10/12 RULE 74.11.1: 1 

VENTURA COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT 

RULE 74.11.1 - LARGE WATER HEATERS AND SMALL BOILERS 

(Adopted 9/14/99, revised 9/11/12) 

A. Applicability 

 Until January 1, 2013, the provisions of this rule shall apply to any person selling, 

offering for sale, or installing, a new natural gas-fired water heater, boiler, steam 

generator or process heater with a rated heat input capacity greater than or equal to 75,000 

BTU/hr and less than or equal to 2,000,000 BTU/hr in Ventura County. 

After January 1, 2013, the provisions of this rule shall apply to any person selling, 

offering for sale, or installing, a new natural gas-fired water heater, boiler, steam 

generator or process heater with a rated heat input capacity greater than or equal to 75,000 

BTU/hr and less than 1,000,000 BTU/hr in Ventura County. 

B. Requirements 

1. Until January 1, 2014, no person shall not sell, offer for sale, or install in Ventura 

County any new unit with a rated heat input capacity of greater than or equal to 

75,000 BTU/hr and less than or equal to 400,000 BTU/hr that does not meet the 

following criteria: 

 a. Oxides of nitrogen emissions shall not exceed 40 nanograms per joule of 

heat output (93 pounds per billion BTU), or 55 parts per million, and 

 

 b. The unit is certified in accordance with Section C. 

2. After January 1, 2014, no person shall sell, offer for sale, or install in Ventura 

County any new unit with a rated heat input capacity of greater than or equal to 

75,000 BTU/hr and less than or equal to 400,000 BTU/hr that does not meet the 

following criteria: 

 a. Oxides of nitrogen emissions shall not exceed 14 nanograms per joule of 

heat output (32.5 pounds per billion BTU), or 20 parts per million, and 

 b. The unit is certified in accordance with Section C. 

 Subsection B.2.a shall not apply to units specifically designed to heat swimming 

pools, hot tubs or spas. For such units, oxides of nitrogen emissions shall not 

exceed 40 nanograms per joule of heat output (93 pounds per billion BTU), or 55 

parts per million. 
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3. Until January 1, 2013, no person shall not sell, offer for sale, or install in Ventura 

County any new unit with a rated heat input capacity of greater than 400,000 

BTU/hr and less than or equal to 2,000,000 BTU/hr that does not meet the 

following criteria: 

 a. Oxides of nitrogen emissions shall not exceed 30 parts per million and 

carbon monoxide emissions shall not exceed 400 parts per million, and 

 b. The unit is certified in accordance with Section C. 

4. After January 1, 2013, no person shall sell, offer for sale, or install in Ventura 

County any new unit with a rated heat input capacity of greater than 400,000 

BTU/hr and less than 1,000,000 BTU/hr that does not meet the following criteria: 

 a. Oxides of nitrogen emissions shall not exceed 20 parts per million and 

carbon monoxide emissions shall not exceed 400 parts per million, and 

 b. The unit is certified in accordance with Section C. 

C. Certification 

 1. Every subject unit offered for sale in Ventura County shall be certified by the Air 

Pollution Control Officer (APCO). On or before the applicable compliance date 

specified in Subsections B.1 or B.2, and thereafter at least 30 days prior to the 

date of proposed sale in Ventura County, the manufacturer shall submit a 

compliance report for each applicable new or modified unit by model. 

Certification shall be valid for three (3) years from the date of written approval by 

the APCO. 

 a. For each model certified, the manufacturer shall obtain from an 

independent testing laboratory a certification source test verifying 

compliance with the emission limits in Section B. Source tests shall be 

conducted on a randomly selected unit no more than 90 days prior to the 

date of proposed sale of the model in Ventura County. Tests shall be 

conducted and reports shall be prepared according to Attachment A of this 

rule. 

 b. The compliance report shall contain the following information: 

1). General Information 

i Name and address of manufacturer, 

ii Brand name, 
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iii Model number, as it appears on the permanent nameplate, 

and 

iv Description of the model being certified, including burner 

type and rated heat input capacity. 

2). A report on the source test specified in Subsection C.1.a 

3). A signed and dated statement attesting to the accuracy of all 

statements and information in the Compliance Report. 

 2. The requirements of Subsection C.1 notwithstanding, applicable equipment 

certified by the South Coast Air Quality Management District in accordance with 

the requirements of SCAQMD Rule 1146.2, adopted May 5, 2006, shall be 

considered certified for use in Ventura County. 

D. Identification of Complying Water Heaters 

The manufacturer shall display both the model number, the date of manufacture, and the 

certification status, as determined in Section C of this rule, of an applicable unit on the 

permanent nameplate. If the permanent nameplate is obscured by packaging, the model 

number and certification status shall also appear on the packaging. 

E. Enforcement 

 1. The APCO may periodically inspect distributors, retailers, and installers of water 

heaters located in the District and require such tests as are deemed necessary to 

ensure compliance with the provisions of this rule.

 2. Oxides of nitrogen emissions are measured as nitrogen dioxide using CARB 

Method 100. Parts per million measurements are by volume and referenced to 

three (3) percent stack gas oxygen on a dry basis. Field emission tests shall be 

conducted on units fired at maximum rated capacity, or as near thereto as 

practicable. 

F. Definitions 

For the purposes of this rule the following definitions shall apply: 

 1. "Boiler, Steam Generator": Any external combustion equipment fired with liquid 

and/or gaseous fuel and used to produce either steam or hot water. These terms 

do not include any unfired waste heat recovery boiler that is used to recover 

sensible heat from a combustion device. 
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 2. "Heat Output": The product Ho as defined in Section 9.3 of the South Coast Air 

Quality Management District Protocol cited in Attachment A. 

 3. "New Unit": Any applicable water heater, boiler, steam generator or process 

heater sold, offered for sale, or installed after January 1, 2014, for units subject to 

the requirements of Subsection B.2 or January 1, 2013, for units subject to the 

requirements of Subsection B.4. 

 4. "Process Heater": Any external combustion equipment fired with liquid and/or 

gaseous fuel and which transfers heat from combustion gases to water or process 

streams. Process Heater does not include any kiln or oven used for drying, 

baking, cooking, calcinating or vitrifying or any fuel-fired degreasing or metal 

finishing equipment. 

 5. "Rated Heat Input Capacity": The gross heat input capacity specified on the 

nameplate of either the unit or the burner. 

 6. "Unit": A water heater, boiler, steam generator or process heater. 

 7. "Water Heater": A device that heats water at a thermostatically-controlled 

temperature for delivery on demand. Water is heated by the combustion of either 

liquid and/or gaseous fuel and withdrawn for use external to the vessel at 

pressures not exceeding 160 psig. The device includes the apparatus by which 

heat is generated and all controls and equipment necessary to prevent water 

temperatures from exceeding 210oF (99oC). 

Attachment A 

Certification Source Tests 

Certification source tests, as specified in Subsection C.1, shall be conducted according to 

"Nitrogen Oxides Emissions Compliance Testing for Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters and 

Small Boilers," Protocol, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Source Testing and 

Engineering Branch, Applied Science and Technology.