Utility closet doors

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A utility closet with natural gas appliances needs ventilation openings of at least 100 square inches within 12 inches of the top and 100 square inches within 12 inches of the bottom, according to local code.

Does that normally mean the entire 100 square inches has to be within those

12 inches, or just that they have to start within them? For example, could you have slots going down the door such that the entire door provides 200 square inches of openings, but only some of those openings are within 12 inches of the top or bottom?

These are bifold doors. If I go to Home Depot or Lowes and ask for bifold doors for a utility closet, will they know what I'm talking about, and provide doors that meet code?

[ransley]

Gee who the f knows, call your citys code dept

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ransley wrote in news: [e-mail]:

It seems like it must be a fairly common requirement, because it's mentioned in some water heater manuals. But if I call, there is no way for me to know if I'm getting the correct answer, till the actual inspection. That's why I wanted opinions of people who have actually encountered this requirement before.

[willshak]

on 7/26/2008 2:06 AM Anagram said the following:

You want louvered bifolds.

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I wonder if I would be violating anything by simply removing the doors from the utility closet. If it would be a code violation, would it likely be something more general, such as "no furnaces or water heaters in unenclosed spaces", or something more specific, such as "doors required on utility closets?"

I would of course put new doors there later, with the appropriate amount of ventilation. But I just wonder if I could pass inspection with no doors at all there.

Has anyone ever heard of any such requirement, as having the doors there?

[SteveB]

Call your city inspection office. They'll be happy to explain it to you.

[Colbyt]

The only correct answer you will get is from the person who performs the inspection.

I do not have a manual in front of me but I seem to recall that the entire opening can be no more than x inches from the ceiling or the floor. Meaning standard 82" bifold doors are not going to do the job.

I solved that problem by installing the correct sized grilles in the proper location in the wall and then used whatever door I wanted.

I suggest that you might be creating a liability factor if you have an inspection with no doors and add them later. Should there be a problem, "uninspected and unapproved work" might be used as an excuse to deny an insurance claim.

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If we were to add vents in the ceiling to connect the utility closet to the attic, to get fresh outdoor air from the attic, would we have to worry about insects entering via those vents, and extreme hot and cold weather? For example, if in January a cold draft comes down the vent, enters the main living area of the house, and triggers the thermostat, it could cause the heater to run more than it otherwise would. Right?