Air tightness test and stoves

BMD

Hi,

Does anyone know the correct procedure for carrying out an air-tightness test in a house that has stoves installed? It is clear that chimney's should be blocked in the case of open fires however what is recommended for stoves?

In the case of stoves with external air supplies, should the air inlet pipe into the stove be sealed or left open?

In the case where chimney's are blocked, I assume this should be done from below as opposed to at the top of the chimney?

Finally, should kitchen extract vents be sealed or left open?

MicktheMan

BMD wrote: »

Hi,

Does anyone know the correct procedure for carrying out an air-tightness test in a house that has stoves installed? It is clear that chimney's should be blocked in the case of open fires however what is recommended for stoves?

1.In the case of stoves with external air supplies, should the air inlet pipe into the stove be sealed or left open?

2.In the case where chimney's are blocked, I assume this should be done from below as opposed to at the top of the chimney?

3.Finally, should kitchen extract vents be sealed or left open?

I have numbered your questions to help answer.
1. Temporarily sealed
2. Either. If from the top, include flue area outside envelope in calcs
3. Temporarily sealed

Your tester should know this!:eek:

BMD

Mickey,

Thanks for this. So in the case of a stove, the external air inlet should be sealed (temporarily) but I assume the chimney's are not blocked as the stoves should effectively block the chimney, is this correct?

I accept that the external air inlets should be sealed but what is the rationale here? If they are correctly connected to your stove, surely they shouldn't impact on the overall air-tightness of the house?

sas

BMD wrote: »

Mickey,

Thanks for this. So in the case of a stove, the external air inlet should be sealed (temporarily) but I assume the chimney's are not blocked as the stoves should effectively block the chimney, is this correct?

I accept that the external air inlets should be sealed but what is the rationale here? If they are correctly connected to your stove, surely they shouldn't impact on the overall air-tightness of the house?

This is a little confusing.

As I understand it:

(a) Stove already installed
Any dampers on the inlet air feed and chimney may be closed. The stove itself will provide the majority of the seal.
(b) Stove not yet installed
Inlet and chimney can be sealed

BMD

Yes, I agree, any of source information I have read (e.g., homebond building manual) only deal with open fireplaces but don't mention stoves.

My stove is already installed so can I assume the dampers and doors should be closed and that is all?

MicktheMan

The standard calls for heating appliances to be off and temporarily sealed for the test and all items temperarily sealed to be noted in the report. A stove is a heating appliance and should be sealed.

Also, from a practical point of view, because the building under test is subject to both a pressurizing and depressurizing scenario, the last thing you want is chimney soot being drawn into the house:eek:

sas

MicktheMan wrote: »

Also, from a practical point of view, because the building under test is subject to both a pressurizing and depressurizing scenario, the last thing you want is chimney soot being drawn into the house:eek:

Yeah, that'd just be fantastic.

Interesting how this plays out, clearly I misunderstood.

Thanks

THE DON FANUCCI

Can people still install open fireplaces? And just seal them off for the airtightness testing?? Is this possible? I'd like to have an open fire but everyone here says that day is gone.

893bet

THE DON FANUCCI wrote: »

Can people still install open fireplaces? And just seal them off for the airtightness testing?? Is this possible? I'd like to have an open fire but everyone here says that day is gone.

You seem to be trying to get someone to tell you what you want to hear. Everyone has told you they are a thing of the past already.

You can install anything you want. Have an open fire in every room. But you won't be able to meet the building regs if you do.