What is Appliance Spillage Testing
Appliance spillage is a term used to describe the unwanted flow of fuels into your home. The quantities involved are usually small; however, appliance spillage is a serious health hazard and should be dealt with as soon as possible.
Normally, these combustion products – which can include both visible smoke and various invisible gases – are vented to the outdoors through a chimney or vent pipe. Unfortunately, in some circumstances they may instead escape into your home, which can cause a variety of health concerns.
Your home is at risk of spillage if you have the following:
- Gas-fired furnace, boiler, or water heater
- Oil-fired furnace, boiler or water heater
- Wood stove or fireplace
- Portable propane, natural gas or kerosene heaters
- Other fuel-burning devices (e.g. gas range)
How is appliance spillage tested?
If you have any of the spillage appliances mentioned above, an exhaust devices depressurisation test (also known as a combustion spillage test) can be performed to test your risk for combustion spillage. The test can be performed by an energy advisor,and involves running all of the exhaust fans to test whether combustion gases can be pulled into your home by the exhaust systems. This test is a routine part of every EnerGuide home evaluation for homes with combustion appliances. If you are at risk, the energy advisor will let you know, and provide guidance on who you can contact to address the problem.
Please note, if a building inspector requests a combustion spillage test after you’ve completed a kitchen upgrade, you will need to have a spillage test performed by a professional with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) or Thermal Environmental Comfort Association (TECA) certification. Not all energy advisors are qualified to perform this specific spillage test, unless they have HVAC and TECA certifications.