To help protect the safety of the City’s drinking water, it is mandatory under the City of Toronto’s Water Supply By-law for property owners of industrial, commercial, institutional and Part 3 residential properties (as defined by the Ontario Building Code), as well as construction sites, to install a backflow prevention device on the water supply line(s) to their facility. This is done to isolate buildings from the City’s water distribution system, helping to ensure contaminants do not enter drinking water.

A building permit is required for all new installations and replacements. Permits can be requested online or over the counter, and are typically obtained by the plumber on behalf of the property owner.

Further, many manufacturers make expansion tanks specifically for tankless water heaters, such as the ZEP-1 Stainless Steel Thermal Expansion Tank, among others.

So unless a home had a very old water heater, the 18-inch rule no longer applies. And if you have a pre-FVIR water heater, chances are it is due to be replaced.

The type required in a building is based on the hazard level, which is listed by sector in Schedule 5 of the Water Supply By-law. Should you require assistance determining the correct device for your facility, please contact Toronto Water at 416-394-8888.

1.) A valid copy of the City of Toronto plumbing contractor business licence (current within 1 year from the date of issuance). To find information on how to obtain a valid licence, please visit permits & licences.

“Water heaters shall be anchored or strapped to resist horizontal displacement due to earthquake motion. Strapping shall be at points within the upper one third (1/3) and lower one-third (1/3) of its vertical dimensions. At the lower point, a minimum distance of four (4) inches (102 mm) shall be maintained above the controls with the strapping.”

“A water system provided with a check valve, backflow preventer, or other normally closed device that prevents dissipation of building pressure back into the water main, independent of the type of water heater used, shall be provided with an approved, listed, and adequately sized expansion tank or other approved device having a similar function to control thermal expansion. Such expansion tank or other approved device shall be installed on the building side of the check valve, backflow preventer, or other device and shall be sized and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.”

“Discharge pipe shall discharge independently by gravity through an air gap into the drainage system or outside of the building with the end of the pipe not exceeding 2 feet (610 mm) and not less than 6 inches (152 mm) above the ground and pointing downwards.”

Required for facilities classified as “moderate hazard.” It consists of two check valves, which help to provide protection in the event that one valve does not close tightly. As DCVA valves can fail with no visible warning, they must be tested at least once a year to ensure proper operation.

Required for facilities classified as “severe hazard.” It consists of two independently acting, internally loaded check valves, separated by a reduced pressure zone. RP devices must be installed in an area with adequate drainage and tested at least once a year.

At IM Home Inspections, we find a large number of water heaters we come across have one or more problems due to poor installation. And we often find people believing myths about how a water heater should be installed.

2.) A valid copy of the Cross Connection Control Specialist certification with either the OWWA (current within five year from the date of issuance), or ASSE certification (current within three years from the date of issuance)

2.) A valid copy of the Master Plumber, or Journeyman Plumber, or Apprentice Plumber, or Industrial Millwright (limited to test BFPs on the domestic and fire line supply only) Certificate of Qualification from the College of Trades;

In addition, every tankless water heater installation manual I have read so far has said an expansion tank is required on closed plumbing systems.

3.) A valid copy of the Cross Connection Control Specialist certification with either the OWWA (current within five year from the date of issuance), or ASSE certification (current within three years from the date of issuance)

There are two types of backflow prevention devices: Double Check Valve Assembly and Reduced Pressure Principle Assembly.

Truth, California Plumbing Code 507.2 Seismic Provisions makes no reference to size. It’s common to hear people say that 75-gallon water heaters need 3 straps or 100-gallon water heaters need 4 straps, but there is no provision in California Plumbing Code that backs up these claims.

Truth: The average water heater will last 6 to 12 years. Most water heaters require regular maintenance, even tankless, and the truth is few people ever maintain a water heater, and there is no visible way to tell if a water heater has had regular maintenance. As such, a perfectly good working water heater today may not work tomorrow. At IM Home Inspections, we visually check the water heater, and then we check for hot water at every faucet. But even that can not guarantee a water heater will remain functional.

Truth: A bonding wire, connecting the hot water, cold water, and gas pipes serves two purposes. One, in a water heater, you have the copper that meets the steel fittings on the water heater which are subject to a slight electrical potential, called electrolysis, that can lead to corrosion. A bonding wire allows this faint current between the water pipes to bypass the copper-to-steel fittings and reduce corrosion.

Backflow prevention devices must be installed by a plumber licensed with the City of Toronto. A list of qualified plumbers can be obtained by sending a request to backflow@toronto.ca. This list is for convenience only; the City of Toronto does not endorse or accept liability or responsibility for work completed by companies on the list. Property owners are encouraged to get several independent quotes before choosing a plumber.

