An Act To Eliminate Certain Restrictions on the Installation of Chimneys and Equipment

Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §18107,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 652, Pt. A, §46, is further amended to read:

§ 18107. Installations to conform to standards

Installation of oil, solid fuel, propane and natural gas burning equipment and chimneys may not be made in this State unless the installation complies with all the standards and rules adopted by the board. These standards and rules may not prohibit the continued use of an existing connection of a solid fuel burning appliance to a chimney flue to which another appliance burning oil or solid fuel is connected for any chimney existing and in use prior to February 2, 1998 as long as sufficient draft is available for each appliance, the chimney is lined and structurally intact and a carbon monoxide detector is installed in the building near a bedroom. Whenever oil, solid fuel, propane and natural gas burning equipment, accessory equipment or its installation are separately contracted, the master oil and solid fuel burning technician or the propane and natural gas technician in charge of the installation is responsible for ascertaining total conformance to the standards and rules adopted by the board. Whenever a state fuel inspector authorized under section 18110 finds a person installing or assisting in an oil, solid fuel, propane or natural gas installation, that person shall, on request of the state fuel inspector, provide evidence of being properly licensed when required by this chapter and, if unable to provide the evidence, shall furnish the state fuel inspector with that person's full name and address and, if applicable, the full name and address of the master oil and solid fuel burning technician or the propane and natural gas technician in charge.

summary

Current law allows the continued use of an existing connection of a solid fuel burning appliance to a chimney flue to which another appliance burning oil or solid fuel is connected for any chimney existing and in use prior to February 2, 1998 as long as sufficient draft is available for each appliance, the chimney is lined and structurally intact and a carbon monoxide detector is installed in the building near a bedroom.

This bill allows any such connection regardless of whether the chimney was existing and in use prior to February 2, 1998 as long as sufficient draft is available for each appliance, the chimney is lined and structurally intact and a carbon monoxide detector is installed in the building near a bedroom.