Furnace and Boiler Red Tag Safety Violation
When equipment is deemed unsafe and you’re left with a red tagged furnace. Similarly, we get calls nearly everyday in the winter about a gas furnace red tag in Toronto.
When a gas appliance is deemed unsafe a licensed technician is by law required to create a red tag.
Many times we have noticed an air conditioning coil has leaked on the the furnace heat exchanger. Which caused the aluminized steel to corrode, crack, and breakdown. Have your coil inspected to make sure it doesn’t damage a new furnace being installed. This is another reason we recommend brands that use fully stainless steel heat exchangers, that are durable against moisture.
Was your heating system red tagged?
First, ensure that you have an offical redtag from a certified technician that has signed and put their license number on the notice.
We have some instaces where after a second opinion the red tag was removed. So, sometimes it can be a good idea to get another company to verfiy the red tag.
We have only seen cracked heat exchangers in furnaces built with aluminum heat exchangers.
There are many causes for a furnace red tag in Ontario.
The most common is a cracked heat exchanger that can allow deadly CO gas to spread through your home.
Brands that still use aluminized heat exchangers are; Carrier, Lennox, Bryant, Payne, Keeprite, Goodman, and many more.
Is this a legitimate shut off?
In most cases a furnace red tag is valid, and technicians are required by law to report unsafe equipment. But, we have witnessed times a company has claimed a “red tag” without issuing an official document. These tactics are unfair and used to get more work, or to upsell new equipment.
We call this the “red tag scam” and always suggest you call us for a second opinion to ensure your equipment is safe to operate. In most cases without a tag you wont be in any danger to lose your heat.
A technician reporting a red tag risks losing his/her license if its not true. The risk for claiming a false report is not a light matter and will have serious consequences.
If you have been told your equipment was red tagged; ensure the red tag has been signed.
Verify the license number and technician who deemed it unsafe.
Management of Standards
The Canadian Standards Association code applies to appliances, equipment, components, and accessories where gas is to be used for fuel purposes. For reference: Ontario Gas Installation Code B149.
The red tag designations are managed by TSSA – Technical Standards Safety Authority and all companies must work in compliance with their regulations.
Are all furnace red tags created equally?
In Ontario the appliance being red tagged can be designated in 2 ways. These are the types of red tags depending on severity.
Type-A Red Tag
Intoxicating the occupants in a home and has been named a “silent killer”.
For this reason Ontario Fire Code requires Smoke + Carbon Monoxide detectors On every level of a building or home.
This means your furnace has a Carbon Monoxide leak and must be shut down immediately. Enbridge Gas Company has been notified of this situation and your gas will be shut off.
Once you correct the violation the technician will remove the red tag status and have your gas turned back on.
Type-B Red Tag
This is more of a warning tag, and allows a specific time period to have your equipment repaired. But, if the repairs are not made in time the gas will be shut off by Enbridge.
Don’t wait to call us and get a free second opinion to ensure everything is safe.
Related: Global News- West Kelowna RCMP rescue man, dog with carbon monoxide poisoning caused by furnace.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning or CO is a colourless, odourless, and deadly gas that has started to pollute indoor air.
How to prevent a red tag in the future?
The best way to fixing the issue is to prevent it.
So the best method is to have routine preventative maintenance performed regularly.
Preventative maintenance is always to be performed by trained, licensed, and bonded technicians. In conclusion, get one of our highly trained service technicians to complete our industry leading heating system tune-up service.
Older furnaces should be checked annually since they dont have safety systems built in. New furnaces include safety features that shut off the burners if any errors are detected.
How to prevent a red tag in the future?
Call our team to setup a no-obligation furnace assessment and red tag verification. We can provide a fast cost analysis of your repair or replacement. If you have decided a replacement is the best solution. Use our online furnace estimate calculator for a Safe, Efficient, and Easy furnace replacement estimate.
Our experts will give you a no-pressure, honest, fair, and accurate solution to get the tag removed.