BCAB #1108 - Factory-Built Chimney, Article 9.21.1.4.

Last updated on March 24, 2016

December 19, 1989

BCAB #1108

Re: Factory-Built Chimney, Article 9.21.1.4.

With reference to your letter of November 3, 1989, regarding the application of Article 9.21.1.4.

We must assume that the provision of an accessible tee section is intended for the same purpose as the cleanout to a masonry chimney, required under Article 9.21.4.6., both facilitate cleaning from a location in which the products of combustion accumulate. On this basis we would consider the usual tee detail using a factory-built chimney to be more hazardous; masonry chimneys have a horizontal access, factory-built have a vertical access, with combustion products accumulating directly on top of the access plug.

Under the circumstances we accept the concerns of the building inspector, and agree that for the type of installation shown, ""accessible"" must be taken literally, and means accessible from a location where it would not only readily permit cleaning, but would also facilitate inspection to check for leakage of products such as creosote. While access through a restricted panel, or from a crawl space would theoretically permit cleaning, we do not consider it to meet the intent of the Code, and do not consider your installation to be acceptable.

J.C. Currie, Chair