What?! You Can’t Have an Open Wood-Burning Fireplace in Your Home?
Did you know that if your state has adopted the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), you cannot install an open wood-burning fireplace in a new home? It’s true. According to the BCAP-OCEAN code status website, 30 states are on the 2009 IECC or better now. Adopting it was one of the requirements for any state that took ARRA (Stimulus Act) money.
Did you know that if your state has adopted the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), you cannot install an open wood-burning fireplace in a new home? It’s true. According to the BCAP-OCEAN code status website, 30 states are on the 2009 IECC or better now. Adopting it was one of the requirements for any state that took ARRA (Stimulus Act) money.
The skinny on fireplaces
Here’s how it appears in the energy code, with the exact language:
402.4 Air Leakage (Mandatory)
402.4.3 Fireplaces. New wood-burning fireplaces shall
have gasketed doors and outdoor combustion air.
I know of a couple of cases here in Georgia where a builder got an unexpected failure at final inspection because of this. Of course, this depends on which building inspector shows up, how well they know the code, and how well they enforce it, but if this applies to you, it’s probably a good idea to check with your inspectors before you plan to do anything that doesn’t adhere to this provision.
The reason that this is in the code is that open fireplaces are generally net heat losers for a home because of all the conditioned air they pull from the home for combustion. It’s a huge air leak, which is why this provision appears in the air leakage section of the ’09 IECC.
Of course, the energy code can’t stop people from leaving the doors open when they use the fireplace, but having the outdoor combustion air should help keep your conditioned air in the house, at least a little bit.
What about gas fireplaces?
This provision doesn’t say anything about gas fireplaces, so I presume that you could have a vented gas fireplace without gasketed doors. Still, it may be worth checking with your inspector just so you don’t get any surprises.
And if you’re thinking of installing a ventless gas fireplace, well, you just need to get over that. Those things don’t belong in homes, in the view of pretty much all building science and combustion safety folks. Don’t do it!
Bottom line: It’s a good idea
I love a good fire, but I personally wouldn’t have an open fireplace in my house. If you really want one, put it out on the back porch, like they had in the autoclaved aerated concrete home that Martin Holladay and I visited this week, or out in the back yard.
Is this provision of the energy code news to you? Have you had issues with building inspectors over it? Will it change what you do?
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Photo by Sugar Pond from flickr.com, used under a Creative Commons license.
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And then there is the
And then there is the ventilation issue. The ASHRAE 62.2-2010 Standard says that the maximum output from the 2 largest exhaust fans (when in operation at full capacity) shall not exceed 15 cfm/100 square feet of occupiable space if there are atmospherically vented combustion appliances inside the pressure boundary unless makeup air is provided. So a 250 cfm (capable)range hood and a 100 cfm (capable) bath fan would mandate makeup air in a 2000 square foot house with an open fireplace or gas fireplace.
I’m a big fan of insert wood
I’m a big fan of insert wood stoves, myself.
Many have large glass windows, so you get the full effect of seeing the fire, etc.
But the thermal performance is night and day vs. an open fireplace.
Some states have rejected
Some states have rejected individual provisions of the IEEC code it doesn’t like (undoubtedly due to pressure from builders). One thing I’ve wondered about… do these states have to return the ARRA money?
BTW, I have talked several clients out of Isokern fireplaces. But if they persist, or if it was already installed when I got involved, I recommend a chimney balloon. And then we talk about range hoods.
I agree with Brian. I have a
I agree with Brian. I have a wood stove insert in my home and I’ll never go back. We’ve kept that thing going all winter and barely touched the thermostat. Fun to run and they kick out a ton of heat to boot.
Even in our old 1927 house,
Even in our old 1927 house, with only moderate air sealing (new windows, retrofitted dense-pack cellulose) an open fireplace is a disaster. If we don’t have a couple windows wide open, the basement fills with smoke as the draft sucks smoke back down through the boiler flue. Bad, bad. Ugh. Gonna get an insert.
I certainly agree if one is
I certainly agree if one is talking about a furnace blowing a lot of hot air. I wonder about this though if there is only mostly radiant. Cast iron firebacks and sides throw enormous amounts of radiant heat. So I wonder what the fuss is about losing some warm air up the chimney which can also be covered when not in use. As far as I am concerned, if the walls are coldish, it don’t matter how much hot air one has.
I would like to a serious study.
Builders or those building
Builders or those building homes should pay attention to the new Energy Codes, but they are dragging their feet and sometimes are too late to make the changes required. How do you get the code officials excited about this stuff and on board seems to be the question. There is good reason for this requirement as I often see backdrafting fireplaces in tighter homes. I have had to troubleshoot several Isokern fireplaces this season for this very reason. The crazy thing is they still allow VENTLESS gas fireplaces????
New Mexico put in an
New Mexico put in an exemption to IECC 2009 of one kiva fireplace per house (those traditional pueblo-style ones you see in most NM homes). So now you can build a tight house with a fancy kitchen and huge kitchen exhaust fan AND have your cute little kiva fireplace. Hmmmm.