Solid fuel burning fireplace stove ventilation

Hello all! A simple stone mason here looking for some insight. If this is not allowed, Admin please remove.

I am caught in a crossfire between NFPA & IMC verbiage on allowable 'direct venting' solid fuel burning appliances. The application is a commercial refractory italian pizza oven (site built so no UL). To me, NFPA chapter 14 is clear in allowing direct vent with UL103HT double wall chimney vent. The oven is a closed system, operating at 1000 degrees, limited to pizza and bread only thus no further suppression or mechanical ventilation is necessary.

The local municipality building department feels the oven requires a Type 1 mechanical ventilation hood and Ansul fire suppression system as would any 'commercial cooking appliance.' However, all other similar ovens fall under 'fireplace stoves'. Secondly, the oven does not create grease-laden vapors negating the need for Type 1 hood (the closed system at 1000 degrees is way past the flash point of grease and would burn off anyway?).

Is anyone interested in offering an opinion on this from an engineering perspective? The design is proven; 2000 years old and I dont see any reason to be adding mechanical ventilation. In fact, I'm sure added ventilation would not improve the safety but actually decrease safety.

Thank you in advance for any input! :grin:

I'm not familiar with the quoted standards.. Here's what I do know - combustion requires oxygen and the product of combustion is heat and various gasses.. Those gasses include Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide, (CO^2) and so on.

Most combustion gasses will kill you, therefore you will need to vent those combustion gasses eventually if not continuously.

You need a vent and the vent should exit the gasses properly for your safety.