NSF certifies first geothermal pipes to new CSA standard
March 6th, 2009NSF International, a public health and safety organization, has certified the first geothermal pipes to Canadian Standards Association’s standard C448: Design and Installation of Earth Energy Systems for Commercial and Institutional Buildings. NSF is the only organization that certifies polyethylene (PE) piping for geothermal end use.
CSA C448 is North America’s only government-recognized design and installation standard for geothermal systems, systems that use the earth as a heat source and heat sink. They provide heating or cooling by moving heat, rather than by creating heat as a furnace does. While conventional heating systems rely on outdoor temperatures that often vary, underground temperatures remain relatively constant, producing the desired heating and cooling temperature year round.
NSF’s certification program was developed to incorporate all of the critical aspects of geothermal piping, including performance, physical, health effects and quality control requirements. In order to achieve NSF certification, both Trinus Pipes & Tubes Ltd. and Vanguard Pipe & Fittings Ltd. had to fulfill the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 14: Plastic Piping System Components and Related Materials and CSA B137.1: Polyethylene Pipe, Tubing, and Fittings for Cold Water Pressure Services, in addition to the requirements of CSA C448.
Trinus and Vanguard will bear the CSA-C448, CSA-B137.1 mark and the cNSF-geothermal mark on its pipes and will be listed on the NSF website. Third-party certification for geothermal piping systems provides regulators and users assurance that products are independently certified to meet requirements for geothermal end use. To maintain NSF certification and to demonstrate ongoing compliance, Trinus and Vanguard will be required to pass three unannounced audits annually.
According to Jeremy Brown, NSF code and regulatory manager, “Third-party certification is essential, because it helps increase confidence and product acceptance, while helping to ensure product compliance with applicable requirements. Going forward, we will continue to play an active role in building on the quality requirements of earth energy technologies.”
For more information, visit www.nsf.org.