Q. In the 10/26-11/1/00 edition of the Rockville Centre Herald, your column
dealt with some questions regarding a "working fireplace." At one point you
stated that ... "even with glass doors, which are now required by code, some soot and dust
will escape into the room." I am not concerned about the soot and dust, for
I never use my fireplace. However, I am concerned about your comment
regarding the code. Are you suggesting that all homeowners that have a
fireplace without glass doors are now in violation? What code? A county
code, a state code? Does this mean that fireplace screens of any type or
design are now obsolete? Where can I access this code?
A. No sense in getting hot and bothered over the legality of your fireplace,
or feeling you may get burned by the building codes. You should not panic
that your fireplace does not meet the code, if it has a permit or was part of
permitted work from before March 1, 1991. If it was permitted prior to the
enactment of regulations under the New York State Energy Conservation Code,
then you may opt to improve the fireplace so that you do not continue to lose
as much heat from your home in the winter months.
Fireplaces that are not part of construction permit records must comply with this code requirement, and yours would not be an exception. Your local jurisdiction, usually an
incorporated village or town, will be the place to inquire about your files. Since the county does not grant building permits, it will not have such records. The County Tax Assessor's office may have a record of the existence of an old fireplace, but if no permit was ever granted to include one, then you would still have to comply with the 1991 code.
Fireplace equipment, such as screens and grates, may be used. They are not obsolete, but they must be removable and they really do not have much effect on energy conservation. They may make wood-burning more efficient and stop sparks from flying, and are useful, not outdated. The code, which you can find at any building department and probably at some library branches, states under Part 718.13.5, that "tight-fitting" non-combustible fireplace doors must be used to maintain combustion within the fireplace. The regulations cover fireplaces and stoves, factory-built units and inserts, combustion and supply, solid-fuel-burning stoves, flues and chimneys.
The purpose is so that an outside air source, not room air, is used for fueling the fire, and thus helps to keep the room toasty warm. If you use your fireplace without the doors, all that warm air goes right up the chimney and your heating unit works overtime to keep the house warm. Ironically, that warm fireplace would otherwise be cooling your house.
So don't get overheated about this, but do look into getting glass doors to keep the heat in, even if you seldom use your fireplace.
Thank you for the question.
