Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) Certificates for Wood Stoves

Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) Certificates for Wood Stoves

In the past month, I have seen some unbelievable deficiencies in wood stoves. Let me tell you about a few ....Showing a two-storey home, we found a brand new wood stove, and new broadloom in the basement. The wood stove was elevated on a three brick hearth, the broadloom butted up to the brick, and the face of the wood stove was right at the edge of the brick. The wall behind the wood stove was brick, but the wall adjacent to it was drywall with only 2' clearance. The pipe leading from the wood stove to the wall did not appear to be double walled pipe within the wall.The fix WETT certification requires 18" clearance from the opening of the wood stove for non-combustible materials, meaning 18" of broadloom needs to be removed and replaced with non combustible material such as ceramics or tile. To be WETT certified, requires a minimum of 4" to any combustible material. The pipe leading from the wood stove to the wall, can be single walled, but it must be a double walled pipe once it enters a wall ie: wood or drywallFrom a safety perspective, the owners should make these changes before using their wood stove for the first time. The agent was notified of the deficiency.In another home, the wood stove was laid on a single layer of brick but there was no mortar between the bricks. This means hot embers could get between the bricks to the plywood subfloor. There was also a single walled pipe from the stove to the wood partition wall - perfectly allowable - but there is the risk of burns should someone accidently touch the pipe.The fix To correct this, the wood stove was taken out, the bricks removed, a non combustible sheet of steel put down, and the bricks were placed back on top of the sheet of steel prior to reinstalling the wood stove. For safety reasons, I suggest a double walled pipe be used from the wood stove to the wall to prevent injuriesIn yet another home, I found the pipe from the wood stove to the concrete wall had a hole in it and was being used. The owner wasn't home, so I immediately notified the listing real estate agent.Lastly, I came across a gas/wood stove in a garage which was resting on a concrete floor and had a minimum of 4" clearance from any combustible. Would this pass a WETT certification - no! A wood stove in a garage requires a minimum height of 18" off the garage floor. Why? Because of carbon monoxide gases, which hug the floor, just like dry ice hugs the floor of a stage. In addition, the wood stove needs be protected. That doesn't mean a wooden barrier. It means proper steel pipes, cemented into the concrete floor, so that any car driving or backing in, will not hit the wood stove. This is the same rational as the steel posts used to protect hydrants, electrical boxes, and the large propane holding tanks that dispense gas for your barbeque.ELECTRICALDo you know what determines the size of your amperage electrical box? The size of wire coming into your home is for different size boxes. A 60-amp box has a 3/4" wire coming into the home, which probably is knob & tube. If, you know you have knob & tube wiring connected to your panel, I urge you to have it removed. Although the ESA approves of knob & tube wiring where properly installed, the insurance companies want nothing to do with it. They say if you see knob and tube wiring, remove it, even if it is not in use, because when you are selling your home or buying a home....................no insurance.....no mortgage.....no deal!Your 100-amp circuit breaker panel has a 1 1/4" line coming into your home. A 200-amp circuit breaker panel has a 2" line coming into your home.When owners are finishing their home, they often box in the electrical panel, leaving no room to inspect it. Code requires that you must be able to take the screws out to remove the panel from the box. If not, in the case of an electrical fire, someone would literally have to smash the wall to get at the box.Make it look aesthetically pleasing and smart, like many do, by having two small doors covering the panel.

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