Refractory bread oven

[Stone_Mason]

I am caught in a crossfire between NFPA & IMC verbiage on allowable 'direct venting' solid fuel burning appliances. The application is a commercial refractory italian pizza oven (site built so no UL). To me, NFPA chapter 14 is clear in allowing direct vent with UL103HT double wall chimney vent. The oven is a closed system, operating at 1000 degrees, limited to pizza and bread only thus no further suppression or mechanical ventilation is necessary.

The local municipality building department feels the oven requires a Type 1 mechanical ventilation hood and Ansul fire suppression system as would any 'commercial cooking appliance.' However, all other similar ovens fall under 'fireplace stoves'. Secondly, the oven does not create grease-laden vapors negating the need for Type 1 hood (the closed system at 1000 degrees is way past the flash point of grease and would burn off anyway?). Can anyone add clarity to this if natural venting is compliant with NFPA?

 

[Artisi]

Can't help - but more to the point, does it cook good pizza☺

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

 

[Stone_Mason]

Yes. Yes it does.

 

[berkshire]

You may already have experienced this, but the inspector is going to ask " What else can you cook in there ?" . and if the answer is anything that can emit greasy fumes , they are going to want fire suppression. Your job now is to convince them you are only going to bake Bread or Pizza in that Roman oven..
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[chicopee]

Obviously there will be some grease laden vapor from cheese, meat and shortening but I suspect that the amount of such vapor will be much less than that generated from deep fat fryers and frying plates. I suspect that there may be a requirement to have nozzles directed at the opening to the oven as a minimum.

 

[dbill74]

By "commercial refractory Italian pizza oven " I assume you mean a brick pizza oven. In which case a 'secondary' Type I hood would seem redundant.

Reading through IMC, I'm struggling to see the need for a hood when the oven acts more like a water heater than it does an open range or other Pizza Hut style pizza oven which would require a Type I hood.

If it makes the AHJ happy, offer to provide a heat shield above and behind the oven.

Regarding sprinklers, good idea to have them located above the oven regardless.