04/19/1994 09:03 AM Senate CRA

 The Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee was called to               
 order by Chairman Randy Phillips at 9:03 a.m.  He introduced  CSHB
(STA)  (UNVENTED GAS HEATERS IN RESIDENTIAL BLDGS) as the first            
 order of business.                                                            
                                                                               
 JOSEPH EASAW, staff to Representative Al Vezey, explained the                 
 legislation allows the use of unvented gas-fired room heaters in              
 residential dwellings in the State of Alaska.  It mandates that               
 these heaters must meet the requirements of the American National             
 Standards Institute (ANSI), Z21.11.2.                                         
                                                                               
 Unvented gas-fired room heaters have been in existence for more               
 than 30 years in Europe, and there are more than two million of               
 them in use in the United States since 1981 without any instances             
 of fatalities attributable to unvented gas heaters manufactured for           
 indoor use.  He noted that the Consumer Product Safety Commission             
 has said that unvented gas heaters are six times safer than vented            
 gas heaters.                                                                  
                                                                               
 Benefits of using unvented gas heaters are:  (1) they are cheaper             
 to use than heating fuel and electricity; and (2) they are nearly             
 100 percent efficient.                                                        
                                                                               
 Mr. Easaw pointed out that carbon monoxide produced by vent free              
 gas heaters is about one fourth of that produced by gas cook                  
 stoves.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Number 115                                                                    
 KEITH KETTLER of Kettler Enterprises, testifying from Longmont                
 Colorado, related there are 18 manufacturers of vent-free                     
 fireplaces and, additionally, there are approximately a dozen or              
 more who make only the invented heaters.  These appliances are                
 approved by every building code used in the United States except              
 the Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) that is used in Alaska.  He noted           
 that in many areas where the UMC is used, building officials have             
 approved these appliances as alternate material.  He then outlined            
 the safety standards required in the manufacturing of these                   
 appliances.                                                                   
                                                                               
 Mr. Kettler concluded that a vent-free heater is an appliance that            
 has an established track record, a prudent safety record, and is              
 the most efficient option on the market in the United States today.           
                                                                               
 Number 197                                                                    
                                                                               
 MS. DANI NOWELL, testifying from Anchorage, said the bill                     
 legislation speaks to "unvented gas heaters" and if this is                   
 addressing just room heaters, it should specify that it is strictly           
 a room gas heater, not unvented gas heaters because that would                
 incorporate many different types.   KEITH KETTLER responded that              
 the verbiage in the bill makes it very clear that the standard is             
 the gas-fired room heater.                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 225                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TAYLOR asked Mr. Kettler what the significant difference              
 was between the type of heater that Ms. Nowell referred to and the            
 type of heater that he is promoting.  KEITH KETTLER answered that             
 he has never heard of any vent-free heater or unvented heater that            
 is other than a room heater.  He added there is only one ANSI                 
 standard (Z21.11.2) that he is aware of for gas-fired room heaters.           
 The ANSI standard limits the size of these heaters to 40,000 BTUs,            
 so  the legislation is not talking about a furnace system for a               
 whole house.  That is not the intent of the bill, nor would those             
 be allowed under the Z21.11.2 standard.                                       
                                                                               
 Number 275                                                                    
                                                                               
 There being no further witnesses to testify on HB 543, SENATOR                
 RANDY PHILLIPS stated the bill would be back before the committee             
 at its next meeting for more public testimony.