Pennsylvania OD wood stoves now regulated!!

[topgut]

I've been reading that PA is now regulated as far as outdoor wood furnaces are concerned. After May 31, if you live in PA you will not be able to buy or install a new ODW furnace that does not meet the white lable EPA standard.

From what I read so far, installed users will be exempt from the new 'rule'. Unless local ordinances override the 'rule'.

Agricultural operations are exempt. For now.

You can find out more on the PA DEP website.........its only 129 pages of reading.

Good luck heating your place in the future.

Oh, coal burning stoves are not covered under the 'rule'........Ugh

 

[bassflyrodder]

Great more state BS. Will go good with the new fire sprinklers in new construction code.

 

[papossefan]

Great more state BS. Will go good with the new fire sprinklers in new construction code.

I just heard today that they actualy passed a bill to reverse the whole sprinkler in new construction code. So we can only hope that the same is done in the future for the OWB.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I just heard today that they actualy passed a bill to reverse the whole sprinkler in new construction code.

It passed the PA house; still needs Senate & Governor.

BTW -- that residential sprinkler requirement, which applies to new construction, is in the current edition of the "International Building Code" which is used by all 50 states.

California and Pennsylvania just happened to be the first whose code review cycles had the latest edition go into effect. The other 48 states will switch over to it during the next couple years.

 

[showrguy]

nope..
there's a whole bunch of state reps. against the owb thing...
local ordinances are however different though.....which, in some cases, may be the right thing to do !!!
the sprinkler thing is gonna go by the way side.... passed the houise with flying colors, senate should be next..........it's another one of those "redistributing the wealth" type things that gov. corbet will/should have no problem with tossing...
oh, wife works for a state rep. so i get to have some pretty interesting conversations with some of those guys !!!
p.s. she/we are on the rep. side of course

 

[D&B Mack]

There are a lot of local municipalities that are going to regulate a full blown chimney requirements for OWB's. So much for being cost-effective. The real problem around here is people with stacks that are only 10' high and are burning garbage in them. Smokes the whole area out. Another example of a few bad apples ruining it for everyone else.

 

[showrguy]

sorry, i meant to say there's a whole lot of state reps. against the ban on them statewide....
they want the local municipalities the police themselves, which i do agree on..
my owb offends noone..

 

[topgut]

The final cut?

As I understand it, the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board was the agency that put this rule through to passage. There is a 129 page document available for reading. I did not figure out how to link it here.
I read most of it and it is a big compromise from what they proposed originally. The original proposal was not possible since it did not take into account reality. So, if you are in PA you will have to buy a wood gasification type outdoor furnace or put your furnace in a building.

Or, buy a coal burner for outside or put your outdoor furnace in a building.

From what I read, anything in a building does not apply to the rule.

What caused this? Air quality in the southern countys in PA did not meet the EPA particulate requirements. So, the whole state now is regulated. Ugh.

So, even though its safer and cleaner to have you combustion source outside your house its not OK with the regulators. Oh, and don't forget that a gasification unit is twice the cost of a conventional ODWB. So much for using local resources and cutting off fuel use from offshore sources. All I can say is VOTE baby VOTE! And keep voting.!

And keep #####ing at your reps to keep your needs at the forefront and stop listening to the people that they dont represent. OR they get voted out etc..........J