Wood Boiler Regulations: F.A.Q

Thursday, March 24, 2016

 

If you've thought about purchasing a wood boiler recently, chances are you've been confused when it comes to understanding the Environmental Protection Agency's wood boiler regulations. Over the last five years, the popularity of these heating units has exploded, but many users simply don't understand how to burn them cleanly or efficiently. As a result, the EPA has updated many of their regulations in hopes of creating cleaner air across the United States. But what does that mean to you? We recently wrote an article about the new regulations, but many people still had specific questions: What kind of boiler are you allowed to own as a resident? What about as a business? If you live outside of the United States, what boilers are you allowed to purchase? We heard your questions and dug through miles of government documents to bring you the answers without all the legalese.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is "40 CFR Part 60?"
• What is "40 CFR Part 63?"
• What exactly is a "hydronic heater"?
• I live in the United States. What regulations apply to me for residential wood boilers?
• What regulations apply if I want to buy a commercial wood boiler?
• I own a wood boiler and it doesn't meet the EPA's new standards. What should I do?
• I live in the United States. Can I legally operate a wood boiler that is not EPA-Certified?
• I live in Canada. Can I purchase a residential wood boiler that is not EPA-Certified?
• What regulations apply to commercial wood boilers in Canada?
• Resources

What is "40 CFR Part 60?"

"40 CFR Part 60" is the name of the EPA's set of regulations for residential wood stoves and wood boilers. Its full title is "The Source Performance Standards for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Residential Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces," or "The NSPS" for short. These regulations were updated in 2015, and most states have adopted them as part of their local laws.

What is "40 CFR Part 63?"

"40 CFR Part 63" is the set of regulations for commercial, industrial, and institutional wood boilers. These types of boilers are also called "area sources," which means they emit less than 10 tons annually of a single hazardous air pollutant or less than 25 tons annually of a combination of hazardous air pollutants. They're typically found in places like schools, manufacturing buildings, event centers, and other similarly large buildings.

What exactly is a "hydronic heater?"

A "Hydronic Heater" is what the EPA calls a wood boiler. According to the EPA: "Hydronic heaters (also called outdoor wood heaters or outdoor wood boilers) are typically located outside the buildings they heat in small sheds with short smokestacks. Typically, they burn wood to heat liquid (water or water-antifreeze) that is piped to provide heat and hot water to occupied buildings such as homes, barns and greenhouses. However, hydronic heaters may also be located indoors and they may use other biomass as fuel (such as corn or wood pellets)."

I live in the United States. What regulations apply to me for residential wood boilers?

To meet EPA certification, a residential wood boiler must meet the following emission standards for particulate matter: 0.32 lb/mmBtu heat output (weighted average) and a cap of 18 g/hr for each individual test run. You can find a full list of wood boilers certified by the EPA as of February 2016, here.

 

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What regulations apply if I want to buy a commercial-size wood boiler?

Commercial boiler regulations are found in 40 CFR Part 63, the "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Area Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers." These types of boilers typically provide heat for buildings like manufacturing plants, greenhouses, trade goods housing, real estate, educational services, religious organizations, public administration, and other similarly-sized buildings. Boilers for these types of buildings have to put out some serious heat, but they must not exceed the limits in this table from the EPA:

This chart by the EPA has more information on the exceptions to these rules (for example, if you shut down your boiler for seven months out of the year, you might qualify as a seasonal boiler). We also suggest that anyone operating a large building with a boiler installation read 40 CFR Part 63, which can be found in the resources at the bottom of this post.

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I own a wood boiler and it doesn't meet the EPA's new standards. What should I do?

Great news for you: The EPA's updated wood boiler regulations do not apply to any boilers that were sold before December 31, 2015. If you bought your boiler before that date and it was in compliance with the regulations set at the time of installation, you don't have to do a thing!

Note for Washington State residents: NO outdoor wood boilers are allow in your state as of 2016. Visit the Washington Department of Ecology for more information.

I live in the United States. Can I legally operate a wood boiler that is not EPA-Certified?

In most states, the answer is no. Under federal law (42 U.S.C. §7416), a state's regulations for wood heaters such as wood boilers are required to be equal to or greater than the EPA's regulations. If you buy a wood boiler that is not EPA-certified, it probably does not comply with your local laws. We checked the laws for each state to see how they regulate wood boilers and have created a summary of where wood boilers have to be EPA-certified and where they do not (see the table below). The vast majority of states require wood boilers to be EPA-certified. Most states have done this by referencing or incorporating 40 CFR Part 60 directly into their list of state laws but some, like Washington state, have stronger restrictions than the EPA. However, several states such as Missouri, Hawaii, and Michigan have chosen to ignore the EPA's regulations altogether, and many others states simply have no information available online. If you live in a state we've listed as "no data" please check with your local Department of Environmental Quality to see what regulations apply to you.

Some states make exceptions to EPA certification if you don't have access to other heating options. These exceptions are too numerous to list here, but please contact your state's environmental department for more information.

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I live in Canada. Can I purchase a residential wood boiler that is not EPA-Certified?

Yes. In Canada, residential indoor boilers and furnaces are only subject to "The Code of Practice for Residential Wood Burning Appliances," which says that a boiler must have a particulate emission limit of 0.4 g/MJ. This is roughly equal to 0.93 lb/mmBtu, much higher than the EPA's requirement of 0.32 lb/mmBtu for residential wood heaters. Many boilers that do not meet the EPA's emission standards do meet the standards in Canada. Canada Residents: Keep in mind that "The Code" exists in Canada to provide municipalities with advice on best practices for reducing emissions. Local governments have the final say in what laws apply to you, so please check your area's guidelines before purchasing a boiler. You can read "The Code" online, here (see page 18 for emission limit details). Manufacturers and distributors should also know that, according to the EPA, wood boilers manufactured in the United States for export are exempt from the EPA's emission limits (NSPS Page 45, § 60.5472). U.S. manufacturers and retailers are allowed to sell non-EPA-certified wood boilers and furnaces to anyone outside of the United States.

What regulations apply to commercial wood boilers in Canada?

Commercial boilers in Canada are required to be manufactured to standards set by local or provincial Boiler and Pressure Vessel Act, all of which ultimately refer to the Canadian Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (CSA B51). CSA B51 relies on ASME standards. Basically: If a boiler is ASME-certified, it meets Canadian standards of manufacturing. However, you may be required to obtain a wood burning permit from your local government.

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Resources

Obadiah's Wood Boilers

The List of EPA-Certified Hydronic Heaters (updated Feb. 2016)

40 CFR Part 60 - The New Source Performance Standards for Residential Wood Heaters and Hydronic Heaters

40 CFR Part 63 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers Area Sources - Subpart JJJJJJ

Summary of the EPA's requirements for Residential Wood Boilers

EPA's Burnwise Program - Click your state to find links to local regulation information

Cookstove Community - EPA Woodstove Regulations: What You Need To Know