NPGA: Unvented Heaters Will Continue to Be Available

In an update on efforts regarding securing favorability for unvented heaters in U.S. construction codes, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports the appliances will continue to be relied upon by propane customers as a safe and reliable means for space heating.

The association explains that every three years the International Code Council (ICC) develops a new edition of the most widely used model construction codes in the U.S. and, like clockwork, the fuel gas industry is faced with yet another challenge to the continued use of unvented room heaters. The ongoing cycle has proved no exception, since the same individual who has submitted proposals to bar the appliances being installed in residential occupancies in the past has done so again, based on his contention they constitute a health threat.

NPGA has previously worked with other associations, including the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute’s Vent Free Alliance, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, and the American Gas Association, to present a unified front in combating unsubstantiated proposals. This coalition has been successful with ICC in large part because of its reliance on the national performance standard, ANSI Z21.11.2 Unvented Room Heaters, which establishes maximum emission levels for carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.

NPGA elaborates that during this ICC cycle, the proponent of banning unvented heaters in the fuel gas, mechanical, and residential codes did not repeat his challenge before the respective code development committees during the second round of development, as he had done in the past. “So, even this early in the process, it has become clear that unvented heaters will remain in the I-codes for years to come,” the association comments.

NPGA adds that it should be noted that an August edition of NPGA Reports included an article detailing its appeal to the ASHRAE 62.2 Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings Standard. The association advises that what should have been emphasized is that ASHRAE 62.2 is a standard that, to its knowledge, is referenced only in NFPA 5000, the Building Construction and Safety Code, which itself is referenced only through the Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Codes. Therefore, it is doubtful that ASHRAE 62.2 is being enforced at all.

(SOURCE: The Weekly Propane Newsletter, September 4, 2018. Click Subscriptions tab above to subscribe.)