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Chimney Safety When Changing Fuels or Heating Appliances on a Masonry Flue
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about care of heating appliance chimneys when converting from oil to gas, gas to oil, coal or wood stove to oil or gas fuel
Chimney safety requirements when changing fuels: oil to gas conversions.
Changing the fuel burned for heating appliances, for example from oil to gas, can present serious chimney safety hazards that need to be addressed by cleaning, inspection, and possibly repair or re-lining of the chimney flue.
Our page top photo shows that the outdoor oil tank has been disconnected (red arrow) and a portable LP gas tank and regulator (green arrows) have been installed to provide heat to this Pennsylvania cabin. At an amateur-looking installation like this one, we guess that no one has considered whether the chimney is safe to use in these conditions.
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Changing Fuels or Heating Appliances on a Masonry Flue
Changing fuel, for example from oil to gas, during an oil-to-gas heat conversion (or from wood or coal to oil or gas fuel) can present serious chimney safety hazards that need to be addressed by cleaning, inspection, and possibly repair or re-lining of the chimney flue.
Masonry chimneys without flue tiles must be lined before a new appliance can be installed.
[Click to enlarge any image]
- Metal liners: Typically, a flexible stainless steel metal liner is inserted into the flue space and
secured with various design techniques ranging from a cap plate at the top to
pressure grouting between the masonry surround and the new liner.
Good practice includes pouring an insulating material around the metal liner, between the liner and the interior of the chimney wall, and also a good chimney rain cap and top crown seal. - Poured
cement or a two step cement fill and ceramic glaze can be used. Processes such as SupaFlu™ or PermaFlu™ use a refractory cement that is poured into the chimney around an inflated central core.
While these cements may be lightweight, nevertheless the chimney must be basically structurally sound for these processes to succeed. - Expert chimney - pouring a chimney liner in stages to avoid a collapse: installers can sometimes salvage an old un-lined or damaged chimney by making the chimney liner pour in stages to reduce the chances of a chimney collapse.
More Information & Warnings About Oil to Gas Heat Conversions
See OIL TANK ABANDONMENT or LEAK REGS - 1993 where we report on the concern for oil spills at discontinued heating oil storage tanks. Quoting New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards,
It has recently come to the Department's attention that them have been several accidental discharges of fuel oil resulting from oil tanks that have been placed out of service. These incidents commonly occur when home-owners convert from oil to natural gas for their heating needs.
The problems have centered around tanks that have not been removed and have been "forgotten about" and subsequently leaked due to corrosion.
In other cases the tank has been removed but the fill pipe has been left in place. Fuel oil deliveries made to an incorrect address in these cases have resulted in fuel oil being pumped into the basement of the home.
International Fuel Gas Code (2015) Chapter 5 Chimneys and Vents
501.15.2 Flue passageways.
The flue gas passageway shall be free of obstructions and combustible deposits and shall be cleaned if previously used for venting a solid or liquid fuel-burning appliance or fireplace. The flue liner, chimney inner wall or vent inner wall shall be continuous and shall be free of cracks, gaps, perforations or other damage or deterioration that would allow the escape of combustion products, including gases, moisture and creosote.
- 2015 CHAPTER 5, CHIMNEYS AND VENTS, SECTION 501 (IFGC), [PDF] (2015) Seattle building code, Retrieved 2017/07/22, original source: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2622099.pdf
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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above
Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.
Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs
Question:
(June 2, 2014) Mike P. said:
When did NYS start requiring metal chimney liners to be installed even if you have a clay lining in a oil to gas conversion?
Reply:
Mike
The issue is not the clay lining it's the change of fuel and fire hazards. You may be able to have the chimney cleaned, inspected, and certified as properly sized and safe to use - have you tried contacting a guild certified chimney sweep? What did your building department actually say?
...
