After months of searching for that perfect home, many potential buyers in the Chicago area are surprised to learn their utility room, which usually holds the furnace, water heater or washer and dryer, may not have proper ventilation and could create safety hazards.
Steve Hier, president of Miller-Hier Enterprises Inc., a home inspection company, recently inspected the home of Christopher Swanson, who purchased a rehabbed condo unit on Chicago’s North Side.
Swanson’s unit had a furnace vented up a chimney in a closet off of a bathroom, which is considered a safety hazard.
“I’ve never bought a condo before and was surprised to find a problem like this,” said Swanson.
After discussing possible solutions with Hier, Swanson plans to remedy the problem by having a 90 percent efficient heating furnace installed. With that installation, Swanson’s venting problems would be solved.
Improper space for gas appliances or improper ventilation is a common problem in newer developments as well as in rehabbed condos and townhouses in the Chicago area.
The two primary service providers of natural gas in northern Illinois are Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of Peoples Energy Corp., which provides natural gas service for Chicago, and Nicor Gas, which provides natural gas service to the regional northern Illinois suburbs.
Both natural-gas service providers have a basic safety policy on the connection of gas service to customers in apartments, homes, town homes and condos.
In addition, both companies will come out and do a routine safety inspection before any gas service is provided to a local business or homeowners.
“Any additional safety inspections unrelated to the connection of gas service may include an additional charge unless it’s an emergency gas leak.” said Nicor spokesman Carl Alston.
Peoples Gas has published a design and installation guide–available to builders, developers and architects and heating professionals–that spells out the specifics on safety and city code on the proper installation and ventilation of gas appliances.
“We have always cross-trained our service personnel to look for possible problems, but in the last year or two, we have heightened the awareness due to an increase in loft and condo conversions,” said Peoples Energy spokesman Brian Pinkerton.
Gas appliances are not allowed in bedrooms, bathrooms or rooms normally kept closed unless the appliances have a sealed combustion chamber design. This sealed combustion chamber design–normally found in newer energy-efficient appliances–brings outside air directly to the burner of the appliance and allows all flue gases to be directly vented to the outdoors.
“One of the most common situations I’ve seen as a home inspector is that a small utility closet is used to conserve space for furnaces, hot-water heaters, etc.,” said Hier.
Neither a gas nor electric dryer is allowed in a closet with any fuel-burning appliance. Venting requirements for dryers are as follows: All gas dryers must be exhausted to the outdoors. All dryers in rooms with fuel-burning appliances must be exhausted to the outdoors.
“New furnaces should allow 6 to 12 inches away from the wall and are recommended to be 90 percent efficient. I have run into situations where I’ve had to pull the entire furnace apart in order to change a motor, due to improper installation and lack of work space around the unit,” said Danny Sibley, a heating contractor based on Chicago’s South Side.
Sibley recommends 90 percent efficient heating furnaces because they actually burn 90 percent of the gas, which offers a tremendous saving on consumers’ annual heating bills.
If gas appliances take up more than 50 percent of the total space in a room, then that area is considered a closet and no gas appliances are permitted there, according to Hier. If the appliances take up less than 50 percent of the total space and it’s properly vented, then the area is considered a utility room and a gas appliance can be placed there.
Pinkerton says that if an installation problem “is noticed by Peoples Gas, the heating unit is disconnected and the gas is shut off. Something that often contributes to this problem is that newer homes today are insulated, airtight unlike older homes. We will disconnect the gas service until the initial problem is remedied. But there are appropriate ways to create ventilation.”
Safety problems also arise in a home when carbon monoxide fumes are not being released through the chimney. The City of Chicago enacted an ordinance on October 1, 1994, requiring all homes to have carbon monoxide detectors. Exempt from this city ordinance are homes that rely on either electric or solar energy.
The City of Chicago will not recommend an individual heating professional or company but does keep references of individuals or companies who have had complaints. If a consumer has a name of an individual heating professional or a company, and would like to check and see if this individual or company does reputable work, the City of Chicago Consumer Services Department will give that information over the phone at 312-744-9400.
Consumers may also contact the City of Chicago Department of Buildings, Ventilation at 312-744-3504 for more information.
The Better Business Bureau has a consumer information line available at 312-832-0500. Callers are charged $3.80 to their Visa or Master Card.
Consumers may also call 900-225-5222 at $3.80 for the first four minutes and 95 cents each additional minute.
The American Society of Home Inspectors can provide a list of inspectors registered with ASHI in your area.
For more information, call 800-743-2744 or visit ASHI’s Web site at www.ashi.com.
