7
AIR FOR COMBUSTION
AND VENTILATION
Continued
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 heater plus any adjoining rooms with door-
less passageways or ventilation grills between
the rooms.
1. Determine the volume of the space (length x
width x height).
Length x Width x Height =__________cu. ft.
(volume of space)
Example:
Space size 22 ft. (length) x 18 ft.
(width) x 8 ft. (ceiling height) = 3168 cu. ft.
(volume of space)
If additional ventilation to adjoining room is
supplied with grills or openings, add the volume
of these rooms to the total volume of the space.
2. Multiply the space volume by 20 to determine
the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support.
__________ (volume of space) x 20 = (Maxi-
mum Btu/Hr the space can support)
Example:
3168 cu. ft. (volume of space) x 20 =
63,360 (maximum Btu/Hr the space can support)
3. Add the Btu/Hr of all fuel burning appliances in
the space.
Vent-free fireplace
___________ Btu/Hr
Gas water heater*
___________ Btu/Hr
Gas furnace
___________ Btu/Hr
Vented gas heater
___________ Btu/Hr
Gas fireplace logs
___________ Btu/Hr
Other gas appliances* + __________ Btu/Hr
Total
= __________ Btu/Hr
* Do not include direct-vent gas appliances. Di-
rect-vent draws combustion air from the outdoors
and vents to the outdoors.
Example:
Gas water heater
__________ Btu/Hr
Vent-free fireplace
+ ________ Btu/Hr
Total
= ________ Btu/Hr
4. Compare the maximum Btu/Hr the space can
support with the actual amount of Btu/Hr used.
_________Btu/Hr (maximum the space can support)
_________Btu/Hr (actual amount of Btu/Hr used)
Example:
63,360 Btu/Hr (maximum the space
can support)
79,000 Btu/Hr (actual amount of
Btu/Hr used)
The space in the above example is a confined space
because the actual Btu/Hr used is more than the maxi-
mum Btu/Hr the space can support. You must provide
additional fresh air. Your options are as follows:
A. Rework worksheet, adding the space of an adjoin-
ing room. If the extra space provides an unconfined
space, remove door to adjoining room or add
ventilation grills between rooms. See
Ventilation
C. Install a lower Btu/Hr fireplace, if lower Btu/Hr
size makes room unconfined.
If the actual Btu/Hr used is less than the maxi-
mum Btu/Hr the space can support,
the space is
an unconfined space. You will need no additional
fresh air ventilation.
WARNING: If the area in which
the heater may be operated is
smaller than that defined as
an unconfined space or if the
building is of unusually tight
construction, provide adequate
combustion and ventilation air
by one of the methods described
in the
National Fuel Gas Code,
ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 Section 5.3
or applicable local codes.
40,000
39,000
79,000
Air From Inside Building,
pag
e 8
.
B. Vent room directly to
tion Air From Outdoors,
page .
the outdoors. See
Ventila-
8
