Furnace kill switch

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jjhoward

jjhoward

Senior Member
Location
Northern NJ
Occupation
Owner TJ Electric
Is there a requirement for a furnace on/off switch at the top of the basement stairs? This is for a oil fired boiler in this instance but I have seen them for gas fired as well.
Working on a renovation and the cellar steps have been moved to the opposite side of the house. Is that on/off switch for convenience or is there a building code of NFPA that requires it?
Thank you.
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

WIll do. I will start with the "construction official" for the town.
There is an on/off switch right at the furnace, but does there need to be one in the living space or at the top of the stairs?
I have always seen one, just not sure if that is a requirement.
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

This was required in my area if the basement was unfinished then the boiler or burner "room" IS the entire basement... and the disco needed to be at or within reach of the entrance to the "boiler room."
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

I am in NJ. What code requires it? Local building code, locat fire code?
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It's not required in NJ if the heating appliance is natural gas. I'm not sure about oil but I would guess that it's not a requirement for oil either. Years ago all homes around here had them at the top of the stairs but I haven't seen them in a new home in decades.

[ September 06, 2005, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: infinity ]
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

Originally posted by electricmanscott:
Hey Bob do you have anything in writing or on line with that reg? I don't but I'd like to actually read it.
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Well of course you don't have it....your not a contractor. :D

It's Board of Fire Prevention Regulations

527 CMR 4.04:(3)(a)

(3) Oil Burner Controls.(a) Oil burning equipment shall be provided with a means for manually stopping the flow of oil to the burner. Said means shall be at a convenient and safe location.This shall be accomplished by the installation of a quick-closing ? turn valve in the oil supply line or by means of an electrical switch in the burner electrical circuit.The valve or switch shall be plainly marked to indicate its purpose and placed outside the entrance to the room where the burner is located or outside of the cellar/basement door at first floor level in an exposed location clearly visible and readily accessible at all times.
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As a bounus 527 CMR 4.04:(3)(e)


(e) An electrical thermal switch fused to break the ungrounded conductor in the main circuit at 165?F, shall be installed in the main power line within six feet over the top of theburner-boiler or burner-furnace.If the ceiling above the burner-boiler or burner-furnace exceeds 12 feet in height, anadditional thermal switch shall be installed on the ceiling and connected in series with the lower switch.
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Re: Furnace kill switch

With petroleum prices sky rocketed heating oil will be so expensive that there will be change outs to Electric Furnaces so you probably not wire too many more oil fired boilers and furnaces.
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

Originally posted by william runkle:
With petroleum prices sky rocketed heating oil will be so expensive that there will be change outs to Electric Furnaces so you probably not wire too many more oil fired boilers and furnaces.
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Electricity sure isn't free.
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

The price we pay for electric heat propane has to be below .80 cents to beat it when was the last time you heard propane under $1.25 last fall? Well guess how much this year? Fuel oil and its inefficiencies has to be .50 cents or lower guess what it will be this winter $2.00 a gallon? And guess what natural gas will not be sitting still giving it away for nothing, So electricity isn't free but it is going to be the least expensive source of energy this winter.
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

Originally posted by william runkle:
So electricity isn't free but it is going to be the least expensive source of energy this winter.
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????

Electricity is never the least costly way to heat a building, at least not in my area.

And don't you think electrical rates are going to skyrocket very shortly?
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

Originally posted by iwire:

Electricity is never the least costly way to heat a building, at least not in my area.

And don't you think electrical rates are going to skyrocket very shortly?
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Depends where you live and the cost of electricity.

For the Seattle area:
Cost per 100,000 btu of useable heat
Electric baseboard: $2.11 (.08/Kwh)
Heat pump: $0.84 (.08/Kwh, 9.5 HSPF)
Oil: $1.77 (2.25/gal, 90%)
Propane: $1.52 (1.25/gal 90%)
Natural gas: $1.13 (1.08 ccf/ 90%)

We're 90+% Hydro and nuclear, so the recent NG price spikes don't mean much. At $11/MBTU all those NG power plants aren't very cheap to run, but they're peaking plants, and hopefully not as needed during the winter. IIRC, NG and oil are under 20% of electricity fuel. (Personally, I hope for more nukes, but...)

Oh, and we have less than 400hrs/year at under 35 degrees, so heat pumps make sense.
 
Re: Furnace kill switch

In Michigan A.E.P. has abundant power between nine p.m. to seven a.m. Monday through Friday and all weekend and holidays that they sell the power in off peak at .014 cents per k.w.h. that will beat any fossil fuel, also the local Electric Co-Op has a electric heat rate of .039 cents a k.w.h. that too will beat all the fossil fuels this winter. And as for electric baseboards they are the most efficient heat source there is remember efficiency is power in divided into power out and all you have is less than 15 voltage drop so it is almost 100% efficient.
 
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