I was reading the previous post which mentioned that an old Fisher stove could not be installed legally today in California. Which other states have that same rule and should those that have these old Fisher Stoves in other states be concerned. I’m in Maine and use a Fisher Grandma wood stove.
Our Old Fisher Stoves Illegal In Which States
- Thread starter Frankdozer
- Start date
If it is an old install I believe they are allowed anywhere as long as the house doesn't change hands. I think california and washington are the only 2 but I am not sure as far as emissions go.
Then you have the ul listing issue. Technically all new installs need to be of ul listed appliances. But that isn't enforced most places. Insurance is another issue at times with unlisted stoves. And they can require what ever they want even if it isn't code.
All that being said in most cases of I am installing a liner for an old stove or someone is looking to install an old one I generally suggest they consider a new stove whether they buy it from me or not simply because they work better
The 3 states that require removal when a home is sold is CA, OR and WA. They do not allow the installation or sale of non EPA Certified stoves. They have laws requiring any antique or collector stove to be decommissioned to prevent use. There are now other areas in states around them with similar local laws. This is for smoke regulations, not safety.
The installation of appliances that affects everyone is the building code their state or area has adopted for safety reasons. Years ago NFPA 211 was the defining Standard where testing was documented and what was safe. That is still used, and adopted as part of codes. Then the writers of the code or local officials can add more restrictions. That happened with the ICC Family of Codes. Most states have adopted the International Codes, (ICC or IRC) and the International Mechanical Code part of it is for solid fuel appliances and venting. They added “ALL appliances must be UL Listed”. So that prevents installing antique, homemade or unlisted stoves. A stove is only Listed with a UL tag affixed to stove.
You find many still being sold and installed due to ignorance of the code, or they install and claim it was “existing” since it’s hard to prove when a stove was installed.
Riteway
Member
WA does not require the removal of non-certified wood stoves when a home is sold. But you're correct that it's illegal to sell/install an old stove here.
The Smoke Reduction Zone of certain counties doesn’t allow any use of non certified stoves. Are businesses claiming they must be removed for more business? Partial in WA, but not statewide. This business claims it is;
Uncertified Wood Stove Removal – Chimcare
www.chimcare.com
Here is the list of partial areas within many more states with some requiring removal. It’s no longer a simple state by state question.
Ordinances and Regulations for Wood-Burning Appliances | US EPA
Laws and regulations for wood burning appliances.
Riteway
Member
Oh, it's probably just an honest mistake. The west coast states tend to be fairly similar with regards to environmental regulations. But removal definitely isn't a requirement in WA: https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Air-quality/Smoke-fire/wood-stove-infoThe Smoke Reduction Zone of certain counties doesn’t allow any use of non certified stoves. Are businesses claiming they must be removed for more business? Partial in WA, but not statewide. This business claims it is;
Uncertified Wood Stove Removal – Chimcare
There's only one designated "smoke reduction zone" in Washington, which is a portion of Pierce County (Tacoma vicinity). It's illegal to use an uncertified wood stove, unless it's your only source of heat (and pre-approval of this is required). Outside of this area you can use old stoves, unless a Phase I burn ban has been called. Even then, this only applies to specific counties in the Puget Sound area.
Having these overlapping, localized regulations can be confusing, but I do appreciate that regulators have used a localized approach here, which considers local climate conditions, long-term air quality measurements, population density, etc. Much preferable to a statewide approach like Oregon, in my opinion. Seems a bit heavy-handed that somebody living on 20 acres in eastern Oregon would be required to remove their old wood stove before selling their house.