“A water system provided with a check valve, backflow preventer, or other normally closed device that prevents dissipation of building pressure back into the water main, independent of the type of water heater used, shall be provided with an approved, listed, and adequately sized expansion tank “

This means unless the water heater is located outside, or somehow installed in a manner that a drip won’t cause water damage to the surrounding area, a drip pan is required. And the drainpipe should go somewhere that also will not cause damage to the surrounding area.

As a certified Cross Connection Control Specialist, you can now complete and submit Backflow Prevention Device Test Reports online. Once you submit your test report, you and your client will receive a confirmation by email, including your test result.

“Where a water heater is located in an attic. in or on an attic-ceiling assembly, floor-ceiling assembly, or floor-subfloor assembly where damage results from a leaking water heater, a watertight pan of corrosion-resistant materials shall be installed beneath the water heater with not less than 3/4 of an inch (20 mm) diameter drain to an approved location.”

A temperature relief valve, commonly called a TPR or TPRV, is a device that prevents water heaters from exploding. If a water heater overheats, it can become damaged or explode and cause significant damage to both property and people. A TPR valve is a special valve that opens and releases hot water from the water heater should the water heater overheat. They are required by California Plumbing Code 505.2.

3.) A valid calibration certificate (current within one year from the date of issuance) for the test gauge used by the company

TPR valves must be connected to a discharge pipe. The old code simply said the pipe must terminate not less than 6 inches from the floor. The problem is all that hot water would ruin the areas around the water heater. So in 2010, the code was modified, and now says

1.) For a Professional Engineer: documentation that demonstrate that you are in good standing with the Professional Engineers of Ontario

3.) A valid calibration certificate (current within one year from the date of issuance) for the test gauge used by the company

4.) A valid calibration certificate (current within one year from the date of issuance) for the test gauge owned by the company

There must be no branch or hose connections between the water meter/by-pass and the backflow device. Thermal expansion must be addressed within the private plumbing system as per Part 7 of the Ontario Building Code.

“In garages and in adjacent spaces that open to the garage and are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit shall be installed so that burners and burner-ignition devices are located not less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor unless listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant.”

For a Certified Engineering Technologist (NOTE: Required to be under the direction of a Professional Engineer): documentation that demonstrates that your certification with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists is in good standing. Can only test and carry out cross-connection/backflow prevention surveys on domestic supply and fire protection systems.

Backflow is the undesired reversal of water flow against the normal direction. This can occur through back pressure or back siphonage.

Devices should be installed immediately after the water meter and by-pass piping. This ensures that water from the private plumbing system will not flow back through the meter into the City’s water supply.

Truth: If a TPR valve were to open and shoot out hot water, a drip pan would not be able to catch and drain the water quickly. Rather, the hot water would just splash out and damage the area around the water heater, making the entire point of a discharge pipe null.

Truth: An expansion tank is partially filled with air and is designed to absorb excess water pressure caused by thermal expansion. Remember, when water is heated, it expands. That expanding water needs to go somewhere. In an open plumbing system, the expanding water can push back down the pipe to the city water supply. However, in most Los Angeles area homes, we have a pressure-reducing valve to regulate the water pressure inside a home. Once a pressure valve is installed, the expanding hot water can not simply travel backward into the city line. The valve creates what is known as a closed system.

2.) A valid copy of the Cross Connection Control Specialist certification with either the OWWA (current within five year from the date of issuance), or ASSE certification (current within three years from the date of issuance)

If you believe you meet the criteria listed in Schedule 6 of the Bylaw and would like to register with the Backflow Program, please email PDF copies of the following documents to backflow@toronto.ca.

Truth: At one point in time, this was indeed true. The reason was water heaters used to have an open flame, and fumes from gasoline, paint thinner and other flammables found in a garage could potentially come in contact with the open flame. 18 inches was thought to be enough to prevent such fumes that linger near the ground from coming in contact with the open flame. But starting in mid-2003, 50 gallon and smaller water heaters started being made with flammable vapor ignition resistant (FVIR) construction, which eliminated this problem. Water heaters larger than 50 gallons followed soon after. Now it is impossible to buy a water heater that is not FVIR.

Testing can be completed by plumbers, engineers and fire system sprinkler fitters certified as Cross Connection Control Specialists. See Schedule 6 of the Water Supply Bylaw for a full list of criteria for testers. Please review this carefully before registering. Do not test until your profile has been created with the Backflow Program.

Secondly, the home’s electric grounding system is usually connected to the cold water inlet pipe to the home. Both gas and water metal pipes should be grounded. A water heater creates a break between the cold water pipes and the hot water pipes in the home. By bonding the cold water pipe to the hot water pipe and to the gas pipe at the water heater to the gas pipe, helps to ensure that the entire water and gas plumbing system will be electrically grounded.