Author – Oliver Beauchemin
Located in Quincy, Massachusetts, the Fire Code Field Office of the National Fire Protection Association, or “NFPA,” publishes codes and standards related to fire safety. NFPA 211, entitled Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, contains valuable guidelines for the safe installation, use and maintenance of chimneys in homes. If your home has any type of chimney, these standards apply to you.
Maintenance Standards That Ensure Chimney Safety
Chapter 14 of the 2013 edition of NFPA 211 provides maintenance standards for chimneys, fireplaces and vents. The standards shed light on several important points. Here are a few examples:
- Clearances around chimneys, fireplaces and vents must remain unobstructed.
Annual inspections provide early detection of problems that could cause fires, carbon monoxide poisoning or structural deterioration. - If an inspection reveals that the chimney or vent installation is unsuitable for any reason, the installation needs to be redone to fit the standards. This may mean installing a larger chimney or correcting construction to meet clearance requirements.
- Cleaning of chimneys and fuel-burning appliance vents needs to be carried out whenever measurable deposits of creosote or other combustible materials are detected.
- If a chimney fire has occurred, extreme heat may have caused damage that cannot be seen with the naked eye. An inspection of the entire chimney, both interior and exterior, is the only way to ensure safe use in the future.
If you move to a new home, standards dictate that you inspect chimneys, vents and flues before using fuel-burning appliances. Unused chimneys and vents sometimes become home to birds, rodents and other pests. Other hidden problems also may exist.
How to Meet NFPA 211 Standards and Keep Your Home Safe
Certain companies provide workers who specialize in inspecting, cleaning and maintaining chimneys, vents and flues. Chimney repair is a normal part of their work. A qualified chimney sweep can diagnose and fix problems that the average person may not notice. Regularly engaging such services can mean the difference between comfortable living and disaster.
NFPA standards define three levels of inspections. Level 3 is the most detailed and is appropriate whenever hazardous conditions may exist. This level is required if it appears that construction of the chimney area or clearances are inadequate or that safety may have been compromised by some event, such as an earthquake or lightning strike.
Level 2 is appropriate for newly purchased homes or if changes to the system are anticipated, such as switching from an oil-burning furnace to one that uses natural gas. It requires a visual inspection of all internal surfaces, including flue liners and joints. The most common method of meeting this requirement is video scanning with special cameras. In addition to all the actions required in a Level 1 inspection, a Level 2 inspection checks clearances anywhere there is available access for the inspection.
Level 1 specifies the minimum actions required for a routine annual inspection, which includes making sure that the chimney or vent is free of combustible deposits and obstructions, checking for basic soundness regarding the installation of the fuel-burning appliance and its connections, and making visual inspection of all parts of the exhaust gas venting system that can be seen without the use of cameras or other equipment.
Persons who are professionally trained are familiar with making inspections at all three levels. If chimney repair or other work is needed, a qualified chimney sweep will report that need to you and provide you with cost estimates. He or she will partner with you to keep chimneys, flues and vents working properly and the air you breathe free of carbon monoxide, smoke and fumes. To find your partner, look for a chimney sweep
~ Oliver Beauchemin
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CHIMNEYS.COM recommends that you use these comments to better inform yourself to discuss your chimney and venting issues with a professional whom you call to your home to evaluate the issue.
11 thoughts on “NFPA 211 & Your Chimney”
I wanted info on flue lining for pellet stoves. A copy of 211 costs 65 bucks.
Even gangsters have a modicum of civic decency. Where’s the equity?
Dave,
I don’t know why you are searching for info about a liner for a pellet stove on the web page for NFPA 211. Even if you owned a copy of NFPA 211 you won’t find that information there.
You would be better off using the SEARCH button on the top of the page and searching for something like “liner for pellet stove.” You should find lots of information about stoves and liners.
However, you will NOT find information that will guide you to install your own pellet stove and a liner. That would be way beyond the scope of this website. There are really too many facts you would need to know in order to do this installation yourself.
Our suggestion is to find out everything you can from CHIMENYS.COM and use that information to have a factual and knowledgeable discussion with a chimney professional. Chimney sweeps do this work all the time and they know all of the problems that can be encountered with a liner installation; moreover, they know how to handle those problems when encountered
Dave
If you are still looking for a flue lining to comply, check the install instructions for a liner.
Re: Duravent.com The site has downloadable instructions on their website for Pellet Vent Pro also for Stainless Flex Liner systems.
In a nutshell, liners either have to be either (1) insulated the whole length (2) uninsulated with spacers (3) uninsulated without spacers if you can document the chimney to be lined has at least 1″ exterior clearance to combustibles for the entire height.
Most pellet stove manufactures recommend 4″ diameter system for all appliances using a vent run longer than 15″ equivalent vent length. See appliance install instructions.
NFI Master Certified
Ray Murray Inc
https://www.raymurray.com/
gbarstow@raymurray.com
NFPA offers free access,
They are not “gangsters”
All you have to do is register your E-mail
https://link.nfpa.org/free-access/publications/211/2019
If you use Type L pellet vent or Stainless steel liner and follow the manufacturers(stove and pipe) instructions you should be good.
GO all the way up.
How far does my wood mantel need to be from my gas fireplace insert? I would love to lower the mantel so the tv is not so high on the wall. Thanks!
Please refer to the Installation instruction manual included with your insert. Each appliance manufacturer is required to test the temperature of nearby combustibles to determine the clearance for the specific appliance
Ray Murray Inc
https://www.raymurray.com/
gbarstow@raymurray.com
I have a brick and mortar chimney. There are 2 fireplaces with 2 separate tile flues that touch each other near the top.
I want to bust up the old flue tiles and install 11″-12″ insulated stainless steel flue liners.
My question is : How much do the insulated liners need to be separated by if at all?
Thanks.
NFPA 211 requires a 4″ thick solid masonry partition between liners unless the multiple liners vent the same fireplace. It allows you to not have the partition if the liners are listed for use without a partition. So in your case it’s up to the liner manufacturer.
Either way I’d make sure that there was some space between them to prevent possible abrasion from movement due to thermal expansion. You’re probably going to have some space between them anyway because of the construction of the custom top plate that you will need to use. It’s very difficult and a bad idea to make a top plate with the collars butted tight.
Mark Jones
Chestnut Hill Chimney & Hearth
Farmington, New Hampshire
(603) 755-4835
http://www.chestnuthillchimney.com
Owner, Head Instructor
Chestnut Hill Chimney & Hearth Training Center
NFI Certified Master Hearth Professional
National Association of Fire Investigators
I do not worry about separation for the liners as long as they are sealed at the smoke chamber and at the top. So, they are indeed separate and insulated top to bottom.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can do a poured insulation around them afterward. But, that is extreme overkill. Use half-inch insulation to make the chimney zero to combustibles.
Steven T. Scally
Fireside Sweeps, LLC
Fremont NH 03044
603-895-8746
https://firesidesweeps.com/
If wanting to do shiplap around wood burning fireplace what distance would it have to be from the fireplace to be upto code?
I need to reline an oil burner chimney. Currently lined with tiles that are cracked.
The house is in Derry, NH and the chimney Tech is saying it must be lined with stainless steel.
It’s expensive and the house may be demolished in two or three years. My question is, can galvanized steel be used and not be against code?