Are old furnace parts in Ottawa homes a source of asbestos?

Yes, older furnaces and their connected systems are a real place to look for asbestos-containing materials in Ottawa homes. Health Canada lists industrial furnaces and heating systems, insulation around hot water pipes and tanks, and surface treatments such as caulking and sealants among the older building materials that may contain asbestos, and says that before 1990 asbestos was mainly used for insulating buildings and homes.

Ontario's guide to O. Reg. 278/05 adds that asbestos was widely used in pipe and boiler insulation until 1973, and that many other asbestos-containing materials continued in use until the mid-1980s. Ontario's guide also lists HVAC duct insulation and pipe insulation (corrugated air-cell and block). None of these materials should be assumed safe to disturb without testing first.

What Decides the Type of Work

Whether any of this triggers a Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3 operation under O. Reg. 278/05 depends on two things the contractor assesses on site: whether the material is friable, and how much of it will be disturbed. Removing pipe or duct insulation using a glove bag is listed as a Type 2 operation, and the removal or disturbance of more than one square metre of friable asbestos-containing material is Type 3. The regulation's no-splitting rule in section 12(5) means the total area worked consecutively in a room counts as one job, even if the work is broken into smaller sessions. Before any removal begins, ask the contractor to give you the Type classification in writing.

For Type 3 work, O. Reg. 278/05 section 11(1) requires the employer to notify a Ministry of Labour inspector, orally and in writing, before starting. Every worker on a Type 3 job must have completed the Asbestos Abatement Worker Training Program, and every supervisor the Asbestos Abatement Supervisor Training Program, as required by section 20. Clearance air testing under section 18 applies to Type 3 work; you can ask for it to be included in the quote for smaller jobs as well.

Published Ontario contractor prices read in September 2026 put pipe or duct insulation removal at roughly $35 to $55 per linear foot, against about $8 to $15 per square foot for asbestos removal in general. A pre-removal inspection with asbestos testing runs about $250 to $1,300 depending on building size and the number of samples taken.

When you get quotes, ask the contractor to confirm the Type in writing, to name the disposal site that has agreed to accept the asbestos waste under Ontario Regulation 347, and search the contractor's current WSIB clearance online.

After the work is done, keep the lab report showing what was tested and the result, the written Type classification the contractor provided, and the clearance air test results if one was done. Section 18 of O. Reg. 278/05 requires the owner to keep clearance results for at least one year, so keep the documents together.