EMERGENCY HEATING REPLACEMENT

• Emergency Heating System Replacement Policy
• Eligible Condensing Tank-Type Water Heaters
• List of Eligible Instantaneous Water Heaters on Web

Emergency Heating System Replacement Policy

Q.  If my heating equipment breaks down during the heating season, can I replace this equipment before the pre-retrofit assessment?

Effective October 15, 2009 until March 30, 2010

Yes, in the case of an emergency heating system replacement (furnace, boiler or domestic hot water system used for heating) during the period noted above, the property owner must call Green Home Energy  within five (5) calendar days of the system replacement to schedule a pre-retrofit assessment, and the assessment must take place within 30 days of the new heating system installation.

In order to qualify for a grant, you must keep sufficient information regarding the older heating system (see eligibility criteria and process below).

Calling Green Home Energy LATER THAN five (5) calendar days after the heating equipment has been replaced will not be considered for a retrofit grant.

Eligibility criteria

As a rule, property owners are required to have an ecoENERGY pre-retrofit evaluation performed prior to replacing or installing anything, including heating equipment, if they want that upgrade to become eligible towards a grant.

However, NRCan has an Emergency Heating System Replacement policy specifically to assist property owners who are faced with replacing their heating equipment for health and safety reasons:

1. The heating system must have been 'red tagged' or deemed unsafe by the utility, service technician or building inspector; or,
2. The heating system cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

Process for qualifying for a grant:

Please read and follow these instructions carefully.

The existing equipment must be replaced with equipment meeting the requirements listed in the Grant Table for ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes.

In addition, new gas-fired furnaces MUST have an efficiency (AFUE) of 94% or better and oil-fired furnaces MUST have an AFUE of 85% or better to qualify under the emergency heating equipment replacement

A copy of your invoice for the new heating system should include the following information and given to the energy advisor at the time of the pre-retrofit evaluation:

1. Supplier's business name, address and phone number
2. Date of installation
3. Manufacturer's name and model number of heating equipment; and
4. The AFUE of the product or a note indicating that it is ENERGY STAR qualified.

The heating contractor must provide you with information about the equipment being removed, and you must give this information to the energy advisor at the time of the pre-retrofit evaluation:

• Fuel type (natural gas, propane or oil)
• Type of system (forced air, hydronic/radiant or combo)
• Type of venting (e.g. chimney, side vent, barometric damper)
• Manufacturer's name and model number of heating equipment
• Rated efficiency, output, input from the nameplate
• Last upgrade, if any (e.g. oil burner gun/assembly)

While replacing your furnace, this may be an opportunity to also replace your central air conditioner. However, only the replacement of your inside coil may be possible in the heating season due to climate conditions. The replacement of the outside equipment may have to wait for warmer weather. You must remember that to capture all eligible measures for grant purposes, the performance of your post-retrofit assessment would have to wait until the replacement of both indoor and outdoor components is complete. In all cases, the existing equipment must be replaced with equipment meeting the requirements listed in the Grant Table for ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes, and you will need to supply the following information about your existing air conditioning unit:

• Capacity
• Make
• Model
• Efficiency

Q.  If my hot water heater breaks down during the heating season, can I replace this equipment before the pre-retrofit assessment?

Effective October 15, 2009 until March 30, 2010

Yes, as with furnaces and other space heating systems, if your hot water heater breaks down between October 15, 2009 and March 30, 2010 and you have documentation that it cannot be repaired, you can arrange an emergency replacement of this equipment. The property owner must call Green Home Energy  within five (5) calendar days of the system replacement to schedule a pre-retrofit assessment, and the assessment must take place within 30 days of the new domestic hot water system installation. You must replace the existing equipment with equipment meeting the requirements listed in the Grant Table for ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes, and you will need to supply the following information about both your new and existing domestic hot water systems:

• Type
• Fuel
• Capacity (storage)
• Make
• Model
• Efficiency

List of Eligible Instantaneous Water Heaters on New Web Site

There is now a website that lists instantaneous water heaters available in Canada. The website offers a search feature to find models that are grant eligible under the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. The website can be found at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/business/man...r-heaters-search.cfm