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Direct Vent fireplace venting

Direct Vent fireplace venting

New postby johnny43 on Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:28 pm

Situation:
I am working with a professional installer of a direct-vent gas fireplace, but have not yet received the installation or owner's manual for the fireplace. He has inspected the site and is awaiting delivery of the fireplace.
I am also working with a professional propane gas distributor who will do the gas hookup once the fireplace is installed.
I have contacted my local and county government building officials and am told that (a) there are no local/county building or zoning permits or inspections required for my township, and (b) I should rely upon the manufacturer's specifications regarding venting requirements.
I have contacted my insurance carrier and am told that there are no inspections required by the insurer, and that they will note for the record the existence of a gas fireplace when the work has been completed.
The gas fireplace is manufactured by Heat&Glo out of Wisconsin, and a phone call to the manufacturer tells me that all installation questions should be directed to the distributor/ professional installer.

The direct-vent fireplace will be installed in a corner of the house. The unit can vent out either of two adjoining walls. On one wall (west) there is a window located 5+ feet away from the spot where the fireplace vent might exit the building. (Perhaps, I should mention that the top portion of that window is stationary/non-opening, and the lower portion is seldom, if ever, opened, although it can be opened). On the other wall (north) there is a door approximately 5' below the spot where the fireplace vent might exit the building.

The professional fireplace distributor/installer indicates that I can choose to have the vent on either of the two walls. The gas distributor indicates that he doesn't care so long as the vent location complies with national code requirements. For aesthetic reasons, I would prefer to have the vent exit on the wall with the window, since the vent would blend and be less noticeable there.

I have searched the Internet in vain and have wound up here. So, my question is:

What are the Code requirements for venting of a direct-vent gas fireplace?

Thank you for your information.
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Re: Direct Vent fireplace venting

New postby Jerry Peck - Codeman on Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:36 pm

Your manufacturer's installation instructions take precedence and rule - I would tell your installer that unless he provides the installation instructions to you today, tomorrow at the latest, he does not need to keep you on his schedule for installing your gas appliance as you will find another installer, one who is addresses the client's concerns as they are raised.

Having said the above, this likely shows the same or similar to what your installation instructions will show:
(Note: place your cursor over the link, right click, and select Open in New Window)
- http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ ... 012-000019
- This is another one, scroll down to page 19 http://www.kirklandfireplace.com/TechIn ... eeThru.pdf
- This is one from your manufacturer, albeit possibly not the same model as you are getting, scroll down to page 25: http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/instal ... _980-B.pdf
- This is similar to one of the above, it is older and for a discontinued appliance, but it may be easier to read than the other one, scroll down to page 21: http://hearthnhome.com/downloads/instal ... 90_900.PDF
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Re: Direct Vent fireplace venting

New postby johnny43 on Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:24 pm

Thank you for the quick reply. That is helpful. If I understand correctly, you are pointing to the manufacturers' literature as indication of what the national code or industry standards are. It looks like either of the proposed exit points will be well within code expectations.

In fairness to the distributor/installer, he is not at all at fault, for we are both awaiting arrival of a hearthstone before the fireplace can be installed. But, I agree with you in this respect: Construction of the hearth depends --- at least in part --- upon what the fireplace manufacturer's specifications are. So, he should have provided that literature up front. (....Unfortunately, I seem to be building in an area where things are apparently done at a pace that is slower than that in the rest of the nation. On balance, I guess I should be thankful for that, having lived where things were done at a much faster, and less careful, pace).

Thanks again.
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Re: Direct Vent fireplace venting

New postby Jerry Peck - Codeman on Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:37 pm

johnny43 wrote:But, I agree with you in this respect: Construction of the hearth depends --- at least in part --- upon what the fireplace manufacturer's specifications are. So, he should have provided that literature up front.


Without a doubt he should have.

(....Unfortunately, I seem to be building in an area where things are apparently done at a pace that is slower than that in the rest of the nation. On balance, I guess I should be thankful for that, having lived where things were done at a much faster, and less careful, pace).


Doesn't matter how careful he is if he is constructing it "blind" (without the manufacturer's installation instructions to tell him what is required) ... he could build it very perfectly ... perfectly wrong for what is required, and even if perfect ... it may need to be modified or taken down and start all over if it was not correct - or - he could just make it fit into what he built and it not meet the required clearances as stated on the installation instructions.
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