r/Fireplaces • u/WoodlandDirect • 3d ago

Gas Appliance Owner Certification

I am not suggesting it would be a good idea for a homeowner to be certified or licensed to own and operate a gas appliance. But, if it were the case, what would you want a customer to understand? What about gas appliances in both a practical and theoretical way would you want them to understand before they took on the responsibility of owning, operating, and maintaining a gas appliance?

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u/GeeEmmInMN 3d ago

I think they should sign a document stating that they should listen to trained and authorised dealers and installers rather than come to Reddit saying "the dealer/installer said we can't do it, but can I put xxxxxx in/on my fireplace"?

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u/WoodlandDirect 2d ago

After I was certified about 20 years ago, I had to take some continuing education classes to keep my certification. One of the classes I took was titled "The Consequences of Poor Installations". The consequences were extreme, some stories involved deaths. The ignorance was astounding.

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u/GeeEmmInMN 2d ago

Indeed. Our company has a training room and multiple programs to ensure that everyone who installs our product is fully conversant with install, troubleshooting and service. In that room there's a wall of 'this is what happens when you don't......' photos. I always find it ironic that when a house burns down, the chimney is the only thing standing. It's like a monument to the power of fire.

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u/WoodlandDirect 2d ago

I love to hear about the effort you put into training. We have been a supplier only, but our entire customer facing team has to be certified or working toward certifications. We work with NFI. Over the years, I have come to gain a tremendous amount of respect for solid, competent installers. Field technicians are the SEAL teams of the hearth industry. Thanks for weighing in.

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u/GeeEmmInMN 2d ago

Thanks for selling some of our product. 😉