Electrician Interview Question:

What is CSA approval?

Submitted by: Administrator

Every electrical device or component must be certified by the
Canadian Standards Association (or recognized equivalent) before
it can be sold in Canada. Implicit in this is that all wiring
must be done with CSA-approved materials. They perform testing
similar to the UL (a bit more stringent), except that CSA (or
recognized equivalent) approval is required by law.

Again, like the UL, if a fire was caused by non-CSA-approved
equipment, your insurance company may not have to pay the
claim.

Note: strictly speaking, there usually is a legal way around
the lack of a CSA sticker. In some cases (eg: Ontario), a
local hydro inspection prior to purchase, or prior to use, is
acceptable. The hydro inspector will affix a "hydro sticker"
to the unit, which is as good as CSA approval. But it costs
money - last I knew, $75 per unit inspected.
Submitted by: Administrator