odd FHA question

[20 20]

I have a question about FHA requirements for heat sources. From everything I can find I should be okay with my pellet furnace, but they seem to have their heads in the clouds. From what I have read it says The heating and cooling system must have at least 2 years of remaining life.
Wood stoves or solar heating are not acceptable as the sole heat source. NOTE: Coal or wood stoves with automatic stokers are acceptable. According to this statement a pellet "furnace" should fall into the category??? Anyone know where I could find any info out about this? Thanks

 

[forgeblast]

hummm your pellet stove has an auger right? wouldnt that be automatic?
We have electric baseboard heating, but our wood stove is supplemental....that being said the electric is at 50 all winter long, and inside is a toasty 70+ with the wood stove.

 

[20 20]

Yep Forgeblast; That is what I figured, it also has the big hopper, I can't seem to make the FHA person relize this. I figure because the FHA person lives in the city and is more then likely on natural gas or electric they don't know booger about wood or pellet stoves. Of course that shouldn't really matter when they're looking at the requirements in front of them. I'm just frustraited because they're not using their own guide lines. My house stays right around 80-85 all winter with just the wood furnace. I bought the pellet furnace and a small pellet stove just for back up when I'm not going to be around. The pellet furnace can also keep the temp up in the 80's if needed. I'm lost, they set these regs then dodge them or change them for whatever they feel their personal needs are

 

[riptides]

..... I should be okay with my pellet furnace....

You mean your wood furnace? R i g h t.......

 

[firefighter9208]

I think the problem with FHA is that they want a heating system that "any Joe" can use in case they have to foreclose on your home and sell it. With the primary heating source being a wood furnace or pellet stove it would be hard to sell your home in a foreclosure. They would have to go in (spend money) and put in an "automatic" heating source. IE: Furnace or Heat pump.

Chris

 

[riptides]

What do the county tax records say about your heating and cooling sources?

 

[20 20]

You mean your wood furnace? R i g h t.......

I have both a wood furnace and a pellet furnace. With my wood furnace I have to load it every so many hrs by hand. I do use the wood furnace 90% of the time.

I also put in a pellet furnace and a small pellet stove{both have a thermostat}, my confusion is about the pellet furnace. It seems to me that a self feeding pellet furnace would fall into their requirements,.,.,.,.NOTE: Coal or wood stoves with automatic stokers are acceptable{this came from their requirements listings}?

Hope this cleared it up some, I put the pellet furnace in for times while no one is home to tend to the wood fire. It can run for 5 days without any interaction from us, and keep the house in the 70's{on the coldest days}

 

[20 20]

I think the problem with FHA is that they want a heating system that "any Joe" can use in case they have to foreclose on your home and sell it. With the primary heating source being a wood furnace or pellet stove it would be hard to sell your home in a foreclosure. They would have to go in (spend money) and put in an "automatic" heating source. IE: Furnace or Heat pump.

Chris

This is what I have

Pellet furnace for primary heat..... while no one is around or able to load wood in the wood furnace.

Wood furnace is main source of heat because our wood is cheap and usually someone is around to load it.

Pellet stove just for those days when it isn't worth it to start a fire nor run the big pellet furnace. Basically just to get the chill out.

Chris you may be correct about the heating system, BUT the requirements do NOT have anything about that, all they list is what I've put in blue about my type of heat source.


Well had to take a minute{phone call}, just talked to the FHA person and basically what they told me is that it lys with the person in charges opinion.

 

[20 20]

What do the county tax records say about your heating and cooling sources?

Not sure what you mean Riptides?

 

[20 20]

I wonder why we waste time to write up requirements and regulations when in the end all we do is go with whomevers opinion? Kind of like saying it's against the law to drink and drive unless you do it while phil is on duty