Wood-heating Tips
Burning wood efficiently will reduce pollution and minimize health risks.
The health effects of wood smoke exposure include increased respiratory symptoms, increased hospital admissions for lower respiratory infections, exacerbation of asthma, and decreased breathing ability.
In residential areas, wood stoves and fireplaces contribute the largest portion of particulate matter air pollution. In addition to the particulate matter in wood smoke, emissions also contain carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, formaldehyde and known carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dioxin.
The American Lung Association
recommends that individuals avoid burning wood in homes where less polluting
heating alternatives are available. If you heat your home
with wood, the following steps can be taken to minimize expense, health and
environmental effects:
• Never burn:
painted or treated wood
particleboard
plywood
foil or metallic-coated gift wrapping
household garbage (diapers, plastic bags, etc.)
rags or fabric made of synthetic materials
• Split your firewood.
Wood only dries from the surface inward, so unsplit wood dries very slowly. Stack the wood loosely to promote air circulation.
• Burn seasoned firewood only.
Cut, split and stack it in a place sheltered from the weather. Cracks in the ends of the wood show its been properly seasoned and ready for burning. You can also test whether the wood is fully seasoned by striking two pieces together. Dry wood gives a sharp ‘crack’ while unseasoned wood sounds more like a dull ‘thud’.
Unseasoned firewood releases less heat energy when burned, yet releases more smoke and contributes to hazardous creosote buildup in chimneys.
• Store wood outside, covered on top with sides open to air.
• Store only a small amount of wood inside your home.
• Split wood into pieces 4-6 inches in diameter.
It will burn cleaner with more surface area exposed to the flame. Only use larger pieces of wood when the fire is well established.
• Make sure your fire is getting enough air.
This will ensure it burns hot and clean. A properly burning fireplace is hotter, produces less smoke and is more efficient. This means more warmth for less money and less impact to your health.
• Don’t stuff too much wood inside the firebox.
Refuel more often with smaller loads with the air inlet open wide to keep the fire burning briskly.
• Let your fire go out at night.
To reduce the level of woodsmoke pollution in towns and cities it is recommended that you do not burn your wood-heater overnight on reduced air flow.
How does wood smoke rank in comparison to other air pollutants?
There are many types of air pollutants, and wood smoke is ranked in comparison with the other types of air pollution. In Canada's air pollution, residential wood smoke is said to account for 25 percent of all fine particulates, 15 percent of the volatile organic carbons (VOCs) and 10 percent of the carbon monoxide.
In certain communities,
there have been cases where wood smoke has been the source of most of the
particulate matter found in the air. This has occurred in densely populated
urban areas and in valleys that are pinned in by mountains so that the wood
smoke doesn't dissipate; instead, it settles back on the town.
Is there much difference in the efficiency of different woodstoves?
Older, inefficient woodstoves emit particulates at the rate of 40 to 60 grams per hout of operation. New models have more efficient, clean-burning technologies which emit particulates in the range of 2 to 5 grams per hour. These newer models are also safer to use because cleaner burning fires produce less creosote buildup in chimneys, which is a leading cause of chimney fires.
Who
heats with wood?
Over 3 million Canadian households burn wood to heat their homes and for
enjoyment. People living in the country are twice as likely to heat with
wood than city dwellers. Pollution from wood smoke can be worse in neighbourhoods
where a high concentration of households inefficiently heat with wood,
and in valleys where smoke can settle.
Is
it OK to burn designer logs?
Designer logs have low amounts of energy output. If you are burning logs
simply for ambiance, then designer logs will work adequately. However,
they are not recommended for meeting your heating needs.
Unlike pellets that are made of sawdust bound together by the natural
cellulose within the wood, designer logs are often bound by spent bitumen
oil. If you do not know the ingredients in your fake log, it is recommended
that you do not burn it. There are no statistics on how the deposits may
damage your stove or fireplace, or about the toxins released from the
binding agents.
References:
American Lung Association
Government of Canada: ‘Burn it
Smart’ website
City of Kamloops 'Pollution
Solution' newsletter
Environment Australia woodheating