Continue reading at CHIMNEY CLEANING PROCEDURE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see these
Recommended Articles
- CHIMNEY FLUE INSPECTION CAMERA - detailed inspection for hard-to-spot damage or hazards
- CHIMNEY RE-LINING CHOICES
- OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE where we give advice on steps to take when converting from oil to gas fuel for home heating
- WOOD-OIL COMBINATION HEATERS where there is an innate conflict of sharing two fuels in a single flue and chimney
Suggested citation for this web page
FUEL CHANGES for HEATING APPLIANCES at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
Or see this
INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to CHIMNEYS & FLUES
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
- John Cranor [Website: /www.house-whisperer.com ] is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-873-8534 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
- Thanks to Luke Barnes for suggesting that we add text regarding the hazards of shared chimney flues. USMA - Sept. 2008.
- NFPA #211-3.1 1988 - Specific to chimneys, fireplaces, vents and solid fuel burning appliances.
- NFPA # 54-7.1 1992 - Specific to venting of equipment with fan-assisted combustion systems.
- GAMA - Gas Appliance Manufacturers' Association has prepared venting tables for Category I draft hood equipped central furnaces as well as fan-assisted combustion system central furnaces.
- National Fuel Gas Code, an American National Standard, 4th ed. 1988 (newer edition is available) Secretariats, American Gas Association (AGA), 1515 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA22209, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Batterymarch Park, Quincy MA 02269. ANSI Z223.1-1988 - NFPA 54-1988. WARNING: be sure to check clearances and other safety guidelines in the latest edition of these standards.
- Fire Inspector Guidebook, A Correlation of Fire Safety Requirements Contained in the 1987 BOCA National Codes, (newer edition available), Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), Country Club HIlls, IL 60478 312-799-2300 4th ed. Note: this document is reissued every four years. Be sure to obtain the latest edition.
- Uniform Mechanical Code - UMC 1991, Sec 913 (a.) Masonry Chimneys, refers to Chapters 23, 29, and 37 of the Building Code.
- New York 1984 Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, Article 10, Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Requirements
- New York 1979 Uniform Fire Prevention & Building Code, The "requirement" for 8" of solid masonry OR for use of a flue liner was listed in the One and Two Family Dwelling Code for New York, in 1979, in Chapter 9, Chimneys and Fireplaces, New York 1979 Building and Fire Prevention Code:
- "Top Ten Chimney (and related) Problems Encountered by One Chimney Sweep," Hudson Valley ASHI education seminar, 3 January 2000, contributed by Bob Hansen, ASHI
- Chimney Inspection Checklist, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
- "Rooftop View Turns to Darkness," Martine Costello, Josh Kovner, New Haven Register, 12 May 1992 p. 11: Catherine Murphy was sunning on a building roof when a chimney collapsed; she fell into and was trapped inside the chimney until rescued by emergency workers.
- "Chimneys and Vents," Mark J. Reinmiller, P.E., ASHI Technical Journal, Vol. 1 No. 2 July 1991 p. 34-38.
- "Chimney Inspection Procedures & Codes," Donald V. Cohen was to be published in the first volume of the 1994 ASHI Technical Journal by D. Friedman, then editor/publisher of that publication. The production of the ASHI Technical Journal and future editions was cancelled by ASHI President Patrick Porzio. Some of the content of Mr. Cohen's original submission has been included in this more complete chimney inspection article: CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR . Copies of earlier editions of the ASHI Technical Journal are available from ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
- Natural Gas Weekly Update: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government
- US Energy Administration: Electrical Energy Costs http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelelectric.html
- Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
- Chimney Inspection Checklist, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
- NFPA 211 - 3-1.10 - Relining guide for chimneys
- NFPA 211 - 3-2 - Construction of Masonry Chimneys
- NFPA 211 - 3-3 - Termination Height for chimneys
- NFPA 211 - 3-4 - Clearance from Combustible Material
- NFPA 54 - 7-1 - Venting of Equipment into chimneys
- Brick Institute of America - Flashing Chimneys
Brick Institute of America - Proper Chimney Crowns
Brick Institute of America - Moisture Resistance of Brick - American Gas Association - New Vent Sizing Tables
- Chimney Safety Institute of America - Chimney Fires: Causes, Effects, Evaluation
- National Chimney Sweep Guild - Yellow Pages of Suppliers
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
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