Combustion venting

Intent

To limit the leakage of combustion gases into the occupied space of the home.

Requirements

Do not install any unvented combustion appliances (ovens and ranges excluded).
Install a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor on each floor, hard-wired with a battery backup. In multifamily buildings, install a CO monitor on each floor of each unit.
For all fireplaces and woodstoves inside the building, provide doors that close or a solid glass enclosure. Interior fireplaces and woodstoves that are not closed-combustion or power-vented must pass BPI or RESNET combustion safety testing protocols to ensure that depressurization of the combustion appliance zone is less than 5 Pa.
Space- and water-heating equipment that involves combustion must meet one of the following:

• it must be designed and installed with closed combustion (i.e., sealed supply air and exhaust ducting);
• it must be designed and installed with power-vented exhaust; or
• it must be located in a detached utility building or open-air facility.

Projects that earn the EPA Indoor airPLUS label automatically meet the requirements of this prerequisite.