Question: I live in a very rural area, not a borough. I don’t think our township has any regulations regarding outdoor furnaces. Would the state cover us out here? I appreciate any help you can give to me.
Answer: The state has regulations regarding both the older style outdoor furnaces, as well as the newer “Phase 2” style. For the older units the requirements are as follows:
- Must be installed at least 150 feet from the nearest property line
- Must have a permanent stack of at least 10 feet that’s installed according to manufacturer’s specifications
For the newer Phase 2 units the requirements are as follows:
- Must be installed a minimum of 50 feet from the nearest property line
- Must have a permanent stack at least 10 feet high that’s installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Finally, the regulations restrict what you can burn in your outdoor furnace to clean wood, wood pellets, home heating oil, natural gas, propane or other types of fuel approved in writing by the state. You can’t burn anything in the outdoor furnace other than the fuels listed above. Additionally, your outdoor furnace must comply with any county or municipal regulations that apply where you live.
Following up on last month’s column, Jason, an AYS reader wrote to make me aware that the closest homeless shelter can be found at homelessshelternearme.org. You can also find info on shelters at hud.gove/findshelter.
Our thanks to the reader who asked this question. Here’s where to send your comments or inquiries: At Your Service, Rob Stemple, Daily American newsroom, P.O. Box 638, Somerset, PA 15501 or email robstemple@comcast.net
Rob Stemple resides in Shanksville. He is back to providing music at a few of the area nursing homes and other facilities, as COVID restrictions permit. Check out his music videos on the “Robin Stemple” channel on youtube. Rob also has eight CDs of hymns available, with Hymns 9 in production. CDs are all available at no cost. Call 814-233-8826 or send an email to robstemple@comcast.net for additional information.
