Hearthlist Digest #592 - Friday, April 13, 2001 Unvented fireplace on Good Morning America by "Karen Fenton" <[email protected]> Re: Hearthlist Digest #591 - 04/12/01 by "Edwin J. Fackler" <[email protected]> Brand the product image >> no to the APA! by "Ken Fulgione" <[email protected]> Re: Reliance Pellet Stoves by "Skip Jackson" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Unvented fireplace on Good Morning America From: "Karen Fenton" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 21:26:22 -0400 --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1224997311=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii" ; format=3D"flowed" Last Wednesday, April 11, Good Morning America featured a contractor installing and firing an unvented fireplace in a model erected in the studio. He announced to the watchers that the homeowner has the flexibility of moving the unvented fireplace around the room easily because it has no external flue. This is dangerous misinformation & the producers of Good Morning America should be required to air a correction on this serious safety issue. Although there is no exterior vent, the fireplace should have permanent gas piping in place and other safety precautions taken. Also as important, unvented gas units should be banned from all airtight new construction and sleeping rooms by the national building codes. Shortly after the show aired on our local tv channel, we received 4 consumer calls asking for unvented fireplaces. Five more calls the next day. To each we answered that unvented gas fireplaces are not legal to install in California because there is yet no California approved performance standards governing these appliances. As such no California retailer should be selling these units for installation. I protest our industry's lax compliance on indoor air quality standards with respect to unvented gas fireplaces. I also protest the new formation of the HPA unvented gas caucus as a lobbying body. Regardless of manufacturers' claims that their CO emissions are below acceptable limits, I can readily determine which outside burn booths at the HPA trade shows are demonstrating unvented versus vented units .. Very soon after entering these tent enclosures, unaware that unventeds are burning, I have felt the common symptoms of difficulty in breathing, chest muscle tension, nausea, and lightheadedness. Surely, I am not the only person who can sense CO spillage. Pity the poor employees working the booths or in poorly ventilated stores retailing unvented gas fireplaces. We have a responsibility to our employees, ourselves, and the public to place safety above expediency and greed. Karen Leong Fenton Energy Unlimited/EnergyWorks Wholesale --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1224997311=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Content-Type: text/html; charset=3D"us-ascii" <!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type=3D"text/css"><!-- blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { margin-top: 0 ; margin-bottom: 0 } --></style><title>Unvented fireplace on Good Morning America</title></head><body> <div> Last Wednesday, April 11, Good Morning America featured a contractor installing and firing an unvented fireplace in a model erected in the studio. He announced to the watchers that the homeowner has the flexibility of moving the unvented fireplace around the room easily because it has no external flue. This is dangerous misinformation & the producers of Good Morning America should be required to air a correction on this serious safety issue. Although there is no exterior vent, the fireplace should have permanent gas piping in place and other safety precautions taken. Also as important, unvented gas units should be banned from all airtight new construction and sleeping rooms by the national building codes.<br> Shortly after the show aired on our local tv channel, we received 4 consumer calls asking for unvented fireplaces. Five more calls the next day. To each we answered that unvented gas fireplaces are not legal to install in California because there is yet no California approved performance standards governing these appliances. As such<u> no</u> California retailer should be selling these units for installation.<br> I protest our industry's lax compliance on indoor air quality standards with respect to unvented gas fireplaces. I also protest the new formation of the HPA unvented gas caucus as a lobbying body. Regardless of manufacturers' claims that their CO emissions are below acceptable limits, I can readily determine which outside burn booths at the HPA trade shows are demonstrating unvented versus vented units . Very soon after entering these tent enclosures, unaware that unventeds are burning, I have felt the common symptoms of difficulty in breathing, chest muscle tension, nausea, and lightheadedness. Surely, I am not the only person who can sense CO spillage. Pity the poor employees working the booths or in poorly ventilated stores retailing unvented gas fireplaces. We have a responsibility to our employees, ourselves, and the public to place safety above expediency and greed.<br> </div> <div>Karen Leong Fenton<br> Energy Unlimited/EnergyWorks Wholesale</div> <div> </div> </body> </html> --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1224997311=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D--
