According to Ontario law, any appliance that is found to be in an unacceptable condition is liable for red-tagging by a licensed, certified gas technician. The technician is responsible for determining the type of red tag to use. Some possible causes for issuing a red tag include:

In the case of furnaces, the most common reason for red-tagging is a cracked heat exchanger. The heat exchanger in a furnace plays the role of transferring heat to the air in circulation while maintaining the combustion byproducts in a safe manner. Cracking may cause byproducts to leak and cause danger to the handlers. Often, the tag placed on a furnace of any other appliance states the reasons for red-tagging and the type, which is used to determine the necessary actions.

The classification of red tags is based on technical regulations and all companies adhere to the same specification of red-tagging. There are two main types of red tags: Type A (an immediate red tag) and Type B (a 30-day repair). The classification of the red tags determines whether or not the appliance will stay on as it is repaired.

A Type A or immediate red tag means that a licensed technician has established that the appliance’s condition poses an immediate danger and the gas supply to the appliance immediately must be ctopped immediately. The machine is barred from use until the unsafe conditions are fixed and approved by the gas company as being fit for use again.

A Type B or 30-day warning red tag means that the technician has found that the conditions of the appliance are unacceptable but do not pose an immediate danger to the homeowners. The technician issues a 30-day period within which the appliance should be fixed. If the company does not receive proof of repair after 30 days, the gas company cuts off the gas supply.

Let a certified technician inspect your equipment to determine the necessary repairs to remove the red tag.

After the appliance has been repaired, it needs to be re-inspected for approval. The technician who identified the fault is called re-inpspect and determine if the red tag can be removed. If they determine that it is properly repaired, the licensed technician completes the ‘clearance’ section of the red tag and turns on the appliance.

After completing the red tag clearance, you need to ensure that the gas company receive the clearance before the deadline. Some HVAC companies will take care of this step for their customers. There is an offer of second opinions for red tags in Ontario where a certified gas technician inspects the appliance, determining whether it is safe for operation.

Upon certification of the appliance, the technician will fill out the clearance and turn on the appliance. Ecofrost Heating and Cooling recommends Smile HVAC for furnace red tag removal in Ontario.