Shareware Overload Trio 2/Shareware Overload Trio Volume 2 (Chestnut CD-ROM).ISO/dir33/csacat94.zip/RADIANT.TXT

Text File | 1994-04-09 | 7KB | 75 lines

 Flexible Radiant Ceiling Heating Panels

Toronto, Ontario, March 9, 1994:  The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has
been conducting investigations of incidents involving flexible radiant ceiling
heating panels in cooperation with regulatory authorities in British Columbia,
Ontario and Québec.  British Columbia and Québec have ordered the
disconnection of Thermaflex and Aztec-Flexel radiant ceiling heating panels
rated 22 watts per sq. ft. in response to recent incidents, including some
fires.

CSA recognizes that a potential problem exists with flexible radiant ceiling
heating panel systems.  While the product meets the existing standard,
something is happening in the field to cause these fires.  The direct cause in
many of the incidents has not yet been determined because of the variables in
the system, which include the product itself, the installation, construction
practices and the proximity of radiant heating panels to other building
construction materials and heat sources.

As a standards writing organization, CSA's role is to facilitate the
development of standards, many of which become National Standards of Canada.
Standards are developed through the voluntary consensus principle, using a
committee with a balanced matrix of membership consisting of regulators,
consumers, experts and manufacturers. As a certifier, CSA's role and
responsibility is to ensure, through testing and evaluation, that products
comply with the applicable National Standards.  Radiant ceiling heating panels
have been in use in Europe for more than 30 years and in North America for
more than 10 years, and as such are designed to meet the requirements of the
major certification organizations in Canada, the United States and Europe.

In response to the incidents occurring in the field, CSA is working very
closely with all the parties involved; the regulatory authorities, the
manufacturers, the electricians and the installers.  In addition, CSA has
conducted and continues to conduct additional testing of the product in its
labs, simulating field conditions and abnormal situations. So far, CSA has not
been able to duplicate the failures.

CSA will continue its research of the whole system to determine the root cause
of the problem.  Towards this end, CSA will use research data from all
available sources and will contract the services of an independent engineering
or research firm to assist in this endeavour.


Canada's first standard on Radiant Space Heating Systems was published in
1985, underwent a full revision in 1989 and is now a National Standard of
Canada that reflects the latest technology at the time.  Standards are dynamic
documents that are continually reviewed and updated under the consensus
process.

Accordingly, the committee for radiant ceiling panels recently held meetings
to look at all the variables in the system and made a number of proposed
changes to the standard that entail a systems approach to resolving the
issues.  The committee also made recommendations for changes to the Canadian
Electrical Code and the National Building Code.

In British Columbia and Québec, homeowners having flexible radiant ceiling
heating panels affected by the disconnect notices or moratoriums in their
province, are urged to follow the directions given by the regulatory
authorities.

For further information, media calls should be directed to:

Conrad Tucker

Jean-Yves Paquin Media Relations Coordinator
Audits & Investigations Rexdale (Toronto), ON

Pointe-Claire (Montréal), PQ Tel:  [phone]

Tel:  [phone] Fax:  [phone]

Fax:  [phone]

Bill Simpson Quality Assurance Manager Richmond (Vancouver), BC
Tel:  [phone] Fax:  [phone]