Blogs

ASHRAE Committee Proposes Ban on Unvented Gas-Fired Space Heaters

By Renée Lani posted 10-07-2021 11:22 AM

  
On October 1, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) committee responsible for developing indoor air quality criteria for residential buildings published a proposed change that would ban unvented combustion space heaters, including those fueled by natural gas, from use for anyone needing to comply with the standard.

ASHRAE Standard 62.2: Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings is a recognized standard for ventilation system design and acceptable indoor air quality, which specifies minimum ventilation rates and other measures intended to minimize adverse health effects for building occupants.  The proposed Addendum j defines a combustion space heater as “an appliance that is permanently installed within a space and intended to provide heating or decorative effects to that space through the direct combustion of a fuel” and adds a provision that prohibits their use in residential homes that must comply with the standard.  The proposal has been put out for public comment, despite objections being raised to the committee that published data does not support such a ban.

Comments are due to the 62.2 committee by October 31.  APGA staff, with the support of its Codes & Standards Committee, is collaborating with other stakeholders to engage in this standards development process.  A copy of the proposed addendum is available here.

For questions on this article, please contact Renée Lani of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0836 or by email at rlani@apga.org.

Permalink