Just a heads up – and an opportunity to start some thinking ….

FHB currently has a blog where the author discusses installing a commercial range in a home. While I’m delighted that he thought to provide additional make-up air to the appliance, it’s a code violation. The NEC specifically says ‘no’ to commercial cooking equipment in homes. UL has different standards for the commercial equipment than for the residential stuff as well.

Now, be careful that you don’t get confuses, as appliance makers have rushed to market ‘commercial STYLE’ products to market, and there is no reason that an appliance can not have BOTH commercial and residential approvals.

That’s for the kitchen stove …. what about the rest of the house? While the various codes might be silent as to dishwashers, water heaters, laundry machines, etc … it’s something to think about. Commercial appliances very often require more air, larger plumbing, etc., than their smaller residential counterparts. Some of the stuff may also be energy hogs, and you might miss some of the ‘consumer friendly’ geegaws you’ve become accustomed to.

The point is also important -‘industrial’ vs. ‘homeowner’ – as various energy management systems can easily introduce industrial stuff into the home. For example, I once converted an air handler to a variable-speed version by replacing the motors and controls with industrial vrsions. (Net result? 28 amps dropped to less than 8!)

Finally, some (ahem) retentive inspectors out there have picked up on the kitchen range issue, and are trying to apply the same reasoning to every other appliance. If you’re going to confront this, better be prepared to demonstrate just why the nimrods’ concerns are not justified.