Air for combustion and ventilation – Desa FPVF33NRA User Manual
Page 6

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113109-01D
6
Unusually tight construction is defined as 
construction where:
a. walls and ceilings exposed to the out-
side atmosphere have a continuous 
water vapor retarder with a rating of 
one perm (6 x 10
-11
kg per pa-sec-m
2
) or
less with openings gasketed or sealed 
and
b. weather stripping has been added on
openable windows and doors and
c. caulking or sealants are applied to
areas such as joints around window 
and door frames, between sole plates 
and floors, between wall-ceiling joints, 
between wall panels, at penetrations 
for plumbing, electrical and gas lines 
and at other openings.
If your home meets all of these three criteria, 
you must provide additional fresh air. See 
Ventilation Air From Outdoors, page 7. 
If your home does not meet all of the three 
criteria above, proceed to Determining 
Fresh-Air Flow For Heater Location. 
Confined and Unconfined Space
The National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1/
NFPA 54 defines a confined space as a space 
whose volume is less than 50 cubic feet per 
1,000 Btu per hour (4.8 m
3
per kw) of the ag-
gregate input rating of all appliances installed 
in that space and an unconfined space as a 
space whose volume is not less than 50 cubic 
feet per 1,000 Btu per hour (4.8 m
3
per kw)
of the aggregate input rating of all appliances 
installed in that space. Rooms communicating 
directly with the space in which the appliances 
are installed*, through openings not furnished 
with doors, are considered a part of the un-
confined space.
* Adjoining rooms are communicating only if 
there are doorless passageways or ventilation 
grills between them.
DETERMINING FRESH-AIR FLOW 
FOR HEATER LOCATION
Determining if You Have a Confined or 
Unconfined Space
Use this work sheet to determine if you have 
a confined or unconfined space.
Space: Includes the room in which you will install 
fireplace plus any adjoining rooms with door-
less passageways or ventilation grills between 
the rooms.
AIR FOR COMbUSTION
AND VENTILATION
WARNING: This heater shall
not be installed in a confined
space or unusually tight construc-
tion unless provisions are provid-
ed for adequate combustion and
ventilation air. Read the following
instructions to insure proper fresh
air for this and other fuel-burning
appliances in your home.
Today’s homes are built more energy efficient 
than ever. New materials, increased insulation 
and new construction methods help reduce 
heat loss in homes. Home owners weather 
strip and caulk around windows and doors to 
keep the cold air out and the warm air in. Dur-
ing heating months, home owners want their 
homes as airtight as possible.
While it is good to make your home energy 
efficient, your home needs to breathe. Fresh 
air must enter your home. All fuel-burning ap-
pliances need fresh air for proper combustion 
and ventilation.
Exhaust fans, fireplaces, clothes dryers and 
fuel burning appliances draw air from the 
house to operate. You must provide adequate 
fresh air for these appliances. This will insure 
proper venting of vented fuel-burning appli-
ances.
pROvIDING ADEQUATE 
vENTILATION 
The following are excerpts from National Fuel 
Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54, Section 
5.3, Air for Combustion and Ventilation.
All spaces in homes fall into one of the three 
following ventilation classifications:
1. Unusually Tight Construction
2. Unconfined Space
3. Confined Space
The information on pages 6 through 8 will help 
you classify your space and provide adequate 
ventilation. 
Unusually Tight Construction
The air that leaks around doors and windows 
may provide enough fresh air for combus-
tion and ventilation. However, in buildings of 
unusually tight construction, you must provide 
additional fresh air.
