Become an Educated Consumer

CSA Standards related to Geothermal Systems are there for consumer protection.

It is not well known even to many Building Inspectors or Engineers and even some geothermal contractors, but there are CSA Standards for the both the installation and the performance of Geothermal Systems in Canada.

The standards apply to both residential and commercial installations.

They are:

CSA C13256-1-01 Testing and Rating for Performance, Part 1, Water to Air, Brine to Air Heat Pumps (Ducted Forced Air)

CSA C13256-2-01 (R2005) Testing and Rating for Performance, Part 1, Water to Water, Brine to Water Heat Pumps (Hydronic)

CSA C448 for the Installation of Earth Energy Systems

System Performance

As geothermal systems are becoming more popular, we are frequently seeing new U.S., Asian and Canadian equipment coming into the Canadian marketplace. Some new products are not yet CSA C13256 tested or registered.

When it comes to geothermal system installations, the Canadian National and Provincial Building Codes refer to the CSA Standards listed above, so to be in compliance with Building Codes across the country, the equipment you are considering MUST be listed with and thus performance certified under CSA C13256.

System Installation

Similarly, CSA C448 relates to the minimum requirements for geothermal system installation in order to meet Building Code requirements.

CSA C448 is essentially a 2 part standard that covers both residential and commercial installations.

Part 1 of CSA C448 refers to aspects of a successful residential geothermal system installation, including but not limited to open and closed loop design; geothermal pipe quality and CSA certification; pipe fusion; foundation frost protection; what percentage of the annual heating energy should come from the heat pump unit to be considerred a successful installation; ducting to ensure a quiet installation; drilling and grouting vertical loops, etc.

Although commercial and residential systems are installed similarly, there are many aspects relating to the need for larger systems for commercial buildings that are addressed separately in Part 2 of CSA C448.

Copies of the above standards can be ordered on line directly from the CSA Store at http://www.csa.ca/electronic_catalogue/energy.pdf

Remember, these are mimimum standards. As you talk with your contractor, ask whether they have a copy of the standards they can show you? Do their systems meet or even exceed the minimum standards as outlined in the CSA Standards as do those installed by Just Geothermal Systems Ltd.

As a contributor to the Technical Sub-Committee for Earth Loop Designs for CSA C448, and a voting member of CSA, Gerry Ferns, owner of Just Geothermal Systems Ltd. is very familiar with CSA Standards. He is a strong supporter and promoter of the Canadian way of doing things, which varies regionally from East to West because of both our Northern weather and geological diversities.

From a contractor's point of view, CSA C448 provides a more appropriate approach for Canadian loop installations both open and closed, by differing in some ways from methods outlined by IGSHPA, the U.S. defacto standard.

In the U.S. for example, a large number of systems are installed in the Southern Climate, where freezing temperatures seldom occur and the focus is often on air conditioning. Some techniques that work in more moderate climates have performed inconsistantly in Canada and are not necessarily recommmended by the manufacturers and distributors here.

Questions?  Contact your geothermal specialists

or Telephone 519-808-3987