Codes and Standards in the Chimney and Venting Industry

Question 1

What are codes?

Answer 1

Rules to follow
Can be adopted into law
States WHAT needs to be done, but not HOW to do it.
ex. IRC

Question 2

What are standards?

Answer 2

Instructions, tell you HOW to do something.
ex. NFPA, UL, ASTM

Question 3

What are regulations?

Answer 3

OFFICIAL rules, laws, or orders of WHAT to do or HOW it is to be done.
ex. EPA, AHJ

Question 4

What is AHJ?

Answer 4

Authority Having Jurisdiction.
The local governing body

Question 5

What is ICC?

Answer 5

International Code Council

Question 6

What are the ICC codes for the venting industry?

Answer 6

IRC- residential
IBC- building
IMC- mechanical
IFGC- fuel gas
IEBC- existing building
IECC- energy conservation
LEED- leadership in energy and environmental design
ICC 700- national green building standard
IgCC- green construction

Question 7

What are the ICC GREEN CODES for the venting industry?

Answer 7

IECC- energy conservation
LEED- leadership in energy and environmental design
ICC 700- national green building standard
IgCC- green construction

Question 8

What is NFPA?

Answer 8

National Fire Protection Association

global non-profit that provides standards and codes to eliminate death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire, electrical or related hazards.

Question 9

What is NFPA 211?

Answer 9

Standard for fireplaces, chimneys, vents, and solid fuel burning appliances

Includes design, maintenance, and inspection.

Question 10

What is NFPA 31?

Answer 10

Standard for installation or OIL fired equiptment.
Chapter 6- connectors
Annex- sizing charts

Question 11

What is NFPA 54?

Answer 11

National Fuel GAS code

exact same as IRC 24.

Question 12

What is UL?

Answer 12

Underwriters Laboratories

Certifies, validates, tests, verifies, inspects, audits, advises, and educates.

Products are LISTED and tested to their standards.

Question 13

What is “tested to the UL standard?”

Answer 13

NOT “UL tested” but a product that has been tested by another lab to the same standards as UL.

Question 14

What is UL 641?

Answer 14

for Type L- low temp venting systems.

Oil under 570 degrees F and gas (galvanized outside)

Question 15

What is UL 1482?

Answer 15

for solid fuel type room heaters (woodstoves)

Question 16

What is UL 1618?

Answer 16

for wall and floor protection and hearth extensions

Question 17

What is UL 1777?

Answer 17

for liners

Question 18

What is UL 441?

Answer 18

for gas, B and BW vents, category 1.

(BW= between wall)

Question 19

What is UL 103?

Answer 19

for factory biult chimneys tested to 1700 degrees F.

Question 20

What is UL 103-HT?

Answer 20

for factory built chimneys tested to 2100 degrees F.
HT= high temp

Question 21

What is UL 127?

Answer 21

for factory built fireplaces

Question 22

What is ANSI?

Answer 22

American National Standards Insitute

covers certain products not specifically covered by code or UL listings.

Question 23

What is ANSI Z21.60?

Answer 23

for decorative gas appliances for install in solid fuel appliances

Question 24

What is ANSI Z21.50?

Answer 24

for vented gas fireplaces under 400,000 BTU/hr

Question 25

What is ANSI Z21.88?

Answer 25

for vented gas fireplace heaters for efficiency

Question 26

What is Z21.11.2?

Answer 26

for gas fired room heaters, unvented room heaters under 40,000 BTU/hr.

(bedrooms under 10,000 BTU/hr)
(bathrooms under 6,000 BTU/hr)

Question 27

What is EPA and the NSPS?

Answer 27

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA created the New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) of 1988.

NSPS required woodstove manufacturers and sellers to produce and sell stoves that lessen emissions.
Must be less than 4.5 particulates per hour as of 2015.

Question 28

What is HUD and how does it pertain to the venting industry?

Answer 28

US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Developed construction and safety standards for manufactured and mobile homes.