New front clearance requirements?

My FPX 36 specs say 20" if the hearth is not elevated. 18" if it is elevated.

Like most code, I suspect it would be grandfathered. Typically, you must meet the code as it is written on the date of construction. There is no requirement to predict what the code might be some day in the future. Very few changes in code require updating existing construction, until such a date that you make changes to that construction, at which time it must be updated to meet the code as of that date.

Joful said:

Like most code, I suspect it would be grandfathered. Typically, you must meet the code as it is written on the date of construction. There is no requirement to predict what the code might be some day in the future. Very few changes in code require updating existing construction, until such a date that you make changes to that construction, at which time it must be updated to meet the code as of that date.

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Everthing you say about code is true, so far as I know...but NFPA 211 is not a code. It's a standard published by an industry group. It's not a government publication. NFPA doesn't publish "requirements", it doesn't have that authority. It's a set of recommendations. Big difference...code is law, NFPA is not law. Some local government jurisdictions have adopted NFPA 211 recommendations basically word for word in their codes...which are local law. Other jurisdictions have not. It's always best to check with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for the straight skinny on what's required where you live. In most cases that I've known of, the inspectors will simply want to see that the installation conforms with the manufacturer's stated clearances and hearth requirements as set out in the owner/installation manual for the appliance. Rick

(Note, the newest NFPA 211 standard has increased the required minimum clearance in front of loading doors to 18 inches from 16 inches previously. Even if you are installing an older stove which says 16” on the label or manual, you should build to the required newer standard of 18”.)

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NFPA 211 also calls for 36" rear clearance to combustible walls. Let's plug that standard into the above quote and have a look:

Note, the NFPA 211 standard requires a minimum rear clearance of 36 inches to combustible walls. Even if you are installing a stove which has a reduced rear clearance on the label or manual, you should comply with the required NFPA 211 standard of 36”.

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I know of several models which have been introduced after the NFPA standard was changed, including Hearthstone's new Manchester wood stove, introduced just last week, and every one of them were listed with reduced rear clearances and a 16" hearth extension.

Sprinter, if it makes you more comfortable to disregard your new stove's UL listing requirements and install to the NFPA 211 standards, go right ahead. But from a code-compliance standpoint, unless you're installing an unlisted stove, the statement "you should build to the required newer standard of 18 inches" is incorrect.

Just checked in to read the spirited discussion sparked by my post above. Nothing to view yet, but since I'm here anyway, let's kick this dog one more time:

Consider SouthernBreeze's FPX 36, which has a listed flat hearth extension requirement of 20 inches. Does anyone think he should disregard that listing and provide an 18" flat extension, citing the NFPA 211 blanket standard?

The manufacturer's instructions for the appliance are gospel...if you've got those, then forget NFPA, it's just confusing you. Rick

The roles of NFPA standards and UL standards in the installation of a wood stove can be somewhat confusing, beginning with the fact that William Henry Merrill, founder of Underwriters Laboratories, was a past-president of the NFPA. NFPA standards are generic, and are designed to ensure minimum safety guidelines for the installation of virtually any solid fuel appliance. The UL listing process is designed to establish accurate, specific requirements for each model tested.

It should be noted that UL doesn't test wood stoves. Their role is to establish safety and testing standards and certify the labs that perform the actual testing. So, when a stove is said to be "UL listed," it means it has undergone testing to ensure compliance with UL's standards at a UL-certified test laboratory. In the US, Warnock Hersey and Omni Labs are the two big UL certified wood stove testing facilities.

During the testing process, the laboratory establishes the specific installation requirements (clearance to combustibles, floor protection, etc.) for a given model. This set of requirements appears in the manufacturer's installation manual and on the permanent listing label attached to each "UL listed" stove, authenticated by the UL logo and the name of the testing laboratory. These are the rules that must be followed when installing the stove.

The generic NFPA 211 guidelines are still in use, as they apply to models that haven't been tested to UL standards, such as antique or homemade stoves. Nonetheless, whenever a stove's UL listing differs from NFPA guidelines, you go with the listing.

As far as grandfathering or protecting yourself against any potential change in regulations. Get a permit! A permitted and approved installation sets a datestamp on your install which is the only accepted means of grandfathering plus it shifts liability away from you should there be a housefire.

I install per the sticker, as long as it says 16" then that's the requirement. I am also one of those guys that built his hearth to 16" and wish I had built to 18" only because I could sure use those extra couple of inches today while trying to fit various replacement stoves on my hearth.