Fireplace Emissions

Buckley Rumford Fireplaces
Fireplace Emissions
2/14/07

Funding for Masonry Fireplaces
Clay Flue Lining Institute (CFLI) -------------------------------------------------- $2,500
Western States Clay Products Association (WSCPA) ------------------------ $10,000
Residential Mason Contractors Association (RMCA) --- In kind (built fireplaces)
Council for Masonry Research (CMR)
(with support from the BIA and NCMA) ---------------------------------------- $7,500

Prescriptive Generic Industry Approach
In thinking about how to approach the testing of masonry fireplaces, who will benefit and who should pay for the testing, a plan emerged.
So far in Colorado, Washington and California we have fallen into the proprietary model of private development and private testing. This time around we would like to be more consistent with the generic way masonry fireplaces have always been regulated - by prescriptive code and consensus standards that anyone can follow. ASTM is one of the major consensus standards so this new ASTM fireplace emissions standard would fall right into place and maybe we can do a better job that will benefit the entire industry.
The 36" masonry fireplace tested at Myren Labs, using the manufactured fireplace fueling protocol, was built by Jerry Frisch. It's just like the masonry fireplaces taught for many years by the union apprenticeship programs and commonly built since the 1950's. We also built an identical 36" masonry fireplace and tested it at OMNI using the Colorado Fueling Protocol. That way we will have the results on the same masonry fireplace from two different labs and tested to two different fueling protocols.
Then it will be time to see how we can modify the fireplace to make it burn clean and build other sizes and styles of fireplaces that hopefully will burn clean.
The Residential Mason Contractors Association helped by building the standard fireplace and a Rumford fireplace both being tested now at OMNI. Soon we hope to confirm funding from various masonry industry associations. We invite your ideas and participation.