If your home has a Wood Burning appliance your insurance company will most likely require a WETT Certified Inspection prior to issuing an Insurance Policy. A WETT inspection should also be part of a home inspection if you are considering buying a home that has a fireplace or a wood burning stove in it. WETT stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer, and it is the basis for making sure that fireplaces and wood burning stoves are functioning properly.
Homeowners who have either a fireplace or a wood burning stove should have WETT inspections performed every year so that they can be sure that the units are still in good working order. In order to be a certified provider of WETT inspections, inspectors first have to go through a code compliance course to make sure they have the knowledge. Then they can choose to become a certified tech or advisor, earn their certification in chimney sweeping, or earn a WETT certification in SITE basic.
Inspectors only become certified after at least 80 weeks of work in the field and require a letter of reference. Inspectors who choose to become WETT certified in SITE basic also have to complete 30 inspections of wood burning appliances, which further ensures that they know exactly what to look for.
A WETT Certified Inspector will examine all parts of your wood stove and chimney looking at such items as the liner, the smoke chamber, damper, firebox and other working parts inside the fireplace or woodstove to make sure that they are working properly.
The minimum clearance between any solid fuel burning appliance and combustible material (other than the floor), whether or not such combustible material is covered with noncombustible material such as plaster, shall conform to Table 2, unless the appliance is certified for lesser clearances.
Before you arrange for someone to inspect your fireplace and chimney, it is very important that you ask them specifically if they are Certified to perform a WETT inspection. Also ask if they are certified to provide WETT inspections, because some companies that perform inspections are not Certified and can not issue you with an inspection report. Visit www.wett-inspection.com to find your WETT Certified inspectors for the Barrie, Orillia and Alliston areas.
