The Plumbing Pipeline A Newsletter for licensed Plumbers and Drainlayers November 2015, Issue 28 Please copy this bulletin and distribute to your staff. The Plumbing Pipeline is a semi-annual information newsletter published by the City of London, Development & Compliance Services, for the plumbing and drainlaying industry. City of London Development & Compliance Services This is the 28 th 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 materials 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. If you have not registered to use this great system, please visit our web site at www.london.ca, click ONLINE SERVICES and register today.
Water Service Pipe Depth and Pipe Insulation The OBC does not have specific requirements for a minimum depth of water service before insulation is required. Section 7.5.9.1 of The City s Design Specifications & Requirements Manual requires water services to have not less than 1.7m nor more than 1.9m of cover from final surface grade. Variations from this cover may be made only if approved on plans or in writing by the Water Engineering Division. The Owner must ensure that water services and private watermains are located so that berm or mound type landscaping will not cause excessive cover over water services. Where joint deflections or offsets require the pipe to be laid with less than 1.5 m of cover, insulation shall be placed to prevent freezing. Refer to City of London W-CS-68 detail for insulation requirements. Where storm drains or culverts cross over or under a watermain, insulation is required per City of London W-CS- 68 detail unless there is a minimum 1.5m separation. Introducing New Plumbing Inspectors with the City of London Please note that two of our plumbing inspectors, Paul Langdon and Doug Webster have retired. We thank them for their valuable years of service with the City of London. We are also pleased to announce that Mark Wilson and Clark Ballantyne are our new plumbing inspectors. Mark is looking after Paul s inspection area and Clark has taken on Doug s area. Installation of a Trap on a Weeping Tile Although it is not a Code requirement, but as a best practice we recommend to install a trap on the portion of a weeping tile connecting a weeping tile to a sump pit inside a building. The purpose of the trap is to prevent methane gases and gases created by rotting of any organic materials (straw) buried around a foundation. Backflow Protection from Boilers Section 5.9 of CSA B64.10-11 Standards requires the following backflow prevention devices for hydronic heating systems: 5.9.1 Any outlet used to dispense potable water from the water distribution system to supply make-up water to the heat transfer medium within hydronic heating systems shall be protected against backflow caused by back siphonage or
back pressure with the following: (a) when the system is installed in residential premises and is constructed entirely of potable water system materials, and when the system does not contain any added chemicals and is not equipped with a means to add chemicals, (i) a DCAP complying with CSA B64.3; or (ii) a DCVA backflow preventer complying with CSA B64.5; (b) when the system is constructed of non-potable water system materials and is installed in a residential or any other premise, and when the system does not contain any added chemicals and is not equipped with a means to add chemicals, (i) a DCVA backflow preventer complying with CSA B64.5; or (ii) an RP backflow preventer complying with CSA B64.4; or (c) an RP backflow preventer complying with CSA B64.4 shall be installed in any premise when the system contains chemicals or is equipped with a means to add chemicals. 5.9.2 Any outlet used to dispense potable water from the water distribution system to supply make-up water to the heat transfer medium within all other heating systems shall be protected against backflow caused by back siphonage or back pressure with an RP backflow preventer. Testers Recertification If you are one of the backflow device testers in the London area requiring recertification in 2016, Fanshawe College plans to offer a few Tester Recertification Courses in the spring due to the large number of testers requiring recertification in 2016. If you are interested in taking a Spring 2016 Backflow Device Tester Recertification Course or require further information regarding any of the Fanshawe College Backflow Device Tester Courses, please contact Greg Van Bakel at the following: Greg Van Bakel Professor- Coordinator Plumbing Apprenticeship, School of Building Technology 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd. London, ON N5Y 5R6 Tel: 519-452-4430 Ext. 4573 gvanbakel@fanshawec.ca You can also check for classes offered at other training facilities listed on the OWWA website http://www.owwa.ca/backflowprevention/training/ by clicking on the links provided.
