| In January 2016, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute’s furnace manufacturer members adopted a position to prohibit the use of their furnaces by homebuilders for heating during the construction process prior to occupancy by the homebuyer. The decision addressed a longstanding concern about the wear and tear on the appliance that occurs during this process and the insufficiency of measures designed to mitigate those effects. A position paper was produced and released to the industry on February 1. The manufacturers’ position attracted criticism and concern from homebuilders about the impact the change in policy would have on their construction costs and planning process.
After some consideration of the concerns raised by homebuilders, the manufacturers agreed at a recent meeting to postpone the implementation date from September 1, 2016, to May 1, 2017. They also agreed to some standardized wording that will be included in their manufacturers’ instructions, as follows:
Gas furnaces manufactured on or after May 1, 2017 are not permitted to be used in Canada for heating of buildings or structures under construction.
Manufacturers are now making the necessary changes to meet the new target date.
For more information, contact Martin Luymes at 800.267.2231 ext. 235 or e-mail mluymes@hrai.ca. |
