To be marketed legitimately and safely, stoves and boilers must obtain the CE marking which guarantees the consumer that the product itself complies with all the provisions of the European Community, in terms of health, safety and environmental protection. The CE marking of stoves and boilers is therefore a mandatory procedure, which primarily involves the figure of the manufacturer of the product, but which also involves at various levels the figures of distributor and importer.
Boilers: types and characteristics
For heating a home and domestic water, the boiler is certainly a basic element. The range of products is very wide and there are types with different characteristics.
The most popular boilers on the market can be divided into two macro-groups in relation to operation of the combustion chamber, i.e. the place where the air for combustion is mixed with the gas coming from the burner; process that will give rise to the flame.
In devices a sealed combustion chamber you use the forced draft, characterized by a series of pipes which, on one side, sucks in the combustion air from an external environment, expelling - in the other direction - the fumes produced. The open chamber boilers, instead, they use the natural draft, sucking the air from the environment in which the boiler is installed; and expelling the fumes thanks to a vertical duct. It follows that sealed combustion chamber boilers can also be used in small and poorly ventilated environments, while open chamber devices are mainly installed in larger and more ventilated places, equipped with a flue.
Among the main types of boilers there are those with a gas - to methane or LPG – which are undoubtedly the most widespread on the market, reconciling ease of use and economic convenience. Key components of one methane boiler are the carpet-sucked gas burners; a flame modulation system and an electronic control system connected to the previous one to define its use. Boilers that use LPG have a very similar operation to gas boilers, but they differ in the need for more space. In fact, you will need an LPG storage tank and therefore an adequate area to place it, as well as an LPG gas supplier.
Among the latest generation boilers it is worth mentioning condensing boiler; a particular type of watertight boiler that allows savings of up to 30%. Much more respectful of the environment, it also uses the energy contained in the exhaust fumes, bringing the calorific value of the fuel to a yield that is close to 100%.
Types of stoves and particularities
Even in the case of stoves the range of products is very wide; there are various types, defined in relation to the heat production system. Generally speaking, all stoves have a surface exposed to contact with the air of the environment in which they heat, whether this occurs by radiation or convention.
The wood and pellet stoves they are characterized by a good degree of economic convenience related to use. In particular, the pellet stove uses fuel obtained from virgin wood, from processing waste or from the whole trunk, it easily connects to the electricity grid and allows for very simple maintenance.
Between liquid fuel stoves (kerosene, petroleum, oil) it is good to mention the bioethanol stoves, which are benefiting from widespread diffusion thanks to their ecological matrix. With the use of bioethanol - produced from waste biomass - no fumes are produced, substantially reducing the impact on the environment. Between electric stoves we find solutions such as the al stove quartz, the stove halogen and the stove al carbon, much more suitable for point heating of small rooms.
WHAT OBLIGATIONS FOR THE CE Marking of stoves and boilers?
To get the CE markings of stoves and boilers the standards necessary to comply with European Community directives will be identified, verifying them through the application of harmonized standards. This process will lead to the preparation and drafting of the Technical File, containing all the documents necessary to certify the conformity of the stove or boiler with the applicable directives.
Once the objective of positioning the CE Marking has been achieved (visibly, legibly and indelible), it will be possible draw up the EU Declaration of Conformity which indicates the legitimacy of the product to all the requirements of the European Community.
The figure involved primarily in the process achievement of the CE markings it is undoubtedly that of the manufacturer of the product. In fact, he will be the one to draw up the EU Declaration of Conformity, the Technical File and to preserve all documents relating to the product for 10 years. Furthermore, the manufacturer is obliged to affix the CE mark and develop corrective actions to ensure constant conformity of the product with EU directives.
The importer's tasks are related to the verification function. In fact, he will be the one to verify that the product imported by him is equipped with all the necessary documentation and that it - under his responsibility - does not undergo changes that could make it non-compliant. Similarly, the distributor will also have to ensure that the conformity of the products continues over time, reporting to the competent authorities any event that jeopardizes their legitimacy.
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