Ontario Building Code Act

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Download Ontario Building Code Act - Here

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The Ontario Building Code will be amended and come into force January 1, 2014.

The following is from O.Reg 332/12,

Note: THIS REGULATION IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on January 1, 2014. (See: O. Reg. 332/12, Sentence 4.4.1.1.(1))

You can download the Building Code Act and O.Reg 332/12 - Here

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Read about recent changes to 2012 OBC - Here

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There have been some changes to the Building Code, which affect any permit issued after December 31, 2016.

Chapter 3 of Supplementary Standard SB-12 to the 2012 Building Code – Energy Efficiency for Housing – has been amended to include:
new prescriptive compliance packages that provide minimum 15 per cent energy efficiency improvement over existing packages
drain water heat recovery units as a mandatory requirement for all prescriptive compliance packages
heat or energy recovery ventilators as a mandatory requirement in all packages in order to protect indoor air quality as homes get increasingly "air tight"
thermal U and effective RSI values along with nominal RSI values to provide added flexibility in the choice of different assembly structures e.g. basement wall and roofs
credits for reducing air leakage to encourage better energy conservation
table to clarify requirements for developing a reference building
revised air-leakage rates for the reference building to encourage testing and improved air tightness
clarification to provide credits for renewables, dedicated ventilation systems and broader types of HVAC equipment
other editorial changes, clarifications and new appendix notes

The term "heat recovery ventilators" has been broadened to include energy recovery ventilators wherever it has been used in the document.
Chapter 3 changes will apply to construction for which a permit has been applied for after December 31, 2016.
There have only been minor editorial changes included in this update for Chapter 2 which will continue to apply to construction for which a permit has been applied for before January 1, 2017.

See the attached 2012 OBC and MMA Supplementary Standard SB-12.

The Supplementary Standard SB-1 Climatic and Seismic Data document will help determine if your area requires that the HVAC equipment be secured to the structure and what thickness of insulation is required on ductwork.  EG:  HRV intakes in Ottawa require R8 insulation, not the R4.2 that everyone installs.  Download it - Here

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The Ontario Building Code has been revised for 2019.  Download the attachment.

One change I noticed was to Article 12.3.1.5.  I'm curious which furnaces qualify now.

OBC OLD - 12.3.1.5. Residential Furnaces After December 31, 2014
(1) Sentence (2) applies to construction for which a permit has been applied for after December 31, 2014.
(2) A furnace serving a dwelling unit shall be equipped with an electronically commutated motor.

OBC NEW - 12.3.1.5.  Residential Furnaces
   (1)  A furnace serving a house or an individual dwelling unit shall be equipped with a brushless direct current motor.

The Goodman GMEC96 specs say, Energy-efficient, multi-speed ECM blower motor.

The Goodman GMVC96 specs say, Efficient and quiet variable-speed airflow system gently ramps up or down according to heating or cooling demand.

The Lennox EL296XE specs say, Power Saver™ Constant Torque.

The Lennox EL296XV specs say, Variable Speed.

Also new homes now require Electric Vehicle Charging Systems,

3.1.21.1.  Electric Vehicle Charging Systems
(3)  Except as provided in Sentences (6) and (7), where a house is served by a garage, carport or driveway, the following shall be installed to permit the future installation of electric vehicle supply equipment that conforms to Section 86 of the Electrical Safety Code:
   (a)   a minimum 200 amp panelboard,
   (b)   a conduit that is not less than 27 mm trade size and is equipped with a means to allow cables to be pulled into the conduit, and
   (c)   a square 4-11/16 in. trade size electrical outlet box.