Silver label Inspection - Do I really need one?

So you want to put your mobile home up for sale.  Likely, the first thing your realtor is going to ask you is "Do you have your CSA sticker?"  Most people don't realize the value of that little label next to the front door or on the electrical panel. Make no mistake, the CSA label is one of the most important items in your mobile home.  Without it, your home is no longer considered an approved structure.  Add to this any alterations done to the original wiring, say you've added a heat pump, renovated the kitchen, built an addition, and don't have a permit on the work done, you may need a silver label inspection to ensure that your manufactured home still meets CSA standards. 

There are two types of inspections to re-certify your mobile home.  The first type is required if you no longer have a CSA label or if the label is illegible.  In order to sell the home, you'll need to contact a licensed electrician to apply for what's called a "silver label permit". Once the permit is in place, the electrician will set up a time with you to come inspect the electrical circuits in the home.  This testing is done with a specialized tool to ensure the wiring is in good condition, no ungrounded circuits or other issues.  They also look for basic safety issues such as are there working smoke detectors, GFI receptacles, covers?  Once that's done, a list of any deficiencies is given to the homeowner.  Some are minor things that you can do yourself, other times it requires the services of a professional.  

Once any issues found are addressed, the electrician would then call Technical Safety BC to have one of their safety officers come through and do a visual inspection of the home, which generally takes a week to ten days after repairs are done and the request is submitted.  When the safety officer is satisfied that the home meets CSA standards, he issues the silver label on the spot, and you're good to go.

The second type of inspection is done if you do still have a legible CSA number on your mobile home but have had alterations done to the wiring without a permit and subsequent inspection.   You would still need to have an inspection but the process is less involved, and a different type of permit is required.  In this case, the electrician would apply for an "installation permit". This allows them to come in, inspect any work that has been done to ensure it's safe and working as it was intended for its purpose.  Again, any clear safety issues would need to be addressed, a report given to you as the homeowner and repairs done before a final declaration is submitted to Technical Safety BC.  

The inspection under an installation permit generally takes 3 to 4 days to complete once the declaration has been submitted to Technical Safety BC.  At this point, you're free to list your mobile home.

At Alberni Electric, we've done a number of re-certifications for mobile homes.  As required under Electrical Safety Regulation ESR 21d, our red seal certified electricians will:

-Megger the circuits to assess the condition of the electrical system as required by Technical Safety BC, and submit the required report on your behalf. 

-Apply for the appropriate permit to have your mobile home re-certified

-Repair any issues found, if needed, submit a declaration of compliance to Technical Safety BC for inspection once the home meets current electrical  standards and qualifies for Silver Label re-certification.

 So if you find yourself in this situation, and are unsure of the process give us a call.  We will be happy to walk you through it and take the worry out of it for you.   Give us a call at 778-421-4080

For more information on the silver label process, please visit: https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/alerts/information-bulletin-approval-manufactured-homes-and-factory-built-structures