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AIR FOR COMBUSTION AND
VENTILATION
WARNING: This heater shall not be installed
in a
room or space unless the required volume of indoor
combustion
air is
provided by the method
described
in the National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1/NFPA
54,
the International Fuel Gas Code, or applicable
local
codes. Read the
following instructions to
insure proper
fresh air for this and other fuel-burning appliances
in
your
home.
Today’s homes are
built
more energy efficient than ever.
New
materials,
increased insulation and new construction methods help reduce
heat
loss in homes. Home owners weather strip and caulk around
windows
and doors to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. During
heating
months, home owners want their homes as airtight as
possible.
While
it
is good to make your home energy efficient, your home ne
eds
to breathe. Fresh air must
enter your home. All fuel-burning
appliances
need fresh air
for
proper combustion and
ventilation.
Exhaust fans, fireplaces, clothes dryers and fuel burning appliances
draw air from the house to operate. You must provide adequate
fresh
air for these appliances. This will insure proper venting of vented
fuel-
burning
appliances.
PROVIDING ADEQUATE VENTILA
TION
The
following
are excerpts from National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI
Z223.1/
NFPA 54, Air
for
Combustion and
V
entilation.
All
spaces
in
homes
fall into
one
of
the three following ventilation
classifications:
1.
Unusually Tight
Construction
2.
Unconfined Space
3.
Confined Space
The
information on pages 7 through 8 will help you classify your space
and provide adequate
ventilation.
Unusually Tight Construction
Confined and Unconfined
Space
T
h
e
National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 defines a
confined
space as a space whose volume
is
less than 50 cubic feet per
1,000
Btu per hour (4.8
m3
per kw)
of
the aggregate input rating
of
all
ap-
pliances installed
in
that space and an unconfined space as a space
whose volume
is
not less than 50 cubic feet per 1,000 Btu per
hour
(4.8
m3
per kw) of the aggregate input rating of all appliances
installed
in that space. Rooms communicating directly with the space in
which
the appliances are installed*, through openings
not
furnished
with
doors, are considered a part
of
the unconfined
space.
*
Adjoining rooms are communicating
only if
there are
doorless
passageways
or
ventilation grills between
them.
DETERMINING FRESH-AIR FLOW FOR FIREBOX
LOCA
TION
Determining
if
You Have
a
Confined or Unconfined
Space
Use
this
work sheet
to
determine
if
you have a confined
or uncon-
fined
space.
Space: Includes the room in which you
will
install heater plus any
ad-
joining rooms with doorless passageways or ventilation grills between
the
rooms.
1.
Determine the volume
of
the space (length
x
width
xheight).
Length
x
Width
x
Height
=
cu.
ft.
(volume
ofspace)
Example: Space size 22
ft.
(length)
x
18
ft.
(width)
x8ft.(ceiling
height) = 3,168 cu.
ft.
(volume
ofspace)
If
additional ventilation
to
adjoining room
is
supplied with
grills
or
openings, add the volume
of
these rooms
to
the total volume
of
the
space.
2.
Multiply the space volume by 20 to determine the maximum
Btu/Hr
the space can
support.
(volume
of
space)
x
20 = (Maximum Btu/Hr the space
can
support)
Example: 3,168 cu.
ft.
(volume
of
space)
x
20
=
63,360
(maximum
Btu/Hr space can
support)
3.
Add the Btu/Hr
of
all fuel burning appliances
in
the space.
The
air
that leaks around doors and windows may provide enough
fresh
air for
combustion and ventilation. However,
in
buildings
of
unusually tight construction, you must provide additional fresh
air.
Unusually tight construction
is
defined as construction
where:
a.
walls and ceilings exposed to the outside atmosphere have
a
continuous water vapor retarder with
a
rating of one perm
(6
x
10
-11
kg
per pa-sec-m
2
) or less with openings gasketed or
sealed
and
Vent-free fireplace
Gas
water
heater*
Gas
furnace
V
ented
gas heater
Gas
fireplace
logs
Other
gas
appliances*+
T
otal
=
Btu/Hr
Btu/Hr
Btu/Hr
Btu/Hr
Btu/Hr
Btu/Hr
Btu/Hr
b.
weather stripping has been added on openable windows
and
doors
and
c.
caulking or sealants are applied to areas such
as joints around
window and door frames, between sole plates and floors,
be-
tween wall-ceiling joints, between wall panels, at penetrations
for plumbing, electrical and gas lines and at other openings.
If
your home meets all of the three criteria above, you must provide
ad-
ditional fresh air. See Ventilation Air From Outdoors, page
8.
*
Do
not
include direct-vent gas appliances. Direct-vent draws
combustion air from the outdoors and vents
to
the outdoors.
Example:
Gas water
heater
40,000
Btu/Hr
Vent-free fireplace+
39,000 Btu/Hr
Total = 79,000 Btu/Hr
4.
Compare the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support
withthe
actual amount
of
Btu/Hr
used.
If
your home does not meet
allof
the three criteria above,
proceed
Btu/Hr (maximum the space can
support)
to
Determining Fresh-Air Flow For Firebox
Location.
Btu/Hr (actual amount
of
Btu/Hr
used)
Example:
63,360 Btu/Hr (maximum the space can
support)
79,000 Btu/Hr (actual amount
of
Btu/Hr
used)