I don’t know how many times I have heard somebody say their stove is made by Warnock-Hershey.
Really? Well, yes it says so on the little plate on the back.
Well no, it actually does not say that at all. What it says is that the stove model was tested in a laboratory and certified to stated standards by Warnock-Hershey.
Warnock-Hersey is not and never was a manufacturer of woodstove or factory built fireplaces. The Warnock-Hersey name is simply who tested it and the WH-#### is the serial # on the unit.
Wood burning appliances in Canada which bear the Warnock Hersey (WH-ETL) Mark indicate compliance specific Canadian Codes (S610, S627, S628, S629 being some common ones you may see). Many, if not most of the wood stoves sold in Canada bear the WH certification label or one of their other marks we will cover in a bit.
Intertek’s Warnock-Hersey Mark has been used for testing wood burning appliances for years and there are now a few variants to it, however they all simply identify the testing laboratory.
You may see Intertek as the name instead of Warnock-Hersey. Some manufacturers simply place the Intertek name as the testing agency. Or some of them will have the ETL mark as part of or alone as the testing agency. ETL was traditionally the electrical safety testing arm of Intertek. You can find out more at the WH-ETL FAQ page.