The buyer of my home is getting a VA loan. I have a ventless gas fireplace and their lender is requiring certification that it is "equipped with an approved oxygen depletion sensor and meets local building authority recommendations". The exact wording says it must be a licensed HVAC technician. Well, all the HVAC companies act like I'm speaking Greek to them. The HVAC/plumbing contractors know what I'm talking about kinda, but say they don't mess with the fireplaces but they will handle anything involving the gas line getting to it. The fireplace companies know what I'm talking about, but say they aren't licensed to do it.

I'm sure this is more common up north. Anyone ever dealt with this and have a better idea of who I can call to get this done? I'm guessing any modern ventless fireplace has this sensor...but got to go thru the motions I suppose.

All ventless gas logs come equipped with a ODS. You might call your local gas company and see if they can write something

Go to the Alabama plumbers and gas fitters board website and search for licensed gas fitters in your area then start calling,

I figured mine was equipped with it and if it's functioning normal then all is good. The gas company wasn't much help, they tried to send me to the county and not going that route. Just have to find the right company to do a write up saying it's certified and then write them a damn check for it.

That's a new requirement that's causing people fits. I get two or three a month about it.

HVAC doesn't work on them.
Plumbers do, but VA won't accept their letter.
Chimney sweeps SHOULD, this thread makes me think I need to follow up on this again.
If VA is going to require it, they need to train their VA inspectors on how to identify this.

Find out who sold the fireplace, they should have the documentation you need. If you don't know where it came from, look for a dealer that sells the brand you have

What about a gas fitter?

So far the chimney and gas fireplace people are the only ones that know what I’m talking about but I don’t know if they’ll accept it from them. I do have an hvac/plumbing company coming Wed but not sure they actually know exactly what it is I need. I have a fireplace shop lined up later in the week in case this one doesn’t work out.

Sounds like the VA has loosened their rules up a bit, albeit in standard government fashion. My first home purchase was thru VA, which I swore I’d never do again, and they required the gas fireplace be removed to approve the loan.

They'd also know the answer, but to my knowledge VA won't accept.

Most of them actually have a metal tag in the firebox somewhere. I'm taking photos of the next few I come across to see what I can determine from them.

Well that's the Guvment for ya. Anyone with an ounce of common sense would know that getting info on the make and model and having a licensed gas fitter inspect it and sign off is sufficient . That's basically what happens when they're installed in cities where they have to be by code.

If you know who manufactured the fireplace look on their website for documentation. Also if you know who made it you should be able to check and see which company certified the unit. It would be like UL (Underwriters Laboratories), CSA, or NEMKO something like that. I would think it would be ok or they could not sell it in the US.

All of that is on the sticker, yes. But doesn't really do me any good for what I need. If they would let me certify it I would!

It's a Superior BCF-3885 and UL certified. Looks like this is a wood burning unit with a ventless conversion kit from what I gather. I don't even know where the oxygen depletion sensor would be but I'm guessing it's part of the pilot/ignition setup.

If it's a pain to get then I would remove the ventless fireplace and cap the gas supply line and leave the logs with the house and allow a few hundred dollars for them to reconnect after the loan is closed.

Yeah, thought about doing something like that.

I will also add that good realtors should have come across this multiple times and have many ways to get it certified or do a work-around to resolve this issue. This is what they should do to earn their commission. If no realtors involved then may be best to remove as noted above. You could also just remove and allow them an amount to buy a new one as well.

Oxygen Depletion Sensor is nothing more than the pilot assembly. When room oxygen gets below about 20% the pilot flame moves away from the thermocouple seeking oxygen. The valve loses the low voltage current and closes shutting off the burner. If the wood burning fireplace has outside combustion air installed the ODS on the ventless logs is completely useless as a safety feature. Just another bureaucrat justifying their position with ignorance.

Funny thing is, we are seeing new construction with stringent code enforcement, but they're installing fireplaces with no hearth extension and combustible flooring like vinyl plank. I know it's a ventless, and technically it should have anything to flop out into the floor and start a fire. However, they also require spark screens on those ventless fireplaces and one never knows what someone may throw in one. I call it out on new construction at least twice a month. VA won't say boo about that.

Like this? But code won't allow a floor level hearth on a real, wood burning fire place.