As many of you may know, I started running a stove installation verification worksheet for every single stove that I service or install. I'm finding A LOT of stoves that are failing, safe to say since January I have failed 25 stoves. When I find a stove that has a problem, especially something like a hopper fire...I like to be extra careful to completely inspect the install against NFPA 211 Standards AND Whatever the local building code is. They are often the same and most of the State code mimics NFPA 211 or cites it directly.
Facts:
Customer has a Lopi Yankee pellet stove that had a hopper fire. The installation seems up to code, hearth pad, 3 inch venting with less than 15 EVL, clearances all seem to be good. There is not makeup air, the install is in a basement which is more than 1200 SQFT partially insulated. All of the central heating equipment is on the other side of the basement and has outside air for the oil furnace. The customer doesn't burn great pellets and doesn't keep the unit very clean...perhaps that was the to blame, but when I cleaned it...it wasn't really all that bad truthfully. This unit is tested to ASTME 1509, so in theory...if everything was adhered to, there shouldn't have been and hopper fire (ASTME 1509 is the standard test to prevent hopper fires)
AH ha! Then I found something wrong........
The collar for this stove is 4 inches! If I wasn't paying attention, I wouldn't have seen it. The venting was painted black and off of the collar was a reducer from 4 to 3. The manufacturer install guide states:
Though I'm licensed and certified... I find it a bit more useful to the customer when I can cite something legal to backup my findings; they may or may not take my word for it but you cannot argue against building code the unit must be in compliance with.
Also, all of those books I had to study...well I actually enjoy flipping through them and seeking out practical reasoning in troubleshooting. Especially when it comes to something crazy like a fire in the hopper.
For all you techs...how do you use your code and standard books or are they on the shelf collecting dust...?
Facts:
Customer has a Lopi Yankee pellet stove that had a hopper fire. The installation seems up to code, hearth pad, 3 inch venting with less than 15 EVL, clearances all seem to be good. There is not makeup air, the install is in a basement which is more than 1200 SQFT partially insulated. All of the central heating equipment is on the other side of the basement and has outside air for the oil furnace. The customer doesn't burn great pellets and doesn't keep the unit very clean...perhaps that was the to blame, but when I cleaned it...it wasn't really all that bad truthfully. This unit is tested to ASTME 1509, so in theory...if everything was adhered to, there shouldn't have been and hopper fire (ASTME 1509 is the standard test to prevent hopper fires)
AH ha! Then I found something wrong........
The collar for this stove is 4 inches! If I wasn't paying attention, I wouldn't have seen it. The venting was painted black and off of the collar was a reducer from 4 to 3. The manufacturer install guide states:
Venting: Must be 4" diameter Type "L"(except for masonry fireplace installations) - or - connect the
vent to a factory built type "A" chimney. All vent joints (including adapters, elbows, etc…)
must be sealed with 500° F. RTV silicone.
So there is problem right there. Easy enough to cite, yes?. However, lacking the actual manual which I was not able to download until tonight to verify...easily enough I could jump into NFPA 211, Sec 9.4.2
"The effective area of a connector for a single appliance shall not be less than the area of the appliance flue collar unless part of an engineered venting system."
Though I'm licensed and certified... I find it a bit more useful to the customer when I can cite something legal to backup my findings; they may or may not take my word for it but you cannot argue against building code the unit must be in compliance with.
Also, all of those books I had to study...well I actually enjoy flipping through them and seeking out practical reasoning in troubleshooting. Especially when it comes to something crazy like a fire in the hopper.
For all you techs...how do you use your code and standard books or are they on the shelf collecting dust...?
