Desa Determining FRESH-AIR Flow for Heater Location, Confined Space and Unconfined Space

AIR FOR COMBUSTION AND VENTILATION

Providing Adequate Ventilation (Cont.) Determining Fresh-Air Flow For Heater Location

5

AIR FOR COMBUSTION AND VENTILATION

Continued

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 (6x10-11kg per pa-sec-m2) or less with openings gasketed or sealed and

b.weather stripping has been added on openable win- dows and doors and

c.caulking or sealants are applied to areas such as joints around window and door frames, between sole plates and floors, between wall-ceiling joints, between wall panels, at penetrations for plumbing, electrical, and gas lines, and at other openings.

If your home does not meet all of the three criteria above, proceed to Determining Fresh-Air Flow For Heater Loca- tion on page 5.

Confined Space and Unconfined Space

The 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 appliances 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 HEATER LOCATION

Determining if You Have a Confined or Unconfined Space

Use this work sheet to determine if you have a confined or unconfined space.

Space: Includes the room in which you will install heater plus any adjoining rooms with doorless passageways or ventilation grills between the rooms.

1.Determine the volume of the space (length x width x height). Length x Width x Height = ___________ cu. ft. (volume of space)

Example: Space size 20 ft. (length) x 16 ft. (width) x 8 ft. (ceiling height) = 2560 cu. ft. (volume of space)

If additional ventilation to adjoining room is supplied with grills or open- ings, 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: 2560 cu. ft. (volume of space) x 20 = 51,200 (maximum Btu/Hr the space can support)

3.Add the Btu/Hr of all fuel burning appliances in the space.

Vent-free heater		_____________ Btu/Hr
Gas water heater*		_____________ Btu/Hr
Gas furnace		_____________ Btu/Hr
Vented gas heater		_____________ Btu/Hr
Gas fireplace logs		_____________ Btu/Hr
Other gas appliances* +		_____________ Btu/Hr
Total	=	_____________ Btu/Hr

*Do not include direct-vent gas appliances. Direct-vent draws com- bustion air from the outdoors and vents to the outdoors.

Example:
Gas water heater		40,000
		_____________ Btu/Hr
Vent-free heater	+	31,500
		_____________ Btu/Hr
Total	=	71,500
		_____________ Btu/Hr

4.Compare the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support with the actual amount of Btu/Hr used.

__________________ Btu/Hr (maximum the space can support)

__________________ Btu/Hr (actual amount of Btu/Hr used)

Example: 51,200 Btu/Hr (maximum the space can support) 71,500 Btu/Hr (actual amount of Btu/Hr used)

The space in the above example is a confined space because the actual Btu/Hr used is more than the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support. You must provide additional fresh air. Your options are as follows:

A.Rework worksheet, adding the space of an adjoining room. If the extra space provides an unconfined space, remove door to adjoining room or add ventilation grills between rooms. See Ventilation Air From Inside Building, page 6.

B.Vent room directly to the outdoors. See Ventilation Air From Out- doors, page 6.

C.Install a lower Btu/Hr heater, if lower Btu/Hr size makes room unconfined.

If the actual Btu/Hr used is less than the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support, the space is an unconfined space. You will need no additional fresh air ventilation.

WARNING: If the area in which the heater may be operated is smaller than that defined as an uncon- fined space or if the building is of unusually tight construction, provide adequate combustion and ven- tilation air by one of the methods described in the National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 Sec- tion 5.3 or applicable local codes.

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