P.Eng. Manager, Plumbing lnspection ext Questions and Comments for Building Division Staff Please use this page for any questions or comments you may have and include the code section number, if applicable. Please include your name, telephone and fax numbers so we can respond to you with our comments. Name: Address: City: Postal Code: Phone: Fax: Questions or comments: The following box can be used to include any drawings that might clarify your question.

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