Red tagged furnace? Want to know why and what to do? First of all, furnace technicians are certified licensed gas technicians and therefore have to adhere to the Technical Standards and Safety Act. Part of that act requires technicians to flag any gas-powered appliance that poses a serious safety risk to the home’s occupants. If a licensed heating technician identifies a safety issue with your furnace, they’ll issue a red tag warning which means your heating system isn’t safe to use in its current state and must either be replaced or repaired. To get the red tag removed, you’ll need to have a certified gas technician sign off on the heating system and notify the gas company that it is safe to operate. This might mean replacing the entire system. Before you do, we recommend you always get a second opinion on your red tagged furnace.

Types of Furnace Red Tags

The first thing you should know is that there are two types of tags the HVAC technician can issue. The technician has the option to issue either an “A” Tag or “B” Tag. These indicate the following:

Category “A” – Appliance or Work is an Immediate Hazard
This is issued if there is an immediate threat to the occupant’s safety. If an “A” Tag is issued, the technician will immediately notify the natural gas provider to turn off the gas supply.

Category “B” – Appliance or Work Does NOT Constitute an Immediate Hazard
This tag is issued if the technician detects a problem with the furnace or a related item, but the issue does not pose an immediate risk. In this instance, the natural gas provider is notified, but the homeowner has 30 days to correct the safety concern before the gas supply is turned off.

Always Get a Second Opinion

Since it’s left to the technician’s discretion to determine if a furnace is unsafe to operate – whether it’s red tagged or not – it’s always advisable to get a second opinion. Call a trusted heating company and ask them to send a licensed gas tech to thoroughly inspect the system. This way, you can confirm the first technician’s decision.

The second technician will either:

• Agree that the furnace poses a threat and needs to be repaired or replaced, OR
• Will conclude the furnace is safe and that the red tag was issued in error

If they determine the heating system is safe, the tech simply has to complete the clearance portion of the red tag and submit it to the gas company.

Call Delta or use the contact form below to get a second opinion on your red tagged furnace.

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Delta Air Systems is an established heating company in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. And we’ve been installing, servicing and repairing heating and cooling systems since the 1950s and work hard to ensure complete customer satisfaction.