Factory fireplaces, add-ons OK in state law, with caveats

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Manufactured fireplaces are allowed under the 2012 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code - if they’ve been tested and earned Underwriters Laboratories approval and if they are installed in accordance with manufacturer’s written instructions.

Andy Branton, architect for the state fire marshal’s office, notes that the code took effect Jan. 1.

“There is no specific prohibition in Arkansas for manufactured items of this type,” Branton says. “When installing any fuel fired appliance, especially an unvented one, a carbon monoxide detector should be installed as well.”

Section R1004 of the code specifically mentions factory-built fireplaces, hearth extensions, decorative shrouds and unvented gas log fireplaces. It states, in part, that “an unvented gas log heater shall not be installed in a factory-built fireplace unless the fireplace system has been specifically tested, listed and labeled for such use” in accordance with Underwriters Laboratories standards.

Another section of the new code, R315, stipulates that newly built dwellings with fuel-fired appliances or attached garages must have an approved carbon monoxide alarm installed outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.

The requirement is also triggered when any construction work requiring a permit is done in existing dwellings with attached garages or fuel-fired appliances.

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