Piping Hot Water Tank (HWT) Drain Pan Pipe Every pipe that conveys water from a temperature and pressure relief valve (Blow-off tube) must be piped independently to the floor or be connected to a HWT drain pan discharge pipe at least 12 below HWT drain pan and meet the requirements of 7.6.1.12.(5) OBC. Basement Flooding Grant Program The Basement Flooding Grant Program was designed to financially help property owners disconnect their weeping tiles from the City s sewer systems which allows them to install a backwater valve. By doing this, property owners are decreasing the risk of basement flooding. Who Qualifies? The following criteria must be met in order to qualify for the Basement Flooding Grant Program: 1. The property has experienced basement flooding OR is in an area of the City that could be prone to basement flooding. 2. The property has weeping tiles and they are directly connected to the sanitary or storm sewer. 3. The applicant must be the owner of the property. 4. The work must not have started prior to the grant approval. 5. Must not have other outstanding debts to the City of London. 6. Must execute an appropriate liability release document. For further questions or to find out if you qualify or not, contact the Wastewater and Drainage Engineering Division at 519-661-2500 extension 5923. Tracer Wire Recently, our plumbing inspectors have come across 12 gauge, copper coated steel wire being used as a tracer wire for a plastic water service pipe. Please note that this is not permitted by the Code. A tracer wire needs to be 14 gauge, solid copper see below: 7.2.11.3. Tracer Wire (1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), a 14 gauge TW solid copper light coloured plastic coated tracer wire shall be attached to every nonmetallic water service pipe or fire service main. (2) Where a water service pipe or fire service main is detectable without the tracer wire referenced in Sentence (1), the tracer wire may be omitted. Booster Pumps Since there are no engineering standards or requirements in
the Code for installation of booster pumps on potable water systems, our Water Engineering Department has advised us that any additional appurtenances or fixtures should be installed after the meter and backflow preventer as per W-CS-31 drawing. Removal of Backflow Prevention Devices When a backflow preventer is to be removed, we need to first confirm that the removal is permitted. Please note that removal of a backflow prevention device is considered an alteration of the existing plumbing system and is subject to a building permit and minimum permit fee. Inspection by a plumbing inspector is required. Water Meter Access City of London staff continue to find water meters behind walls and obstructed in various ways in homes. Please remind homeowners that they must provide clear and unobstructed access at all times to the water meter for the purpose of maintenance, repair or replacement. The water meter is the property of the City of London and should never be enclosed or covered by building materials or obstructed in anyway. It is the homeowners responsibility to ensure free and clear access to the water meter at all times as per the City of London Water By- Law. For more information please visit the website www.london.ca/water. Pipe Size Up to 25mm 37 50mm Over 50mm Sump Pump Discharge Pipes Our plumbing inspectors have come across sump pump discharge pipes being connected directly to storm sewer pipes inside the basement of newly constructed homes. Due to a potential leak at the storm sewer cleanout cover and the City storm sewer being overloaded, please note that we will be accepting only sump pump discharge pipes connected outside, indirectly to a storm sewer. Testing of Water Service In addition to the OBC requirements for water service installations, The City of London Environmental Services Department requires the following testing to be completed for all water installations including fire lines. Swab Chlor inate Pressu re Test * * * * may be required depending on site conditions Bacteriologic al Test (2 successive negative results)
Testing and commissioning of water installations in The City of London is completed in the presence of a City of London Water Inspector and can be arranged by contacting our Supervisor of Operations at 519-661-2500 ext 5542. Water Meter Location The Building Code requires any piping exposed to freezing conditions to be protected from freezing [7.3.5.4.(1) OBC]. The Ontario Building Code has specific insulation requirements for every building and every part of the building envelope for efficient energy use. Cold rooms in single family dwellings are not insulated, they have permanent openings in the walls and are not meant to be heated. Also, the Ontario Building Code requires water meters to be installed as per water purveyors requirements [7.6.1.3.(5) OBC]. Please refer to Section 7.1.3. of our Engineering Design Specifications and Requirements below: 7.13.3. The water meter shall be installed on the water service immediately inside the point of entry of the water service into the building (see Section 7.9.11 Water Service Entrance). Any variation from this location must be approved in writing by the Engineer. The Owner shall provide sufficient space for installation and maintenance of the meter. The meter must be accessible for reading and maintenance and must be protected from freezing and other damage. The meter or piping shall be no closer than 1 m to any electrical panel or above or below any electrical panel unless provided with a meter enclosure as outlined in 7.13.3.2. Therefore, a water meter is not permitted to be installed in a cold room. Protection from Frost Where piping may be exposed to freezing conditions, Article 7.3.5.4. of the Building Code requires the piping to be protected from the effects of freezing. Since the above Article does not have specific requirements, we do not encourage installation of any piping in exterior walls and floors exposed to unheated space. Any piping installed in exterior walls or floors exposed to exterior, needs to be reviewed in detail by our plumbing inspectors.
City of London Contacts Mark Wilson Plumbing Inspector 519-852-1939 mwilson@london.ca Will Rounds Plumbing Inspector 519-852-8568 wrounds@london.ca Drago Macar P.Eng. Manager, Plumbing Inspection 519-661-2500 ext. 8428 dmacar@london.ca 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. The following box can be used to include any drawings that might clarify your question. Building Division fax #: 519-661-5184 Please include your contact information below, so that we can respond to you with our comments. Name: Address: City: Postal Code: Phone: Fax: E-mail: Questions or comments: