# is a pellet stove safe for the garage?



## UpTheHill (Aug 12, 2008)

did a search but couldn't find anything like this, sorry if this is the 100th question on this subject.

I have a 2 1/2 car garage with a 1 bedroom guest house above it.
the guest house has electric heat and a wood stove,  the garage has nothing but plumbing.
it is insulated and I was thinking of putting in a pellet stove set on low to keep everything from freezing and to add to the heat upstairs.

in the winter the garage houses my pickup and a Kubota tractor.
any danger with the pellet stove about 10 feet from the truck and tractor?

TIA,  Dave


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## stoveguy2esw (Aug 12, 2008)

per NFPA-211, 12.2.4 "solid fuel burning appiances shall not be installed in any garage"


so for code reasons you cannot install a pellet stove in the garage.


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## cac4 (Aug 12, 2008)

why is that, anyway?  

(just curious.  don't even have a garage)


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## gpcollen1 (Aug 12, 2008)

Flame + gasoline appliances/vehicles = bad


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## UpTheHill (Aug 12, 2008)

CTwoodburner said:
			
		

> Flame + gasoline appliances/vehicles = bad



it can't be that simple, since you are allowed to have a propane heater in a garage, and that has a flame.
a propane heater must be at least 18 inches above the floor though.


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## cac4 (Aug 12, 2008)

my oil furnace has a flame, too.  but it is more than 18 inches above the ground...

I wonder if the "propane heaters" that are allowed are "catalytic heaters", which don't actually have a flame.  (and, if I recall correctly, were actually invented for the purpose of heating "garages" (airplane hangars, actually) safely).


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## billb3 (Aug 12, 2008)

I don't think you can have a propane heater in an attached garage unless it is vented. 
Everyone I know with a natural gas heater in the garage it is mounted on the ceiling.


The rules usually change with an Un-attached garage.


Most of those portable propane space heaters have big warning stickers on them to use in well ventilated spaces and to open alll windows and doors, which is kinda dumb except they are local space heaters, they're not supposed to be heating a room, just a space. Even the tent heaters they warn you to leave windows and doors open.

They also don't want solid fuel burning where vapors could collect on the floor. Some gasses sink. Many stoves have air intakes on the bottom.  Boom.


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## UpTheHill (Aug 12, 2008)

so I guess I'll scratch that idea off my to do list for this winter, and stick with an electric heater of some sort.
it's not like I want to bring the temps up to 70, just keep the pipes from freezing, which can be done with some heated tape i guess.


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## webbie (Aug 13, 2008)

The garage codes have changed over the years.....it used to be that certain appliances - even wood furnaces - were allowed as long as they were elevated. Now they are not allowed at all as per NFPA.

Even standard mechanical codes have addressed this...for various reasons. A central heater in a garage could, in theory, suck exhaust into your house. Other systems, like pellet stoves and wood stoves, would be too close to parked vehicles and other stored combustibles.


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## drizler (Aug 13, 2008)

Well, electric rates being what they are in the NE you should be able to do better than that.  Have you thought about one of those Coleman or Mr Heater propane radiants?  I have used one for quite a while and it works pretty well.   Mounts right on top of a bbq bottle and needs no electricity.   Mine runs at between 10 and 35 K btu if I remember right.   The small output is somewhat made up for by its portability.    It comes in pretty handy when something is busted outside in the cold too.   In a pinch it is enough to heat the house enough to keep it from freezing up at least.        I just looked on ebay and see the only one like this listed is by Mr Heater.    Here is the URL for that and it will give you the idea what I am talking about.   Of course like any other heat appliance you have to have enough brains to turn it off when there are fumes present.  Legal no but at least its not permanently mounted so no one has to know about it.     Around here about half the garages seem to have wood stoves in them right or wrong.     Personally I like the propane better anyways as it recovers faster when you open that huge door and all your heat takes a hike.            http://cgi.ebay.com/Mr-Heater-28-00...yZ159906QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Woops, read this again and I see your problem won't be solved by my idea.    It's not something that you can leave unattended.  Probably some sort of modine heater is all you can use for long term heat like you want.


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## Redox (Aug 13, 2008)

Methinks the key word here is "solid fuel".  In the event of a fuel spill, you will not be able to put out the flame fast enough.  Oil and gas can be shut down almost instantly, thus are marginally safer.  Anything that uses inside air for combustion is a potential problem, but could be improved with an outside air kit.  An unventer heater is probably worse than a vented stove due to the possibility of CO, but are allowed in some jurisdictions.  I personally wouldn't want to use anything that falls in this "gray area".  YMMV

Chris


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## kinsmanstoves (Aug 13, 2008)

Good call Mike.

Always check with your local zoning and or insurance agent.  They would also be able to tell you before you spend hard earned money on a purchase and or install.  

Eric


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## lvfd50 (Aug 13, 2008)

I'm wondering what the "code" is for a work shop that is in a garage. I currently have a pellet stove in the house I just purchased and will be switching to a woodstove in about a year, been burning wood for a while and still have a stock pile. I was thinking about using the pellet stove with the outside air kit to heat my shop. The shop happens to be located in a garage, but is separated by a wall and a door to the parking side of the garage. Also the garage is a detached one. Does anyone know what the "code" would be with this? Does it make a difference if you use an OAK compared to not?


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