Technical analysis carried out by Marco Martinetto, Technical & Regulation manager at M&G Group Italy S.p.A.
The latest news from the fuel-based biomass appliances
Recently the standard UNI 10389-2:2022 came out entitled “Field misuring – Heat generators – Part 2: Systems running on solid biofuel not pulverized”. The standard prescribes the procedures for carrying out the draft measurement, the analysis of the combustion products and the combustion efficiency measurement of heat generators running with non-pulverized solid biofuel.
The analysis of the combustion products is foreseen for all appliances with automatic loading and equipped with a fan in the combustion circuit (e.g. pellet stoves or wood boilers) while the depression test is foreseen for manual loading appliances (e.g. : fireplaces and wood stoves).
At the same time as the publication of UNI 10389-2, he new provisions of the Lombardy region for the operation, maintenance, control and inspection of civil heating systems came into force on 1 August, in implementation of the d.G.R. XI / 5360 of 11.10.2021 where precisely in the case of control and maintenance of the heating system, the measurement of the efficiency of the appliance and the depression of the flue system is envisaged, to be then reported in the new Energy Efficiency Control Report 1B .
These obligations can probably also be envisaged at national level with the eminent overhaul of the DPR74 / 2013.
The standard describes where the sampling / measurement hole in the smoke duct must be made, except for a different preparation of the same by the manufacturer of the generator.
Considering field measurements a novelty for biomass appliances, most flue systems do not have such a sampling hole.
M&G Group Italy SpA, in order to adapt to the new regulatory provisions, has already included in its range for some time a special probe element with a 10 mm sampling through hole with sealing. The probe module is available for the lines STABILE PS (code PSMF43), STABILE SPD (code SPDMS03), STABILE PD (code PDMR43), STABILE NPS (code NPSMS 03), STABILE NX (NXMS 03) and STABILE PH (code PHMS03).
As an alternative to the installation of these probe elements, the standard provides for the installation of a smoke analysis screw directly on the existing smoke duct provided that there are specific instructions from the manufacturer of the duct indicating the installation methods. In the absence of indications from the manufacturer, it is still possible to make the hole but the warranty of the pipe would expire and the installer would take responsibility for the sealing requirements of the smoke duct.
The M&G Group Italy’s technical office is available for further clarifications regarding the legislative / regulatory changes on the subject.