Summary of HB 5451

• Exempts small hot water heaters from Connecticut boiler regulations (Chapter 540 of General Statutes) if approved by nationally recognized testing agencies and equipped with temperature and pressure relief valves.

• Category A exemption applies to heaters with nominal water capacity of 120 gallons or less, heat input of 200,000 British thermal units per hour or less, operating at 160 pounds per square inch or less and 210 degrees Fahrenheit or less, provided they are not installed in schools, day care centers, hospitals, nursing homes, churches, or public buildings.

• Category B exemption applies to heaters with nominal water capacity of 10 gallons or less and heat input of 20,000 British thermal units per hour or less, with no restrictions on installation location.

• Maintains existing exemptions for boilers under federal control, portable boilers for agricultural and field operations, heating systems in private homes and apartment buildings with five or fewer families, and antique or model boilers in museums.

• Takes effect upon passage and amends General Statutes Section 29-231.