(back) Subject: Re: Hearthlist Digest #591 - 04/12/01 From: "Edwin J. Fackler" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 21:28:18 -0400 > Hearthlist Digest #591 - Thursday, April 12, 2001 > > Diversity is not good for the HPA. Since when? > by <[email protected]> Well now------You can bet 'ol Uncle Roger would step in the middle of this BBQ deal with both feet-----and as is the case in most instances, ( but = not all) he comes up with some strong stuff. As a manufacturer who has no ties whatsoever to the BBQ business and one = who has it's horses tied ( even hog tied)( now Jerry knows what I mean, so = does Ben) our take on this deal is somewhat different. There was a time in history when we spent more money on advertising, nationally, than the rest of our end of this all put together. We had one goal and one goal only. We wanted to run people in the front( or back, if you will) door of our customers. From this point on we always felt we had lost control. If we made traffic happen in our customer's store, we were willing to take our chances on getting our share of the sales. If our territory managers did their job of showing what tremendous value = lie in our products and had our stuff right out there where God and everyone could see it, we felt we'd do okay.Did we? Ten years from the time we started we increased our sales by 6 times. One of our good accounts said at SLC this couple came in for a grill, got the grill, and before they left they bought $3500.00 in Fireplace Accessories> If you figure out how to keep a shop, of any respectable size open and profitable all year long with fireplace only, write a book!! You,ll sell a million of them!! Say what ever you want-------the bottom line is we have to keep that retailer profitable---all year long and if you don't like BBQ's, fine . try lawn mowers--we do business with 1000 acounts in North America and = well over 75% have patio stuff, BBQ's being a big hunk of that stuff.. Now, let's jump on this name stuff--IFEM----FAA--WHA who gives a hoot = except those in the indusrty. How many consumers ever knew any of them?? That big cumbersome HPA Board ( they have about twice as many people on it as they need) will have a picnic with this one---but the bottom line is where is that retailer making his profit?? Inside part of the year (THE FIREPLACE) an outside part of the year --(THE PATIO) logic is crying for HEARTH & PATIO ASSOCIATION----otherwise known as HPA ---but don't worry = if you don't like it---it ain't gonna happen---it's too simple and it's too = all encompassing and it covers the places that has all the attention of our retailers. What he puts inside , on the Hearth, and what he puts outside, on the = Patio, is not the issue He's gonna use whatever pays the light bill. I could give this three or more paragraphs but my "Bride" says to be home = by 1900 hrs and since I'm boss around my house I'm gonna let her have her way--just this once. Edwin----------------------------------------------------------------------=
(back) Subject: Brand the product image >> no to the APA! From: "Ken Fulgione" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 22:53:19 -0400 Roger Sanders stated: "The merging of the BBQ manufacturers association = and the patio furniture retailers association with our large hearth products trade association (HPA) will clearly increase the HPA=92s diversity, = it=92s strength and size and make it more like what's going on in hearth retailing. This is = actually a huge benefit to all HPA members."..... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX That sounds good but it ain't necessarily so. The HPA, although accused = of acting like a government agency at times, does not need to grow to = continue to provide services for it's members. That is a government agency mind = set. The Casual Furniture Retailer Association has very little in common with = the HPA other than the fact that some dealers from both associations sell products from each. Why would a casual furniture retailer find it beneficial to support efforts to ensure that regional & national governmental agencies continue to allow wood heat products to be sold. = Why would a Hearth Products dealer want to divert the attention of our = lobbying efforts for hearth issues to deal with containing EPA regulations from making it more restrictive to dispose of corrosive under-coating chemicals used in the manufacturing process of casual furniture. Why would we want to split the promotional efforts of the HPA to attempt = to send out a blurry message promoting what >>> the All Products Association? Just what I want to belong to ..... the APA. (Actually if we must have a = new name I submit the APA as a logical choice >>> It leaves more room for expansion in the future) Roger, I know several HPA members that sell lighting fixtures. They = belong to the American Lighting Association as well as the HPA. The same holds true for many of the other alphabet associations that relate to promoting and supporting the industries that surround the other products we sell. = The HPA is not better as the APA. Part of your argument is well taken however >>> As you stated: "1)Spas and pools don't fit well in the HPA because they already have a strong trade association. 2)HVAC has it's own associations. 3) Candles & nick knacks don't need a trade association" >>>> Truth is they all need associations = to help promote their identity and support their specific needs. But just because the CFRA and the Gas Grill Association are supposedly not strong organizations such as the ALA, or the Pool & Spa Association, or the HVAC group, does not make it a good blend with the HPA. Focus and create an identity..... service the existing members needs. = Brand the product image rather than bland the product image. Ken Fulgione *******As an aside does anyone actually realize how large the casual furniture industry is in relation to the Hearth Industry? If we have manufactures involved in the association for casual furniture, as we do = for hearth products, we may be very surprised to find that Hearth could become = a minority interest in the realm of dollars sold and purchased ....... Is Jonah going to get indigestion once he nibbles at the tail fin?? Just say no >>> HPA needs to spend some creative energy finding ways to improve the Hearth Product image in the consumers mind and expand our = market identification and penetration ...... rather than tryin to find ways to expand the association into unrelated product categories.
(back) Subject: Re: Reliance Pellet Stoves From: "Skip Jackson" <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 12:15:05 -0400 Reliance T-40 Pellet Contact Mike Haefner <[email protected]>, he bot Reliance and is making the stoves. Skip Jackson Fireside Engineering Cincinnati Ohio